ENVIRONMENT Minister Mark H Durkan has opened a UNESCO Conference in Derry to exploit the economic potential of the historic city.
At the conference ‘Back To The Future-a new direction’, he signed a Prosperity Agreement with Derry Inner City Trust.
The agreement seeks to turn environmental issues into business growth opportunities by encouraging best practice. It also seeks to encourage the development of wider partnership opportunities to manage the heritage of the inner city.
The Minister also launched the Second Edition of the Conservation Plan for the City Walls.
This sets out agreed policies to manage the development of the Monument in partnership with key stakeholders, and thereby ensure that its potential to contribute to the character, economy, and well-being of the City is maximised.
The Minister is seeking to highlight how Derry can be a template for other Councils. Community planning provides Councils with a unique opportunity to manage and develop their heritage to international standards.
Mark H Durkan said: ‘We do not exploit our heritage nearly enough. Scotland for example, creates three times the income and twice the number of jobs we do from it.
“That is why I have organised this conference in Derry today, inviting a major speaker from UNESCO who can help us maximise our potential.
“The key message from UNESCO is that partnerships and holistic working are the best way to unlock historic potential.
“We have the capability in the North of Ireland to use community planning to do this and stand out from the crowd.
“We can become recognised internationally as a place with heritage well worth seeing and where creative things are happening.’
“The initiatives I am launching today seek to encourage this potential in our City.
“The Prosperity Agreement with the Inner City Trust is an exciting development, seeking to raise standards and encourage holistic management.
“The Conservation Plan reinforces the good work already done since 2007 to ensure a holistic management approach for the largest monument in state care in Northern Ireland.
“Both of these initiatives lay important groundwork for the development of partnership working for the historic environment of this City.
“I can announce the relocation of staff from the Historic Environment Division Belfast as part of this initiative – further proof that I mean business here. They will be based in one of our historic buildings at Ebrington.”
In welcoming the announcements, Helen Quigley from the Derry Inner City Trust said the Minister’s statement were a boost for the city.
“They will help cement a good practice approach to how we manage our historic environment and work together to realise its full potential.
“I am particularly excited by the opportunities which our prosperity agreement with the Department will open up.’
Speaking at the conference UNESCO’s Karim Hendili said: “UNESCO’s approach to managing historic urban landscapes is holistic; it integrates the goals of urban heritage conservation and those of social and economic development.
“Our Historic Urban Landscape method sees urban heritage as a social, cultural and economic asset for the development of cities.
“I commend it to all those involved in heritage management here.’’
