The Guimarães delegation included Councillor Constantino Veiga, responsible for the Historic Center and Urbanism departments, and Ricardo Rodrigues, Head of the World Heritage and Classified Sites Division. The meeting brought together representatives from 55 cities in the global network.
Under the theme "The New Urban Project: Toward Habitability of Historic Centers", the congress discussed the habitability of historic centers, the sharing of best practices, and reflection on recovery policies. The General Assembly elected the Mayor of the Municipality of Cordoba as the new President of the OWHC and Dubrovnik as the host city for the next congress in 2028.
Guimarães' participation highlighted its urban rehabilitation journey, initiated in the 1980s, which led to the classification of the Historic Center as World Heritage in 2001 and its extension to the Couros Zone in 2023. This continuity of safeguarding policies was presented as an example.
The presence in Marrakech allowed Guimarães to share its experience in managing the Historic Center and to follow the challenges faced by other World Heritage cities, such as tourism, mobility, housing, and climate change, which are essential for safeguarding the Outstanding Universal Value of the classified sites.
