European Cultural Heritage Strategy for the 21 st century „ Page 9 Chapter 1 General framework he origins of the European Cultural Heritage Strategy for the 21st century can be found in the numerous achievements of the Council of Europe which, since the adoption of the European Cultural Convention, have helped shape the heritage policies of most European countries and the resulting co-operation T between them. The strategy also draws on the work carried out by UNESCO and the European Union, and on the discussions that have taken place in the international non-governmental organisations and networks focusing on heritage which have been involved in drawing up this strategy. — Interest in cultural heritage, on a European and international scale, goes back to the late 19th century and is still evolving. It is expressed in the founding texts and, in particular, in The Hague Conventions with respect to the Laws and Customs of War on Land (1899, 1907), the Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict (1954), and the Athens (1931) and Venice (1964) charters on the conservation and restoration of monuments. The most recent reference texts are the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (2003), the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions (2005) and the Council of Europe Framework Convention on the Value of Cultural Heritage for Society (2005), which highlights the need for greater citizen participation and the ability of local communities, citizens and civil society to recognise as heritage what is meaningful to them and to respect, preserve, transmit and enrich that heritage. — However, our continent has experienced many changes posing challenges for “living together” and upholding the principles on which democracy is based, which is the common heritage of the member States of the Council of Europe. — Demographic and climate changes, the spread of mass tourism at global level, the growing number of natural or man-made disasters, the temptation of community isolationism, intergenerational divisions, the economic crisis and the emergence of challenges to or serious violations of the values of freedom, tolerance and democracy on which our societies are based: all these challenges call for coherent, comprehensive and inspiring responses. — Cultural heritage, in all its components, tangible and intangible, is a key factor for the refocusing of our societies on the basis of dialogue between cultures, respect for identities and diversity, and a feeling of belonging to a community of values. Cultural heritage can play a key role as a means of building, negotiating and asserting one’s identity. — Cultural heritage is also a powerful factor in social and economic development through the activities it generates and the policies which underpin it. It can help achieve objectives in other sectors. It constitutes an invaluable resource in the fields of education, employment, tourism and sustainable development. — There is an urgent need to reposition cultural heritage policies, placing them at the heart of an inte- grated approach focusing on the conservation, protection and promotion of heritage by society as a whole