Regional World Heritage Institute in Zacatecas - RWHIZ
Report for the 46th session of the World Heritage Committee
Reporting period: July 2023 to June 2024

1. General Information
Name of the Centre
Name and contact information ofthe Director/HeadDesignated Focal Point(s)(name, title and contact
information)

Website (if available)

Regional World Heritage Institute in Zacatecas, Category 2Centre, under the auspices of UNESCO (RWHIZ)
Carlos Augusto Torres Perez
augusto_torres@irpmzcc2.org
Phone: +52 492 909 02 53
Carlos Augusto Torres Perez
Director General of RWHIZ
augusto_torres@irpmzcc2.org
Phone: +52 492 909 02 53
Erika Ofelia Renteria Ruiz
Technical Secretary of RWHIZ
er.ruiz@irpmzcc2.org
Phone: +52 492 124 89 62
https://irpmzcc2.org/

2. Institutional and Operational Structure of the Centre(e.g., Governing Board, staffing, operational funding and premises)

Governing Board:Staffing

Operational funding
The Budget assigned for the operation to the RWHIZ in 2024 was $389,286.34 USD (funds from thegovernment of the state of Zacatecas, Mexico).

Premises
The RWHIZ houses its offices at the property called "Casa del Conquistador", owned by the Zacatecasstate government and located at Calle Juan de Tolosa No. 831, Historic Center of Zacatecas, Mexico.

3. Updates on the Management of the Centre(e.g., meetings of the Governing Board and key decisions adopted)
On February 2, 2024, the Third Ordinary Meeting of the Board of Directors of the Regional World
Heritage Institute in Zacatecas was held in Mexico City, the purpose of which was to report on theactivities carried out during 2023, as well as present the proposed Work Plan of this Institute for 2024.
During the meeting, the general director of RWHIZ presented the 2023 Work Report to the members ofthe Board of Directors, who recognized the work carried out by this Category 2 Center in 2023 andpointed out the importance of continuing to strengthen cooperation networks around to World Heritage
in the region.
Regarding the 2024 Work Plan, the Board of Directors approved the sixteen actions proposed by thedirector general. It should be noted that these actions were proposed based on the Action Plan for theLatin American and the Caribbean region (2023-2029). Other relevant point at the meeting was thepresentation of the progress of the Tripartite Agreement between UNESCO, the Government of Mexicoand the RWHIZ, for the renewal of the latter.
4. Main Programmes and Activities(implemented since July 2023 and planned for the current year)
As part of the Activities of the 2023 Work Plan, approved at the Second Ordinary Meeting of the Boardof Directors, several activities were carried out during the second half of 2023, including:−In August 2023, the RWHIZ participated in the Governance Meeting of the Lucio Costa
Category 2 Center, located in Brazil, where was presented the progress of the 2023 Work
Plan of the RWHIZ and the initial projection of the 2024 Work Plan. In the Meeting also
participated the African World Heritage Center Fund (AWHF) and the Regional Center for
the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Latin America (CRESPIAL). The
meeting was conducive to sharing experiences, establishing dialogue between the 1972and 2003 Conventions, as well as to outline areas of collaboration that contribute tostrengthening the capacities associated with World Heritage in Latin America and theCaribbean.

−During this period, efforts continued within Mexico to achieve a consensual version of theTripartite Agreement project between UNESCO, Mexico and the RWHIZ. Thisconsensual version was delivered in Spanish to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on September
4, 2023, and in English on January 26, 2024, for sending to UNESCO.

−The RWHIZ participated in the 45th Meeting of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee,
in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where progress was presented regarding the execution of the 2023
Work Plan of the Institute. Also, it was presented the commitment made by the RWHIZ in
the Republic of Korea to host the 9th International Meeting of Category 2 Centers in Mexicoin 2025.

−The materials of the Course “The Blue Helmets for Culture, Cultural Heritage in theevent of disasters: risks and safety interventions” were disseminated in this period. The
course was organized by the Organizzazione Internazionale Italo-Latino Americana (OIILA),
the Ministry of Culture of Italy (MIC), the Command Carabineri Tutela Patrimony Culturale
Italo (CCTPC), the Regional Institute of World Heritage in Zacatecas and the Secretariat ofCulture of Mexico through the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH). Morethan 70 representatives from Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guatemala, Costa Rica, the Dominican
Republic and Mexico participated in the event.

−The Digital Photogrammetry Course applied to cultural heritage in Mexico, Central

America and the Caribbean was held on October 30, 31, November 1, 6 and 7, 2023. Thiscourse was organized jointly by the Regional World Heritage Institute in Zacatecas and theNational Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH). The course included the participationof institutions from Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic
and was also attended, as an observer, by the Lucio Costa Category 2 Center, located inBrazil.
−From November 15 to 17, 2023, the “Camino Real de Tierra Adentro InternationalColloquium, Cultural Itineraries-UNESCO", was held. This event was organized by theRegional World Heritage Institute in Zacatecas, the National Institute of Anthropology andHistory (INAH) of Mexico, the Ministry of Culture of the same country, the Autonomous
University of Aguascalientes, Mexico, and the National Park Service of the Interior
Department of United States of America. Representatives from the Dominican Republic, theUnited States of America, Argentina and Mexico participated in the event.

−On December 14, 2023, the “Empiricisms and Perspectives” Conference Series,Zacatecas and the World Heritage Cities of Mexico, Central America and theCaribbean”, was established with the purpose of generating a space for exchanging
experiences around the protection, conservation and management of the 17 historic citiesof the region included in this heritage category. The event was organized by the RWHIZ,
the Zacatecano Institute of Culture “Ramón López Velarde” and the National Institute of
Anthropology and History. Mauricia Domínguez Rodríguez, specialist architect of theDepartment of Planning and Projects of the National Directorate of Monumental Heritage ofthe Ministry of Culture of the Dominican Republic, was in charge of giving the first keynotelecture of this Cycle, which was titled “Colonial City of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic,interventions and good practices.

−On November 29 and 30, the Heritage Interpretation Seminar – Workshop for theCamino Real de Tierra Adentro was held. This event was convened by the National
Institute of Anthropology and History through its World Heritage Directorate, and organizedjointly. with the Colegio de Michoacan, Mexico and the Regional World Heritage Institute inZacatecas. The objective of the Workshop was to generate a comprehensive proposal forthe dissemination of the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, based on the postulates of theInterpretation and Presentation for heritage.

−On December 11, 2023, the RWHIZ participated in the meeting “Launch of the Action
Plan for Latin America and the Caribbean (2023-2029)”, organized by UNESCO WorldHeritage Center. At this meeting were shared experiences around the link between RWHIZ
2024 Work Plan proposal and this new Action Plan.

−On December 14, 2023, the book “Zacatecas, a place with Outstanding Universal

Value” was presented in the Central Patio of the Zacatecano Museum. The work, publishedand edited by the RWHIZ, the INAH and the Zacatecano Institute of Culture, wascommented on by José Luis Perea González, technical secretary of INAH, Faviola CastilloRuiz, research professor at the Autonomous University of Zacatecas, and Alfredo Conti,
UNESCO consultant and member of ICOMOS Argentina. A temporary exhibition on theinscription of Zacatecas on the World Heritage List was also inaugurated at the event.

As part of the activities from January to June 2024 are:−A meeting, in conjunction with the World Heritage Center of UNESCO, with world heritage
managers and focal points from the Caribbean to explore avenues for cooperation aroundcapacity building in 2024 and 2025.

−

Two international courses on Digital Photogrammetry Applied to Cultural Heritage for
Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, one in person and other online.

−A conference within the framework of the Conference Series “Empiricisms andPerspectives, good practices around World Heritage sites in Mexico, Central America
and the Caribbean”.

−

An online presentation of the second phase of the RWHIZ Digital Library, which includes
more materials related to capacity building associated with World Heritage, as well as
dissemination and reporting materials produced within the RWHIZ.

−

2024 meeting for World Heritage Managers and Focal Points in Mexico, Central America
and the Caribbean for the presentation of the 2024 Work Plan of RWHIZ.

−Participation of a member of RWHIZ in the course “Impact Assessment in a World
Heritage Context” at the headquarters of ICCROM, through the Training of Trainers
initiative of the World Heritage Leadership Program of ICCROM.