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Environment
and development
in coastal regions and in small islands |
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Dominica
workshop papers
Ethical Codes of
Practice in Various Domains
Alwin
Bully
Recommendation
concerning the safeguarding of the beauty and character of landscapes and sites
In 1962 the UNESCO General Conference at its
twelfth session adopted the Recommendation concerning the Safeguarding of the
Beauty and Character of Landscapes and Sites. The introduction to this Recommendation reads as
follows:
‘This
Recommendation is concerned to ensure not only the original aspects of
natural, urban and rural landscapes and sites, whether natural or man-made,
but also, as far as is possible, their restoration.
It
calls attention to both to the scientific and aesthetic of the landscapes and
sites and to the fact that they form a heritage which is a major factor in the
living conditions of the general public.
In
order to counter the threats of modern life to landscapes and sites,
preventive control needs to be established over operations and activities
liable to impair them.
The
protective measures to be adopted include the corporation of special
provisions in urban and regional development plans, scheduling by zones,
scheduling of isolated sites, creation and maintenance of natural reserves and
national parks, and acquisition of sites by communities.
Responsibility
for preservation measures should be entrusted to specialized services with
extensive powers.
The
Recommendation further emphasizes the need for vigorous education action in
schools and out of school with a view to awakening and developing the
public’s respect for the heritage which is its own and involving it in the
protection of that heritage’.
The body of the Recommendation itself recognises that ‘in all periods
men have sometimes subjected the beauty and character of landscapes and sites
forming part of their natural environment to damage which has impoverished the
cultural aesthetic and vital heritage of whole regions in all parts of the
world’. The wonton cultivation of
virgin lands in the development of urban centres affects the aesthetic value of
the site and the cultural and scientific importance of wildlife.
It recognises that the beauty and character of landscapes and sites is
‘necessary to the life of men for whom they represent a powerful physical,
moral and spiritual influence, while contributing to the artistic and cultural
life of people’ and at the same time they are an important factor in the
economic and social life of many countries, contributing to the health of their
inhabitants.
On adoption of this Recommendation UNESCO called on all member-states to
apply the following provisions by establishing, in the form of national laws or
in some other way, measures to give effect to the norms and principles embodied
therein, asking them at the same time to bring the Recommendation to the
attention of bodies entrusted with the protection of landscapes and sites, the
protection of nature and the development of tourism together with youth
organisations.
Among the general principles outlined, mention is made of specific
preventive measures aimed at protecting sites from dangers that threaten them.
Attention is drawn to the damage done to sites by
the presence of activities that create noise pollution.
Corrective measures are recommended for the restoration of damaged sites
back to their original condition.
In order to facilitate the task of the various
public services responsible for the safeguarding of landscapes and sites in each
state, scientific research institutes should be set up to cooperate with the
competent authorities with a view to the alignment and codification of the laws
and regulations applicable in this matter.
These provisions and the results of the work carried out should be
published and periodically brought up to date.
Under ‘Protective Measures’ the Recommendation
gives guidelines for supervision, town and urban planning, zoning and scheduling
of sites. ‘Areas which provide a
fine view and areas and buildings surrounding an outstanding monument should be
scheduled. Each of these sites
should be the subject of a special administrative decision of which the owner
should be duly notified. All
advertising should be forbidden in a scheduled area. Permission to camp in a
scheduled area should be refused’.
Member states should encourage the acquisition by
communities of areas forming part of a landscape or site, which it desires to
protect. When necessary it should
be possible to effect such acquisition by expropriation.
To apply these protective measures appropriate
bodies with far reaching powers should be established.
Education should be undertaken in school and out
of school with a view to arousing and developing public respect for landscapes
and sites and publicising the regulations laid down to ensure their protection.
Teachers should receive special training in these areas.
Public awareness should be developed through exhibitions, museums, books
and pamphlets, the print and electronic media and special days that draw
attention to the beauty and importance of the environment.
UNESCO
adopted this recommendation in 1962.
On August 6th of that year, Jamaica became the first
English-speaking Caribbean country to gain independence.
It is likely that it became a member of UNESCO a few months after the
adoption of the Recommendation, which means that no anglophone Caribbean
countries were member-states of UNESCO at the time of the adoption of this
Recommendation. It would seem that most, if not all of them are still unaware
of it today and I am grateful for the opportunity to bring to your attention
now.
This UNESCO
Recommendation has been choosen as a prime example of a relevant code of ethics because it relates directly to the
subject under consideration. It draws attention to the intangible aspect of preservation
of coastal regions and beaches - that is, the cultural aspect of their existence
and function within the history and present-day life of a country.
This particular model is fairly well suited to our
cultural concerns for coastal regions in that it addresses aesthetic as well as
practical issues. But in formulating a general code of ethics for small island
coastal regions several other models ought to be examined.
General considerations for
codes of ethics
There are several models from which to choose.
These documents come in several forms - codes, standards, charters,
principles, declarations, policies, and guidelines among others.
They are usually prepared by organizations (usually non-governmental)
when there is no law or no adequate law existing in their country to guide
people in making particular decisions. They
usually articulate a set of values based on notions of achieving the highest
possible good.
Relevant domains that would inform our purposes
here include codes of ethics for museums, artists, art dealers, terrestrial and
marine archaeologists, historians, architects, landscape architects, writers,
designers and engineers. (A list of relevant codes of ethics is included in
Annex I).
All of UNESCO’s conventions and recommendations
provide good examples of such objectives and may be found on the
UNESCO website. The ethical
codes of most large international organizations concerned with preservation
and conservation are also available on their websites. In the formulation of a code of ethics it is advisable to study
those of organizations dealing with similar issues.
In preparing a code of ethics the following
factors ought to be taken into consideration:
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1. |
Clarity: avoid ambiguous statements open to wide
interpretation. |
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2. |
Effectiveness: ensure that the existence of the code
is known; it will then stand a better chance of being regarded and utilized. |
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3. |
Enforcement: a code of ethics is not a law.
However, there should be mechanisms in place to encourage persons to
observe the codes. Sanctions appear to be the most effective. |
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4. |
Re-enforcing actions by the State: the State may
wish to pass certain laws that support the main concerns of the code. |
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5. |
Legal implications: enforcement of the code or the
imposition of sanctions could lead to lawsuits. Options for settlements of disputes should be
considered. |
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6. |
Dissemination and education: this is vital to ensure
the efficacy of the code. |
All this basically means that extreme care must be
taken in the drafting of such codes so as to ensure that they are more of an aid
than a hindrance in achieving the highest possible good.
Cultural considerations
The
UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Safeguarding of the Beauty and
Character of Landscapes and Sites draws attention to the cultural aspect of
our environment. Since the adoption
of this Recommendation the
UNESCO World Heritage Centre has come into existence and has provided further
guidelines for the preservation of the cultural and natural heritage of countries.
The
World Heritage List gives prestige to those important sites which are considered
the heritage of all of mankind and which are managed in ways that ensure their
survival in practical terms while maintaining their cultural role in the lives
of the people who live in and around them.
Recently, the Centre has added a new category of
sites eligible for inclusion on the World Heritage List - that of
Cultural Landscapes. In this
way, UNESCO recognises
the importance of the cultural use of the site or the cultural regard in which
it is held by the population of a country.
A cultural view
In small tropical islands the coast is not just the coast.
It is an entire way of life. It
ranges from the relationship that fisherman have with the sea and the land.
It is the meeting point of their two different worlds.
The sea becomes a symbol of our existence in that is sustains us through
its fruit and in its vastness and power also reminds us of our frailty and the
transitory nature of our existence. It
reminds us of our isolation while at the same time serving as a link and a
connection with other countries and cultures.
It unifies the world and all of mankind as one.
It calms and reassures us in its sleep; it terrifies us in its anger.
Forever changing forever speaking to us in myriad tongues.
For those who live on these islands the beach is
the location of some of our strongest memories, most of them with intense joy
and happiness, some with immense pain and sorrow.
A tropical beach is not just a beach.
It is world. A realm of
dreams. A precious gift to be preserved, to be embraced and loved, to
be cherished by all generations. The
beauty of the beach, its rejuvenating and recreational qualities, its sunrises
and its sunsets, its moonlit nights, its music, its romance, its wild life, its
flora and fauna - all come together to say
‘I am special, I am blessed. Be gentle with me’.
Annex I
Ethical standards of
conduct
