Despite the fact that it is threatened by the harmful influence of particularisms which hinder social cohesion in some places, the preservation of the common heritage will never be the business of a single cultural unit. The spirit of territoriality or the feeling of belonging that it implies and which is concretized by international conventions concerned with taking care of a common home will always make the specificities of each terroir a common heritage to be preserved and promoted by all legal means possible. Indeed, the protection of animal and plant biodiversity, as well as its preservation, is an art of living which places enormous importance on the lives of others and in particular the preservation of its ecosystems, the continued existence of which requires effort permanent restoration and preservation both locally and internationally.
With the phenomenon of global warming, the protection as well as the preservation of natural spaces through concrete actions is a major cultural issue which requires the responsibility of each State not only in order to better benefit from the benefits of nature, but above all to avoid that the future of future generations is not compromised by those who preceded them.
The common heritage being the whole formed by a set of particular heritages which are all part of a dynamic of protection necessary for the well-being of all humanity, all the links in the chain have their usefulness. No being and no culture is more important than another; no animal or plant species is more important than another. Each has its use and its specificities.
A natural environment compromised by human actions always has strong repercussions in the lives of men and peoples called to live in symbiosis with essential nature in the sustainability of their cultural and traditional activities. But even if protectionist attitudes justify the establishment of several bans with a view to limiting the anarchic slaughter of animal and plant species by individuals, poachers and indigenous populations who unfortunately pay the high price of a disaster for which they are not the main responsible parties, the preservation of the natural environment must take into account local populations as well as their activities which are also legacies to be preserved.
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Economic and social development must be compatible with the conservation of common heritage and rational exploitation of natural resources. The protection of nature must not be a pretext for increasing the wealth of some while increasing the poverty of others through the multiplication of illegal activities. World heritage registration will certainly not make it possible to protect all these areas as it should, but it will already constitute a significant effort in the preservation of the cultural specificities of one or more terroirs of a Territory, but also and above all that of a common heritage.
Among the more than 194 States having ratified the World Heritage Convention, there are still several which have no inscribed site while others have several. Undertaking efforts in this direction will certainly make it possible to remedy this geographical disparity which indicates a particular interest for certain countries. Indeed, the ten countries which have the most cultural, natural and mixed sites listed according to a 2022 ranking made by UNESCO are industrialized and developed countries.
Protecting nature means protecting not only a culture but also a common heritage. Perhaps not all sites in the world can be registered, but the 197 countries officially recognized by the United Nations must have at least one registered site so that populations are not only associated in this necessary fight for preservation and enhancement of local cultures through the preservation of their living environment, but also more aware of the urgency of protecting not only a particular heritage but above all a common heritage because, a dying culture is a loss for the humanity. Work must be intensified at national levels with a view to increasing the tentative lists, while hoping that a greater number will be inscribed as world heritage.
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