2023-10-24 12:10:41
WRC Promoter, the company responsible for promoting the World Rally Championship (WRC) and European Rally Championship (ERC) of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), has announced that it is committed to safeguard natural and mixed sites listed as UNESCO World Heritage, making it the first motorsport organization to commit to World Heritage. WRC Promoter will also assess steps to extend its engagement to cultural sites inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Organizing more than 20 rallies around the world each year, the WRC and ERC collectively attract more than three million on-site spectators and a television audience of more than 840 million. With many rallies taking place in a natural environment, the practice of rallying is closely linked to the preservation of healthy and well-preserved ecosystems. WRC Promoter is therefore committed to avoiding any damage to natural and mixed UNESCO World Heritage sites, as well as their buffer zones.
“Protecting UNESCO World Heritage sites for current and future generations is a shared responsibility. We warmly welcome the historic commitment made by WRC Promoter, the first motorsport player to commit to the protection of UNESCO World Heritage sites. By making this commitment, WRC Promoter recognizes its responsibility to ensure that these unique but fragile venues are not affected by its sporting events. We hope that this commitment will inspire other stakeholders in sport to take similar measures.”
WRC Promoter will apply its nature management tool, an assessment of impact types and spatial risks, whenever its rallies risk affecting natural or mixed UNESCO World Heritage sites. These studies are guided by the Guide and Toolkit for Impact Assessments in a World Heritage Context and by the UNESCO Guidance on the Commitment to Respect World Heritage Sites as Exclusion Zones: Global Recommendations for Sustainable Business Development. Only activities that can demonstrate appropriate management of negative impacts on the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of sites and that contribute positively to their protection will be maintained.
“The World and European Rallycross Championships pass through some of the most diverse and unique locations in the world, relaying images around the world of the incredible beauty in which we live. Protecting the Outstanding Universal Value of World Heritage sites through good practice and educating our fans is an integral part of the sustainability of our sport ”.
WRC Promoter also intends to raise awareness among rally spectators and other motorsport stakeholders of the importance of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and to encourage the entire sporting sector to strive to avoid negative impacts on these sites.
On UNESCO’s engagement with the business sector and the commitment to respect exclusion zones for World Heritage:
UNESCO has worked with the business sector for more than twenty years to ensure that businesses prevent their commercial activities from damaging UNESCO-designated World Heritage sites. This collaboration saw more than 50 major public and private companies, industry associations and other business stakeholders from various sectors commit to protecting UNESCO World Heritage sites. Companies have often demonstrated this commitment by adopting strategies and policies that respect UNESCO World Heritage sites as areas prohibited from harmful activities, which is generally known as the Pledge to Respect World Heritage Sites. World Heritage as exclusion zones (“no-go areas”).
For more information, visit:
The UNESCO World Heritage Center thanks the Government of Flanders for its continued support in promoting its work on World Heritage and sustainable business development.
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