Gibraltar contributes to UK World Heritage Site Chairs annual meeting

The annual meeting of the UK World Heritage Site Chairs took place virtually on November 13. Professor Clive Finlayson, Chair of the Gorham’s Cave Complex UNESCO World Heritage Site, represented Gibraltar at the meeting.

One of the topics discussed was the role of the UK Lottery Fund in supporting World Heritage Sites. It was reported that £134 million had been awarded to UK World Heritage Sites over the past five years, with the largest individual grant being £25 million. The Royal Observatory at Greenwich had recently received £9.7 million in funding. All UK World Heritage Sites except one have received UK Lottery funding at some stage.

Professor Finlayson highlighted that British Overseas Territories are not eligible for this funding. He called on the meeting to lobby for changes to UK legislation to allow such territories to access future funding, and to explore alternative ways in which this support might be extended.

Providing an update on the Gorham’s Cave Complex, Professor Finlayson referred to the visit of the Chief Executive of the UK National Commission for UNESCO, James Bridge, earlier in the year. He said Mr Bridge had been impressed by the site and its potential role in the Commission’s “local to global” programme, particularly in demonstrating past climate change.

Professor Finlayson also outlined aspects of the site’s management structure, including regular meetings of the World Heritage Advisory Forum, which is chaired by the Minister for Heritage, Dr John Cortes, and an annual programme of excavations overseen by an international research and conservation committee.

Looking ahead, Professor Finlayson said 2026 would be a significant year for Gibraltar and the site. It will mark the 100th anniversary of the discovery of the Neanderthal child’s skull from Devil’s Tower Cave and the 10th anniversary of the Gorham’s Cave Complex being inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. He said that a number of events were being planned, including a major Calpe Conference during the first week of September.

Dr Cortes said: “Once again the Gibraltar National Museum, through its management of the Gorham’s Cave Complex, has been prominent in a major meeting of experts and has contributed significantly to important discussions which could help in improving and promoting of all of the UK’s World Heritage Sites, including Gibraltar’s”.