Representatives of Montenegro participated in the international expert conference “Transhumance Landscapes of Global Significance”, held in Baku, Azerbaijan, June 23–24, 2025. The event was organized within the framework of the ICOMOS World Heritage Initiative on Transhumance and hosted by the State Tourism Agency of Azerbaijan.
A Global Network of Experts
The gathering brought together experts from leading international organizations such as FAO, UNEP, ICOMOS, and IUCN, along with specialists from 17 countries across the globe. The conference focused on landscapes shaped by pastoral transhumance and the urgent need for their identification and preservation amidst the challenges of climate change and socio-economic transformation.
Among 15 posters selected globally, the project “Activities on Identification and Protection of the Cultural Landscape of Katuns in Montenegro” was presented. The work was authored by experts from EXPEDITIO, the Historical Institute of UCG, RDA BKP, and the French CNRS.
The Baku Declaration: A Call to Action
The conference adopted the Baku Declaration, a global appeal for recognizing and transmitting the heritage of pastoral transhumance. The declaration calls for documenting the knowledge and skills that have shaped societies and landscapes, while supporting initiatives to identify sites of global significance for the UNESCO World Heritage List.
*Transhumance refers to the seasonal movement of livestock, known locally in Montenegro as the tradition of “izdig” to the katuns. The 2023 inscription of Azerbaijan’s “Köç Yolu” route on the UNESCO list serves as a vital benchmark for the future protection of Montenegrin katuns.
