Világörökségünk [antikvár]

These days, thanks to developments in technology, we can learn more and more about the world's diversity through actual or virtual travels. By stepping through this open gateway, the world's cultural and natural treasures have become far more accessible to us. But along with this good fortune, we must not forget the fact that our natural and cultural assets are threatened worldwide. In addition to dangers that have been known throughout history, perils have emerged in the 20* century through the functioning of society, economic circumstances, technological development and other processes, whose consequences and collective impact represent a growing menace, whether intentional or unintentional, to traditional humán values and therefore to cultural and natural treasures. In 1972, scholars, artists and politicians realized the danger and took responsibility for humanity's future by formulating the need to preserve the world's cultural and natural resources in the UNESCO World Heritage Convention. In the carefully worded text they alsó placed stress on the fact that the presen/ation of world heritage sites - sites of the most outstanding and universal significance - in the various countries is not in and of itself sufficient without the protection of other cultural and natural assets. The preserA/ation of world heritage sites should instead provide an example for how to safeguard these other sites. The spirit of world heritage has brought about the co-ordination of global and local interests, with beneficial results. Proposed national cultural assets in various places have been accepted as part of the world's common cultural heritage. National heritage thus becomes part of the universal heritage without damaging its interests, and even enriching them by providing greater respect through the recognition their special status. Hungary joined the World Heritage Convention in 1985, and in the same year this document was integrated into Hungárián law. In the time since then, Hungary has proven its commitmentto the concept of world heritage. Thanks to the professional and diplomatic efforts of the Hungárián National Committee for the World Heritage, it was chosen to host an extraordinary meeting of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee's governing body, which was the first major stage in the process of the Convention's renewal and reform. In June of 2002 - in the year of the Convention's 30* anniversary - the World Heritage Committee held its official meeting in Budapest. The Budapest Declaration that was ratified there provides renewed direction for the coming years to the participating states, relating to the implementation of the Convention and the fulfillment of their duties related to it. Hungary submitted its first two proposals - the Buda Castle District and the Banks of the Danube, as well as the architectural ensemble of Hollókő - in 1987 and since then, with the inscription of the Tokaj-Hegyalja Wine Region Cultural Landscape in 2002, the number of Hungárián world heritage sites has grown to eight. This publication provides a glimpse of the images from the exhibition on our World Heritage sites.