A/HRC/37/29 Conditions for the meaningful engagement of right holders 102. States should: (a) Respect the rights of heritage professionals and other defenders of cultural heritage, work at the national and international levels to ensure their safety and security, and provide them with the conditions necessary to perform their work, including material and technical assistance; (b) Grant asylum to at-risk cultural heritage professionals and defenders when necessary and ensure that displaced heritage professionals are able to continue their work and training in exile and to take part in the protection and rehabilitation of their country’s cultural heritage; (c) Facilitate the issuance of visas and travel arrangements for heritage professionals and scholars based in conflict areas so they can participate in international events where they can share their experiences and access best practices, advice and support; (d) Ensure the meaningful participation of local populations, heritage defenders, minorities and indigenous peoples in cultural heritage decision-making, bearing in mind that there should be “no decision about them without them”; (e) Encourage, foster and accept the involvement of local people in the management and protection of cultural sites and institutions responsible for the safeguard of cultural heritage and transmission, and provide them with training in this regard; (f) Conduct thorough consultations with local, national and international stakeholders before engaging in rehabilitation, reconstruction or long-term preservation efforts, and ensure that concerned populations, including displaced persons and refugees, play a central role in these processes as well as in determining how to memorialize recent destruction; (g) Make every effort to include the viewpoints of local populations, minorities and indigenous peoples in historical narratives and school curricula, including about cultural heritage; (h) Assess the potential impact that cultural heritage can have on poverty reduction, employment generation and economic development at the local level and, where advisable, adopt measures that promote the use of such heritage in full compliance with human rights standards, particularly cultural rights, and with the direct participation of the persons concerned; (i) Implement or facilitate programmes of vocational training targeted particularly at young people which promote the traditional skills and crafts essential for the recreation and preservation of local cultural heritage. Preventive measures 103. States should: (a) Analyse the root causes underpinning disrespect or destruction of cultural heritage and adopt targeted strategies to address existing or potential threats to this heritage; (b) Prepare in peacetime for any possible threat to cultural heritage in time of war, including by recording and documenting the tangible and intangible cultural heritage within their jurisdictions, using digital technologies wherever feasible, defining cultural heritage protection priorities and communicating these to relevant authorities and agencies, including military and peacekeeping forces; (c) Formulate cultural heritage mapping processes and include cultural impact assessments in the planning of development projects, in consultation with concerned populations. 16