5th Huangshan Dialogue Focuses on Sustainable Development of UNESCO-designated Sites
01 Jun 2026
The 5th Huangshan Dialogue on UNESCO-designated Sites and Sustainable Development was held from May 31 to June 1, 2026, in Huangshan City, Anhui Province, China. The event brought together more than 200 participants from 35 countries and regions and 18 international organizations to explore how digital and intelligent technologies can advance the conservation, management, and sustainable development of UNESCO-designated sites.
It has been officially endorsed by UNESCO as part of the UN International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development (Science Decade) and becomes the first international academic conference concentrating on sustainable development of UNESCO-designated sites under the Science Decade.
The event was jointly organized by the Aerospace Information Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (AIRCAS), the International Centre on Space Technologies for Natural and Cultural Heritage (HIST) under the auspices of UNESCO, the International Research Center of Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals (CBAS), the Huangshan Municipal Peopless Government, and the Anhui Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism.
In his opening remarks, Prof. GUO Huadong, Director of HIST and Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, highlighted HIST’s unique role as UNESCO's only research center dedicated to applying space technologies to the conservation of UNESCO-designated sites. He called for broader adoption of digital and intelligent technologies, stronger interdisciplinary international collaboration, and enhanced capacity building in developing countries
In a video message, Lazare Eloundou Assomo, Interim Assistant Director-General for Culture and Director of World Heritage Centre of UNESCO, praised HIST's use of satellite imagery to monitor heritage sites around the world, noting that the Dialogue has become a key platform for driving innovative technologies in heritage conservation and sustainable development.
A highlight of the Dialogue was the release of the Global Cultural Heritage Remote Sensing Dynamic Monitoring Atlas (2020–2025), the latest research results demonstrating HIST's contribution through space technology by systematically documenting environmental changes, evolution trends, and disturbance risks of key UNESCO-designated sites worldwide.
During the event, four applicants received the HIST Award for outstanding case studies after rigorous evaluation. Cooperation agreements were also signed between HIST and its partners, including International Federation of Landscape Architects, African World Heritage Fund and other UNESCO Category II centres in Mexico and Korea, and the Huangshan Scenic Area Management Committee. The Huangshan Action Plan for Empowering Sustainable Development through UNEUNESCO-designated Site was also officially launched.
The Dialogue covered such topics as AI and digital archaeology, climate change, biodiversity conservation, heritage risk monitoring and assessment, and sustainable tourism. A dedicated session on the latest nomination procedures of UNESCO-designated sites provided professional guidance for the preparation for nomination dossiers of World Heritage Sites, Biosphere Reserves, and Global Geoparks.
Participants also launched the Recommendation on Artificial Intelligence for the Protection and Sustainable Development of UNESCO-designated Sites, calling for stronger global cooperation in AI applications, international standards development, and capacity building for the countries particularly in Africa and small island states.
Since its launch in 2014, the Huangshan Dialogue has served as an important platform for policymakers, researchers, and practitioners working on the conservation of UNESCO-designated sites. With its inclusion in the framework of the UN Science Decade in 2026, the Dialogue is expected to further advance the integration of digital and intelligent technologies into heritage conservation and sustainable development, thereby contributing to the implementation of Global Civilization Initiative, World Heritage Convention and UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
A scene of the opening ceremony. (Image by AIRCAS)
News Updates
5th Huangshan Dialogue Focuses on Sustainable Development of UNESCO-designated Sites
The 5th Huangshan Dialogue on UNESCO-designated Sites and Sustainable Development was held from May 31 to June 1, 2026, in Huangshan City, Anhui Province, China. The event brought together more than 200 participants from 35 countries and regions and 18 international organizations to explore how digital and intelligent technologies can advance the conservation, management, and sustainable development of UNESCO-designated sites.
It has been officially endorsed by UNESCO as part of the UN International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development (Science Decade) and becomes the first international academic conference concentrating on sustainable development of UNESCO-designated sites under the Science Decade.
The event was jointly organized by the Aerospace Information Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (AIRCAS), the International Centre on Space Technologies for Natural and Cultural Heritage (HIST) under the auspices of UNESCO, the International Research Center of Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals (CBAS), the Huangshan Municipal Peopless Government, and the Anhui Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism.
In his opening remarks, Prof. GUO Huadong, Director of HIST and Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, highlighted HIST’s unique role as UNESCO's only research center dedicated to applying space technologies to the conservation of UNESCO-designated sites. He called for broader adoption of digital and intelligent technologies, stronger interdisciplinary international collaboration, and enhanced capacity building in developing countries
In a video message, Lazare Eloundou Assomo, Interim Assistant Director-General for Culture and Director of World Heritage Centre of UNESCO, praised HIST's use of satellite imagery to monitor heritage sites around the world, noting that the Dialogue has become a key platform for driving innovative technologies in heritage conservation and sustainable development.
A highlight of the Dialogue was the release of the Global Cultural Heritage Remote Sensing Dynamic Monitoring Atlas (2020–2025), the latest research results demonstrating HIST's contribution through space technology by systematically documenting environmental changes, evolution trends, and disturbance risks of key UNESCO-designated sites worldwide.
During the event, four applicants received the HIST Award for outstanding case studies after rigorous evaluation. Cooperation agreements were also signed between HIST and its partners, including International Federation of Landscape Architects, African World Heritage Fund and other UNESCO Category II centres in Mexico and Korea, and the Huangshan Scenic Area Management Committee. The Huangshan Action Plan for Empowering Sustainable Development through UNEUNESCO-designated Site was also officially launched.
The Dialogue covered such topics as AI and digital archaeology, climate change, biodiversity conservation, heritage risk monitoring and assessment, and sustainable tourism. A dedicated session on the latest nomination procedures of UNESCO-designated sites provided professional guidance for the preparation for nomination dossiers of World Heritage Sites, Biosphere Reserves, and Global Geoparks.
Participants also launched the Recommendation on Artificial Intelligence for the Protection and Sustainable Development of UNESCO-designated Sites, calling for stronger global cooperation in AI applications, international standards development, and capacity building for the countries particularly in Africa and small island states.
Since its launch in 2014, the Huangshan Dialogue has served as an important platform for policymakers, researchers, and practitioners working on the conservation of UNESCO-designated sites. With its inclusion in the framework of the UN Science Decade in 2026, the Dialogue is expected to further advance the integration of digital and intelligent technologies into heritage conservation and sustainable development, thereby contributing to the implementation of Global Civilization Initiative, World Heritage Convention and UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
A scene of the opening ceremony. (Image by AIRCAS)