The Lightness of Human Rights in World Heritage: A Critical View of Rights-Based Approaches, Vernaculars, and Action Opportunities

Why are the global rights commitments made by States Parties to the World Heritage Convention failing to trigger effective responses to critical human rights infringements? This paper responds to a continuous call from heritage practitioners to help clarify the meaning and significance of human rights-based approaches (RBA) that are adopted as policy imperatives, yet simultaneously undermined in practice. The first part of the paper reviews the vernacularization of human rights discourse and objectives at UNESCO and in the World Heritage policy field. It is argued that while clear formal commitments to human rights exist in the language, much ambiguity and several dilemmas remain in the framing of connections between heritage and human rights. The second part offers a critical discussion of the institutional traps, dilemmas and unresolved questions involved in adopting RBA in heritage work. A set of key questions follow about the why, what, for whom, and when, as well as how and under what conditions, human rights matter in heritage processes. While structural constraints appear daunting, accepting that heritage processes are powerful leads to real choices about whether to cement inequalities and state or corporate power hegemonies, or, conversely, to contribute towards building more equitable relationships.