Exploring the narrative of heritage through the eyes of the law

The need to protect and safeguard the world s heritage has emerged as a concern for the international community as the deterioration, damage and destruction of both tangible and intangible heritages are seen to be on the increase. The outstanding universal values of the natural and cultural heritage reflect the deep-seated interdependence between the tangible and intangible domains of heritage, rendering them unique and irreplaceable, thus necessitating conservation as it is a reflection of humanity. "Heritage" is a difficult concept to define. Determining what heritage "is" and to whom something is considered a "heritage", is a highly subjective, value-oriented exercise, contingent on the individuals, groups and communities who in various ways, had identified themselves with, and related themselves to the heritage. This article explores the narrative of the normative landscape of heritage conservation and its progressive development. The discussion adopts a discursive approach in interpreting the heritage discourse as codified in the relevant international legal instruments. An inquiry into the dynamic interpretation of "heritage" couched in the imperative to protect and to safeguard both tangible and intangible heritages is important in supporting the efforts towards conservation of heritage. This will ultimately enable a legacy to be left that could be inherited by future generations.