《瓦萊塔原則》是目前關于歷史城鎮與城區保護的最新、最重要的國際憲章,它在《華盛頓憲章》、《內羅畢建議》等一系列文件的基礎上,針對現階段歷史城鎮與城區保護面臨的新問題、新風險,對歷史城鎮與城區保護的主要概念給出了清晰的定義,詳盡分析了影響歷史城鎮的社會、經濟、文化的各方面變化,明確提出了對歷史城鎮進行維護和管理應遵循的原則與標準,以及關于實踐的方法、建議和策略。與原有文件相比,《瓦萊塔原則》強調對干預歷史城鎮的行為活動的控制、強調場所精神的建立、強調文化認同的保持,重視變化以及變化帶來的可能性、重視歷史城鎮的非物質價值的保護、提倡將歷史城鎮作為城市生態系統的有機部分實現可持續的整體保護與和諧發展。

Valletta Principles is the latest and most significant international charter concerning the safeguarding and management of historic cities, towns and urban areas. The Principles, based on Washington Charter and the Nairobi Recommendation, target new demands and new challenges confronted at this stage concerning historic cities, towns and urban areas, of which essential concepts regarding the safeguarding are clearly defined, factors influencing the social, economic and cultural evolvements exhaustively analyzed, as well as principles and standards regulating the management explicitly proposed along with relevant practical approaches, advices and strategies. Compared with the existing set of documents, the Principles attached more importance to controlling the human intervention of historic towns and urban areas, constructing the spirit of places, maintaining the cultural identities, changes along with following possibilities, preserving the intangible values as well as harmoniously developing and safeguarding the sites, as integral parts of ecological urban systems, in their entirety.