UPDATE ON THE U.S. CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT SITES SERIAL NOMINATION

IN RESPONSE TO THE ELECTION WITH PROJECTED CALENDAR FOR INSCRIPTION

The Georgia State University World Heritage Initiative congratulates President Donald J. Trump on his re-election.

It is true that during the first Trump Administration, the United States again withdrew from the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), which oversees the World Heritage program, and it might do so again in a second term. Yet because the United States is a signatory to the World Heritage Convention, as a state party within an international treaty, it can continue to participate in the process of nominating sites for inscription on the World Heritage List. The GSU World Heritage Initiative encourages the Trump Administration to continue participation in the World Heritage program and to pay its voluntary assessments into the World Heritage Fund.

In a recent call with Acting Chief Jonathan Putnam of the National Park Service Office of International Affairs (pictured left), which oversees the United States’ participation in the World Heritage program, Putnam confirmed the projected trajectory the GSU World Heritage Initiative had set for going forward with the U.S. Civil Rights Movement Sites Serial Nomination being submitted for consideration for inscription on the World Heritage List over the next three years.

As it stands, the completed draft dossier will be submitted for technical reviews in August 2025 at both the national level with the NPS-OIA legal office and with the World Heritage Centre in Paris. The review process takes six weeks or so which allows time for any necessary revisions. At the end of January 2026, the finished dossier will be submitted to the World Heritage Centre to begin the process of international review by its advisory body, the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS). The GSU World Heritage Initiative expects to get the final assessment from ICOMOS by early fall 2026 so that any final revisions necessary to the dossier might be made prior to it being submitted to the World Heritage Committee for its assessment and decision during its 49th Session in 2027.

Following the re-election of President Trump, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland (pictured right) sent an email to National Park Service employees. Some people will recall that Secretary Haaland has been a good friend, nominating last summer the U.S. Civil Rights Movement Sites Serial Nomination for consideration of inscription on the World Heritage List. Shortly after taking the position with the Department of the Interior, she visited the NPS facilities in Alabama, stopping in Selma to walk across the Edmund Pettus Bridge. The GSU World Heritage Initiative wishes her the best as she prepares to leave office.

Secretary Haaland began her message sent November 8, 2024, noting that “for many, this week has been disruptive. The shift of any Administration causes a significant transition of personnel and policy, but I want you to know that the Department’s leadership—and I—are dedicated to making sure you have the support you need for a peaceful transition on January 20, 2025.” She emphasized that her staff “has been preparing for the upcoming presidential transition since May to help ensure a seamless process that prioritizes stability and continuity.” The Secretary recognized “this transition period is crucial for ensuring a smooth handover of responsibilities and priorities and I encourage everyone to remain engaged and supportive as we work together to facilitate this process.”

And with good advice all should follow, she concluded, “please take care of yourselves, remember to get outside and drink plenty of water . . .”! So now let everyone support a “smooth transition” and “Keep your eyes on the prize, hold on!”

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