World Heritage site management : protecting a site in its landscape, a Maltese case-study

Abstract

A seminar presented at the Forum UNESCO University and Heritage on protecting the megalithic temple site of Mnajdra on Malta. The seminar was held due to a violent vandalistic attack on the temple site which shocked and angered the wider community. This incident served to highlight some potentially serious shortcomings in implementation of the World Heritage Convention (WHC) on a local level, with particular reference to its intention to protect sites and landscapes of 'outstanding universal value'. This paper examines the response of the Maltese community and WHS management team to the incident.