Fostering Our Common Heritage; Implementation Plan for the National World Heritage Strategy until 2025

Abstract

The Implementation Plan for the National World Heritage Strategy presents concrete measures to implement the objectives laid down in the National World Heritage Strategy 2015–2025. The Goverment adopted the strategy by its resolution on 16 April 2015. According to the National World Heritage Strategy, Finland fosters the World Heritage and the Finnish World Heritage sites stand as examples of protection, management and presentation for other countries. World Heritage sites are a form of living heritage shared by everyone.

The implementation plan is divided into five main strategic guidelines in the same manner as the strategy itself: World Heritage policy in Finland, preservation of world heritage sites, capacity building, raising awareness on World Heritage and presentation of sites, and communities.

At the moment, there are seven World Heritage sites in Finland, six cultural heritage sites and one natural heritage site. This calls for cooperation between the different central government actors. Cooperation and dialogue are also requirements for a successful implementation of the strategy, as it concerns not only the central government but also the actors responsible for the World Heritage sites and their stakeholders. World Heritage sites function as resources for the regions they are located in – they constitute attractive tourist destinations that boost the business activities in the region. Furthermore, the sites constitute diverse learning environments that support sustainable development and lifelong learning