2012 will mark the 40^th anniversary of the promulgation of the World Heritage Convention. It is an appropriate moment in which to reflect on the successes of that Convention, as well as problems in archaeological heritage management that have arisen or been recognized since then. Indeed, some problems have been generated by the very popularity of the World Heritage List.

ICAHM has chosen Cuzco, Peru as the location of its 2012 annual meeting. Cuzco is an ideal venue in which to consider the problems and prospects of archaeological heritage management in the 21^st century. It is a World Heritage Site of truly "outstanding universal value", a living historic city, a great tourist attraction, and is itself the gateway to another of the world's most important archaeological sites, Machu Picchu.

Among the issues for consideration at the meeting are local stakeholder claims on archaeological heritage; sustainable development and community sustainability; tourism pressures and site preservation; heritage and rights; challenges to the validity and value of the World Heritage List as it quickly approaches 1,000 inscribed sites; the World Heritage List decision-making process; impacts of war, civil disorder, and natural disasters on archaeological sites; technical advances in archaeological heritage management.

The meeting in Cuzco will take place in coordination with a related meeting organized on the island of Menorca, Spain, by the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, together with the local government. The International Conference on Best Practices in World Heritage: Archaeology will take place from April 9-13, 2012, and some of its themes can be continued in Cuzco. The publication of a selection of papers of both events will be sponsored by ICAHM.

Conference website: http://www.icomos.org/icahm/cuzco_home.html