ingenieur 2021 vol85 Jan-Mar 2021 | Page 57

GUIDELINES

Understanding Outstanding Universal Value

By Lee Soo Leng

The Malaysian National Heritage Act 2005

( Act 645 ) mentions the term ‘ Outstanding
Universal Value ’ under the definition of ‘ building ’ whereby ‘ building ’ means a building or group of separate or connected buildings which , because of their architecture , their homogeneity or their place in the landscape , are of Outstanding Universal Value from the point of view of history , art or science .
It is again mentioned in defining “ monument ” to mean “ architectural works , works of monumental sculpture and painting , elements or structures of an archaeological nature , inscriptions , cave dwellings and combinations of features , which are of Outstanding Universal Value from the point of view of history , art or science ”.
To understand the term Outstanding Universal Value , the Operational Guidelines for the implementation of the World Heritage Convention provides details as follows .
Outstanding Universal Value means cultural and / or natural significance which is so exceptional as to transcend national boundaries and to be of common importance for present and future generations of humanity . As such , the permanent protection of this heritage is of the highest importance to the international community as a whole . The World Heritage Committee defined the criteria for the inscription of properties on the World Heritage List .
The Convention is not intended to ensure the protection of all properties of great interest , importance or value , but only for a selected list of the most outstanding of those from an international viewpoint . It is not to be assumed that a property of national and / or regional importance will automatically be inscribed on the World Heritage List .
Nominations presented to the Committee should demonstrate the full commitment of the State Party to preserve the heritage concerned , within its means . Such commitment should take the form of appropriate policy , legal , scientific , technical , administrative and financial measures adopted , and a proposal to protect the property and its Outstanding Universal Value .
Criteria for the assessment of Outstanding Universal Value
The Committee considers a property as having Outstanding Universal Value if the property meets one or more of the following criteria . Nominated properties should therefore :
( i ) represent a masterpiece of human creative genius ;
( ii ) exhibit an important interchange of human values , over a span of time or within a cultural area of the world , or developments in architecture or technology , monumental arts , townplanning or landscape design ;
( iii ) bear a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilisation which is living or which has disappeared ;
( iv ) be an outstanding example of a type of building , architectural or technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates significant stages in human history ;
( v ) be an outstanding example of a traditional human settlement , land-use , or sea-use which is representative of a culture ( or cultures ), or human interaction

GUIDELINES

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