President of the UNESCO General Conference Michael Omolewa said in Suzhou Monday that heritage conservation remains "a major aim and a major struggle," but it must be ensured that conservation efforts are development oriented.

"This maybe the major challenge for the World Heritage Committee nowadays," Omolewa told the 28th Session of the World Heritage Committee which opened in Suzhou, a scenic city adjacent to Shanghai.

With the recent entrance of the Kingdom of Tonga, the World Heritage Convention has a total of 178 member signatories. In the 32 years of the existence of the Convention, remarkable progress has been made. The World Heritage List currently comprises 754 sites in 129 countries.

"However," Omolewa said. "This also means that there exists an imbalance with the List, and one of the main purpose of the Committee nowadays is to work actively to reduce this imbalance."

"The Committee's attachment to heritage -- and thus the wish to reach a balanced representation on the World Heritage List -- finds its roots in our deep attachment to the diversity of conceptions of the world that it reflects," he said, noting it is increasingly obvious that the whole subject of heritage is closely bound up with the question of cultural diversity.

Omolewa stressed that the success of the World Heritage Convention is to provide a framework for the protection of world heritage, which goes far beyond its most visible aspects.

It promotes cultural dialogue and the recognition of cultural differences, supports sustainable development strategies and encourages the safe and long-term management of natural resources.

"Therefore, it is also instrumental in preventing conflicts and contributes to the reconciliation process associated to post-conflict situation," he said, adding: "Conservation remains, of course, a main aim and a major challenge."
 
(Xinhua News Agency June 28, 2004)