Marine Programme: State of Conservation Reporting

World Heritage status signifies that a place is unique and irreplaceable. But the recognition comes with responsibilities.

As a condition for receiving the World Heritage designation, nations commit to safeguarding these sites of Outstanding Universal Value for future generations. Once a site achieves World Heritage status, its conservation is continuously monitored. The monitoring results inform the World Heritage Committee who holds nations accountable for their action (or non-action) to protect the special place for humanity. This oversight is carried out by UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre in collaboration with its Advisory Bodies and is the only such mechanism in the world.