Activities
The World Heritage Centre is at the forefront of the international community’s efforts to protect and preserve.
Dialogue between Nicolas Nova and Habiba Djahnine
Nicolas Nova and Habiba Djahnine discussed the role of new media and technologies in a balanced representation of culture. They agreed that technologies, including films and documentaries, can raise recognition of ...
Dialogue between Rachel Sibande and Johanna Figueira
The dialogue between Rachel Sibande and Johanna Figueira centred around the digital empowerment of communities. They agreed that technology can benefit local communities to share their own stories and conceive ...
Dialogue between Rana Dajani and Zoe Butt
Dialogue between Rana Dajani and Zoe Butt centred around storytelling and the narrative of the Global South. Since storytelling is fundamental to transferring knowledge and informing different situations, ...
Dialogue between Refik Anadol and Anab Jain
The dialogue between Refik Anadol and Anab Jain focused mainly on synergies between built heritage and digital technologies. As digital artists, Anadol and Jain elaborated on projects that explore diverse digital ...
Dialogue between Rita Keegan and Laura Yawanawa
The dialogue between Rita Keegan and Laura Yawanawa was centred on the cultural and economic protection of people from underrepresented regions. They pointed out that the cultural values and knowledge of minority ...
Disaster Risk Management Plan for Quebrada de Humahuaca
This project aims to fund the elaboration of a Risk Management Plan for the property Quebrada de Humahuaca by providing technical support to the State Party of Argentina and to provide specific training to the local ...
Durban Meeting (South Africa) on transboundary properties in Africa
In Africa, natural heritage is often protected and sustained because it belongs to a shared system of belief and culture. Furthermore, many cultural and natural properties are transnational, and are either they are ...
Ecological Monitoring in Garamba National Park
Over the last decades, Garamba National Park has been a major target of militant ivory and bushmeat poachers, which threatens the site drastically. Therefore, an effective law enforcement strategy and ecological ...
Ecological restoration of the Air and Ténéré Natural Reserves
In 1992, one year after its inscription, the Air and Ténéré Natural Reserves were placed on the List of World Heritage in Danger due to the deterioration of the state of conservation of the property, caused by ...
Educating visitors on how to enjoy Namibia’s World Heritage Wonders Responsibly
Educating visitors to enjoy Namibia’s World Heritage responsibly © Putting tourism on a more sustainable path has been a core priority of the Government of Namibia as visitors return to the ...
Patrimonito’s World Heritage Adventure cartoon series is a flagship activity carried out under the World Heritage Education Programme since 2002. The cartoon series aim to raise the awareness of the importance of ...
Emergency assistance to the Okapi Wildlife Reserve of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Okapi Wildlife Reserve has been on the World Heritage List since 1996. It occupies about one-fifth of the Ituri forest in the northeast of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, near the borders of Sudan and ...
Emergency Safeguarding of the Portico of the Temple of Bel in Palmyra
In summer 2016, the Temple of Bel, among other important archaeological monuments of the World Heritage Site of Palmyra, was intentionally destroyed. An element of the structure of the Temple, the Portico, remained ...
Engaging local communities in the conservation of the Maloti-Drakensberg Park World Heritage site
Local communities and indigenous peoples are, and have been for centuries, the custodians of many World Heritage sites. Launched in the year 2000, the Community Management for Protected Areas Conservation (COMPACT) ...
Engaging local communities in the conservation of the Okavango Delta World Heritage site
Local communities and indigenous peoples are, and have been for centuries, the custodians of many World Heritage sites. Launched in the year 2000, the Community Management for Protected Areas Conservation (COMPACT) ...
Engaging Local Communities in the Stewardship of World Heritage (COMPACT)
COMPACT Engaging Local Communities in the Stewardship of World Heritage © Local communities and indigenous peoples are, and have been for centuries, the custodians of many World Heritage ...
Engaging Local Communities in the Stewardship of World Heritage (COMPACT)
The role of local communities in ensuring that World Heritage contributes to sustainable development was chosen by the World Heritage Committee as the central theme for the celebration of the 40th anniversary of the ...
The current state and trend of World Heritage values of the Dja Faunal Reserve are threatened by pressures from development projects (dams, plantations, logging) in the periphery of the Reserve. There is concern ...
Enhancing Our Heritage Toolkit 2.0
The Enhancing Our Heritage Toolkit 2.0 (EoH 2.0) provides a globally tested self-assessment methodology to support World Heritage managers and actors to evaluate management effectiveness in a World Heritage property ...
Enhancing our Heritage- Monitoring and managing for success in World Natural Heritage sites
Enhancing Our Heritage - Monitoring and Managing for Success in World Natural Heritage Sites was a seven-year UNESCO/IUCN project funded by the United Nations Foundation. The project commenced in 2001 and operated ...
Enhancing the implementation capacity of the 1972 Convention at Natural World Heritage sites
Ethiopia is among the African countries, which have nine sites inscribed on the World Heritage List. Eight cultural sites and only one natural property, the Simien National Park inscribed in 1978. The Ethiopian ...
A community engagement programme has provided key data and inputs for the sustainable development of the World Heritage site.
Evaluation Mission of the Air and Ténéré Natural Reserves
Objectives The Air and Ténéré Natural Reserves were inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1991 and on the List of World Heritage in Danger in 1992, in particular because of the impact of armed conflict. This ...
The site’s values are communicated to the public through signage, publications and interpretation at visitor centres. The Maori have been involved in creating displays explaining the cultural and natural ...
Finalisation of the Zakouma National Park nomination file on the World Heritage List
Zakouma National Park is located in southeastern Chad. Inscribed in the Tentalive List in 2005, it covers an area of nearly three hundred and five thousand (305,000) hectares. Created in 1963, Zakouma National Park ...
Five years of Conflict - The State of Cultural Heritage in the Ancient City of Aleppo
The first comprehensive account of the devastation wrought on the World Heritage site of the Ancient City of Aleppo during years of armed conflict in the Syrian Arab Republic has just been published by UNESCO and ...
As a result of the first cycle of the Periodic Reporting exercise and the Action Plan for Europe presented and adopted at the 30th session of the World Heritage Committee in 2006, a series of sub-regional meetings ...
Fortifications and the World Heritage Convention – Valdivia Chile 2004 and Campeche Mexico 2005
Two international experts’ meetings were held in Campeche (Mexico) on 12-15 March 2004, and subsequently in Valdivia (Chile) on 19-21 January 2005, on the subject of Fortifications in the Americas and the World ...
Since its inception in 2001, the Netherlands Funds-in-Trust (NFiT) at the World Heritage Centre has served the international heritage community as well as local communities in practically all regions of the world in ...
From port city to World Heritage site: case study of George Town (Malaysia)
The multi-cultural historic city of George Town developed a strategy to build on its rich and diverse cultural heritage as a resource for local development and livelihoods after its free trade port status was ...
Global Strategy: Support to agro-pastoral cultural landscapes
Pastoralism is defined as a system of livestock farming which depends, for the most part, on the generally non-intensive use of naturally-occurring plant materials for grazing, either on a farm or as part of a ...
Caribbean archaeological heritage has been the subject of enhancement initiatives at the beginning of the years 2000, to valorise underrepresented heritage on the World Heritage List in the region. An international ...
Guidance for Wind Energy Projects in a World Heritage Context
The following text explains the basics of the Convention to better understand its spirit and underlying principles. It further outlines good practices that assist complying with recommended international ...
Guide 1 – Case Study: Historic Town Of Vigan (Philippines)
Vigan is an exceptionally intact and well-preserved example of a European trading town in East and South-East Asia. The architecture of the city reflects its historic roots and rich culture in both materials and ...
Guide 1: Understanding tourism at your destination
This guide will help you understand why tourism matters, some key questions you may need to ask and answer, and some ways to fill evidence gaps, such as utilising other partner's resources. Continue reading below to ...
Guide 10: Monitoring success with sustainable tourism
This guide 10 will tell you why benchmarking matters and suggest some ideas on how you can develop site and destination specific benchmarks.
Guide 2 – Case Study: Angkor and The Tourism Development Strategic Plan 2012–2020
Guide 2 Case Study: Angkor and The Tourism Development Strategic Plan 2012–2020 © Toolkit About the Sustainable Tourism Toolkit How to use this guide? Our Objective Resource ...
Guide 2 – Case Study: Ichkeul National Park (Tunisia)
Ichkeul National Park is characterized by a very specific hydrological functioning system, based on seasonal alternation of water levels and salinity. The lake and surrounding marshes constitute a stopover for ...
Guide 2: Developing a strategy for progressive change
This guide 2 will tell you how to develop a strategy for your destination that complements both the sensitive nature of a heritage site, as well as the task of sustainable and profitable tourism.
Guide 3 – Case Study: Melaka and George Town, Historic Cities of the Straits of Malacca (Malaysia)
George Town and Melaka were jointly inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2008 due to their shared rich multi-cultural trading heritage. However, they have also been subject to criticism and a feeling of ...
Guide 3: Developing effective governance
This guide 3 will tell you why good destination management and governance matters, and how you can start to develop it in your World Heritage destination.
Guide 4 – Case Study: Avebury World Heritage site, Wiltshire (United Kingdom)
Avebury stone circle or ‘henge’ lies at the centre of half the Stonehenge, Avebury, and Associated Sites inscribed as World Heritage. It is the sister-site to the perhaps more widely recognizable monument: ...
Guide 4 – Case study: Great Barrier Reef (Australia)
Coral reefs around the world are threatened both by natural and anthropogenic factors, with tourism having an important role in the latter. Direct impacts in coral reefs are related with badly managed tourism ...
Guide 4 – Case study: Old and New Towns of Edinburgh (United Kingdom)
The World Heritage Status Report showed that 41% of visitors to Edinburgh are aware that it is a World Heritage site, and 17% of all visitors think that Edinburgh’s World Heritage status influenced their choice. ...
Guide 4 – Case study: Røros Mining Town and the Circumference (Norway)
Røros Mining Town and the Circumference is linked to the copper mines, established in the 17th century, which were used for 333 years until 1977. The site includes the Town and its industrial-rural cultural ...
Guide 4: Engaging local communities and businesses
This guide 4 will tell you how to reach out and engage with local businesses and the community in a dialogue explaining the mutual benefit that comes with making tourism more sustainable.
Guide 5 – Case study: Røros Mining Town and the Circumference (Norway)
In was back in 1922 when the Chief Inspectorate of Ancient Monuments and Buildings (Riksantikvaren) first understood the potential value of Røros Mining Town heritage. At that time, a recommendation of protection ...
Guide 5: Communicating with visitors
This guide 5 will tell you why communicating with visitors matters, and how you can do it effectively, in a culturally appropriate manner.
Guide 6 – Case Study: Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape (United Kingdom)
The Cornwall and West Devon mining landscape was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2006 comprised of 10 different mining landscapes across the area. As the largest World Heritage site in the United Kingdom, ...
Guide 6: Managing the development of tourism infrastructure
This guide 6 will tell you why infrastructure is vital to sustainable tourism and how to begin the process of developing appropriate infrastructure.
Guide 7 – Case study: Røros Mining Town and the Circumference (Norway)
Røros Mining Town and the Circumference is a clear case of a cultural landscape sustained by traditional socio-economic systems. In 2009 there were 21 active farms within the property and a number of redundant farms ...
Guide 7: Adding value through products, experiences, and services
This guide 7 will tell you how to think about developing products, services, and experiences as a key way to sustain the OUV of the site, enthuse tourists, and benefit local communities.
Guide 8 – Case Study: Wadi Al-Hitan (Egypt)
Wadi Al-Hitan – also known as Whale Valley – is located in the Western Desert of Egypt. It is an ‘open-air museum’ of invaluable fossil remains of the earliest, and now extinct, suborder of whales (Archaeoceti), as ...
Guide 8: Adding value through products, experiences, and services
This guide 8 will tell you how to think about developing products, services, and experiences as a key way to sustain the OUV of the site, enthuse tourists, and benefit local communities.
Guide 9 – Case study: Land of Frankincense (Oman)
The Land of Frankincense (LoF) World Heritage site is composed of four archaeological sites related to the antique trade of Frankincense and other luxury items across the Dhofar province of Oman: Shisr (sometimes ...
Guide 9: Securing funding and investment
This guide 9 will tell you some ways that you can secure investment in order to help make the aspirations developed from these guides for your site and the destination as a whole a reality.
Guide to good practices in landscape-residential areas 1950-75, Basque country (Spain)
The “Guide to Good Practices in Landscape-Residential areas 1950-75” aims to help public administrations and technical teams in improving the quality of life in residential areas as built between 1950-75. It ...
Guidebook for urban and architectural regulation of Cidade Velha (Cabo Verde)
The Guidebook aims to make the urban legislation of the city of Cidade Velha more accessible and understandable to the public. This document constitutes an exemplary tool for awareness raising of local communities ...
Handbook on Cultural Heritage and Local Development for African Local Governments
The handbook "Cultural heritage and local development: A Guide for African local governments", co-edited by the France-UNESCO Cooperation Agreement and CRATerre-ENSAG in 2006, was designed as a tool for decision ...
Helping local homestay hosts to be more sustainable businesses in Indonesia
Helping local homestay hosts to be more sustainable in Indonesia © Tourism constitutes one of Indonesia's priority government investment areas to boost national GDP. A programme of tourism ...
Heritage and poverty alleviation (Senegal, Benin, Lao People's Democratic Republic, China, Guyana)
Urban heritage preservation policies, when separated from development strategies, can lead to a marginalization of the poorest populations. Constraints caused by regulations, in the absence of assistance mechanisms, ...
International Co-operation has taken decades to accept texts including notions such as “recognition” or “perception” in relation to processes of cultural determination by communities (local, peasant, of interest, ...
Heritage Education Programme in Puebla (Mexico)
The local government of Puebla has developed a comprehensive Heritage Education Programme to raise awareness about the city’s cultural heritage and aid its conservation. The programme includes educational events, ...
Heritage Impact Assessments at World Heritage Properties: Database and Guidance Tools
Heritage impact assessments (HIAs) and Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) are increasingly required to analyze possible effects and consequences of development on the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of World ...
Heritage in the post-COVID World
The COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented health crisis that has affected each one of us, and we still cannot predict its long-term effects. Inevitably, our World Heritage sites suffered too: the abrupt halt in ...
Heritage of Science and Technology: World Heritage Potential of Space Technology
The issues of identification and preservation of the heritage of science and technology have been discussed at a number of international meetings organized within the framework of the UNESCO Thematic Initiative ...
Heritage-based city branding in Trogir (Croatia)
A new city branding strategy based on cultural values and community participation aims to enhance Trogir’s attractiveness as a destination for cultural tourism.
Heritage-based urban planning for Sustainable Development in Gwalior and Orchha (India)
A new initiative aims to implement the approach of the 2011 UNESCO Recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape in the Indian cities of Gwalior and Orchha. The project is born out of a collaboration between the ...
Human Evolution: Adaptations, Dispersals and Social Developments (HEADS)
Human Evolution related properties represent a process of evolutionary accretion that took place over a vast period of time, offering vital insight to scientific, cultural, ethological and historical dimensions of ...
Identification and Promotion of Muslim Heritage in Central Europe
The Muslim heritage of Central Europe is very rich. It is a synthesis of Eastern and European cultural elements, embodied in the values of tangible and intangible culture. This are primarily mosques and mizars ...
Imagining Heritage in the Digital Dimension
The digital aspects of heritage are growing enormously, ranging from creating virtual visits and online exhibitions to cataloguing inventory of heritage objects and creating 3D models of archaeological sites. ...
This publication examines the impacts of tourism in the World heritage site of the Hoi An Ancient Town, an exceptionally well preserved example of a traditional Asian trading port and an outstanding material ...
IMPACT publication: Luang Prabang
The first in a series of studies examining the impact of tourism on culture and the environment in selected sites in the Asia-Pacific region, this IMPACT publication: Tourism and Heritage Site Management in the ...
This publication focuses on the impacts of tourism on the Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras, an outstanding model of sustainable use of limited land resources, using traditional knowledge-based technology ...
Impacts of Wind Energy Projects and their Assessment
This part of the Guidance provides heritage and impact assessment practitioners, site managers and heritage institutions an overview of the process for assessing the impacts of wind energy projects associated with ...
Improvement of the conservation of Koutammakou, the Land of the Batammariba - Phase 2
Following the collapse of several Sikien during the rain season in 2018, an on-site emergency mission was carried out by UNESCO from 19-24 October 2018 to assess the extent of the damages caused. The mission ...
Improvement of the conservation of Koutammakou, the Land of the Batammariba
Following the collapse of several Takienta during the rainy season in 2018, an on-site emergency mission was carried out by UNESCO from 19-24 October 2018 to assess the extent of the damages caused. The mission ...
An ongoing programme in a remote Algerian town aims to connect the local community with the archaeological site through workshops and activities for young residents.
Improving the Effectiveness of the World Heritage Reactive Monitoring Process
The Reactive Monitoring process established under the World Heritage Convention is one of the most comprehensive systems of monitoring ever developed under an international legal instrument in conservation. However, ...
Through a series of strategic actions, Urbino has sought to improve its environmental sustainability and promote climate change mitigation and adaptation. An update of the management plan is currently under way in ...
Improving visitor infrastructure in Angkor, Cambodia.
Improving visitor infrastructure in Angkor, Cambodia © The Angkor World Heritage site has long attracted visitors to Cambodia, providing a major driver for the country’s economy with a steady ...
The Million wells for Bengaluru campaign is an initiative to build one million shallow wells using traditional well-digging techniques. The initiative for the revival of traditional water systems integrates ...
Initiative on Heritage of Astronomy, Science and Technology
One type of scientific heritage under-represented on the World Heritage List concerns sites connected with natural sciences and the development of their application through engineering and technology.
Initiative on Heritage of Religious Interest
There exist a great variety of religious and sacred sites that are representative of the different cultures and traditions of the world. Approximately 20 percent of the properties inscribed on the World Heritage ...
Integrating cultural and natural heritage values in urban development processes in Lyon (France)
The 2019 urban plan aims to protect cultural and natural heritage values and their attributes through specific planning tools, such as green and blue infrastructure planning and the development of heritage ...
Funded by the Government of Japan through the UNESCO/Japanese Funds-in-Trust, implementation from 2022 to 2024. Four World Heritage sites from Asia, Africa, the Arab region and Latin America and the Caribbean work ...
International Conference in Istanbul (Turkey) on the resistance of historic buildings to earthquakes
The “International Conference on the Seismic Performance of Traditional Buildings” was held in Istanbul, Turkey from 16 to 18 November 2000, under the patronage of UNESCO, ICOMOS and Turkey’s Ministry of Culture. It ...
Inventory of Cultural Heritage in Gabon
Gabon currently has two properties inscribed on the World Heritage List, the Ecosystem and Relict Cultural Landscape Lopé - Okanda and the Ivindo National Park, inscribed in 2021 at the 44th enlarged session of the ...
Action Plans Latin America and the Caribbean As follow up of Decision 37 COM 10A adopted by the World Heritage Committee at its 37th session (Phnom Penh, 2013) and based on the results of the 2nd cycle of the ...
Lake Malawi fish conservation project
Located at the southern end of the great expanse of Lake Malawi, with its deep, clear waters and mountain backdrop, the national park is home to many hundreds of fish species, nearly all endemic. Its importance for ...
Literary tourism in the university town of Coimbra (Portugal)
A project to create a digital map of places associated with literature aims to promote sustainable cultural tourism, relieving tourism pressures in the historic areas and encouraging visitors to explore other parts ...
Local management system of the Historic Town of Guanajuato (Mexico)
The system includes a new local coordination office dedicated to the conservation and sustainable development of the historic centre.
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru share a common cultural heritage of outstanding value: the Qhapaq Ñan, or Main Andean Road. For the past three years the World Heritage Centre has been ...
Management of World Heritage Sites in Armenia
UNESCO seeks to encourage the identification, protection, preservation and conservation of cultural and natural heritage around the world considered to be of outstanding value to humanity. This is embodied in the ...
Managing Cultural World Heritage
This manual provides guidance for States Parties and all those involved in the care of World Heritage cultural properties on how to comply with the requirements of the World Heritage Convention.
Managing Disaster Risks for World Heritage
This first Manual within the series concerns the management of disaster risks for World Heritage properties. It focuses on one approach to the principles, methodology and process for managing disaster risks at ...
Within the framework of the France-UNESCO Cooperation Agreement, the French Ministry of Culture and the Director General of heritage for several African countries organized a week of meetings for directors of the ...
Meroe, Republic of the Sudan – Preparatory Assistance for the nomination of ‘The Island of Meroe’
The sites of Meroe, Naqa and Musawwarat es-Sufra, located in the Nile province of Sudan were the heartland of the Kush Kingdom from the 8th Century B.C to the 4th Century AD. Otherwise known as ‘The Island of Meroe’ ...
Mitigating threats to Rock Art Heritage in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe has benefited from several initiatives in the field of Rock Art conservation. These initiatives mainly consisted of participation in training programmes with sub-regional scope that took place about a ...
At the start of 2001 the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, ICOMOS (International Council on Monuments and Sites) and DOCOMOMO (Working Party for the Documentation and Conservation of buildings, sites and neighbourhoods ...
An innovative initiative employs the Sustainable Development Goals as monitoring tools to track the contribution of heritage-related initiatives towards sustainable development.
Natural and Cultural Heritage of the Ohrid region
Towards strengthened governanceof the shared transboundary natural and cultural heritage of the Lake Ohrid region © This European Union funded project aims to improve transboundary cooperation ...
New life for historic cities: The historic urban landscape approach explained
This booklet calls to involve more people in preservation efforts, raise levels of awareness, and seek innovative schemes. By actively engaging public, private and civic sectors the city, historic and contemporary, ...
Note 1 Identifying and mapping attributes that convey the Outstanding Universal Value of a World Heritage property © UNESCO About Purpose and Scope Context Notes Case Studies ...
Note 2 Identifying sensitive areas and preparing vulnerability assessment related to wind energy projects © UNESCO About Purpose and Scope Context Notes Case Studies ...
Note 3 – Identification des détenteurs de droits et autres parties prenantes, et outils d’engagement
Identifying rights-holders and other stakeholders is a key activity to better understand the relationship between communities and individuals with a property. The identification of rights-holders and other ...
The following table may assist also in the preparation of the scoping report
Note 5 – Visual Impact Assessment
A Visual Impact Assessment (VIA) is a specific study that focuses on assessing the visual and aesthetic impacts of a proposed project. This type of assessment is not a stand-alone study but should be part of the ...
Cumulative impacts can be defined as a result of several additional, often individually insignificant changes or effects. They are often neither measured nor accounted for before their effect grows progressively ...
Online Training for the Periodic Reporting Exercise in Asia and the Pacific
Online Training for the Periodic Reporting Exercise in Asia and the Pacific
At its 19th session (UNESCO, 2013), the General Assembly of States Parties to the World Heritage Convention decided (Resolution 19 GA 4) to fully apply Article 8, paragraph 2, of the World Heritage Convention which ...
Oral Archives of the World Heritage Convention
Oral Archives of the World Heritage Convention Canada Research Chair on Built Heritage --> Under the leadership of the Canada Research Chair on Built Heritage at the University of Montreal, ...
Participatory budgeting in Trogir (Croatia)
The participatory budgeting and decision-making model enables local residents to decide on the application of part of the city’s budget and the practical initiatives to be carried out in their city.
Participatory Management Plan for Jesuit and Franciscan Missionary Heritage
This project aims to strengthen the management capacity between the authorities responsible for cultural heritage management in Bolivia, and ensure the active participation of departmental, regional and local ...
Pedestrianisation of historic streets and public spaces in Graz (Austria)
As part of a wider effort to create a pedestrian-only zone in the historic centre, the city of Graz carried an ambitious programme to re-design its historic streets and public spaces through high-quality design ...
Periodic Reporting 1st Cycle: Africa
Conclusions and recommendations of the synthesis Report on the state of conservation of the World Heritage in Africa, submitted in accordance with the strategic approach approved by the World Heritage Committee at ...
Periodic Reporting 1st Cycle: Arab States
Final report of the synthesis of the periodic reports for the Arab Region submitted in accordance with the strategy approved by the 23rd session of the World Heritage Committee in December 1999 in Marrakesh ...
Periodic Reporting 1st Cycle: Asia & Pacific (2003)
Between 1997 and 2003, the 39 States Parties (27 Asian & 12 Pacific) of the Asia and Pacific Region prepared National Periodic Reports, both reporting on the administrative and legal action taken at the national ...
Periodic Reporting 1st Cycle: Europe and North America
The First Cycle of the Periodic Reporting exercise was carried out from 2001 to 2006 for Europe and from 2001 to 2005 for North America. The exercise provided an opportunity for States Parties to highlight a number ...
Periodic Reporting 1st Cycle: Latin America and the Caribbean (2004)
The UNESCO World Heritage Centre, through the Adviser for World Heritage in Latin America and the Caribbean based at the UNESCO Office in Montevideo, coordinated the periodic reporting process, providing assistance ...
Periodic Reporting 2nd Cycle : Latin America and the Caribbean (2013)
The preliminary process was implemented in cooperation with some Regional Offices (Lima, Quito, Montevideo, Guatemala, Costa Rica and Havana), and some of the Category 2 Centres approved by the General Conference in ...
Periodic Reporting 2nd Cycle: Africa (2011)
This report presents the results of the Second Cycle of Periodic Reporting in the Africa region. The exercise involved the 44 States Parties which had ratified the 1972 Convention Concerning the Protection of the ...
Periodic Reporting 2nd Cycle: Arab States (2010)
At its 32nd session, the World Heritage Committee decided on the preparation of the Second Cycle of Periodic Reporting (Decision 32 COM 11E) and on the launching of the exercise with the Arab States (document ...
Periodic Reporting 2nd Cycle: Asia & Pacific (2012)
The second cycle of Periodic Reporting for the Asia and Pacific was launched by the World Heritage Committee at its 34th session in Brasilia, Brazil in August 2010. All 41 State Parties to the Convention in Asia and ...
Periodic Reporting 2nd Cycle: Europe and North America region (2012-2015)
In Europe, 49 States Parties and 432 World Heritage properties (382 cultural, 41 natural, 9 mixed) participated in the Second Cycle of the Periodic Reporting Exercise (2012-2015). The exercise was coordinated by ...
Polo del '900: an inclusive, multi-functional cultural centre in downtown Turin (Italy)
The model of the Polo del 900 proposes collaboration as a solution for institutional and cultural fragmentation which forms the core of a new ecology of creative cultural systems and puts community at the core of ...
Portugal and the city of Elvas
UNESCO Portugal and the City of Elvas Project Page © Limes.Media/Tim Schnarr Partners Implementation of the UNESCO Culture|2030 Indicators in Portugal and the city of Elvas is with the ...
Preparation and publication: “Historic atlas of Kyoto”, Japan
The “Historical Atlas of Kyoto: Spatial Analysis of the Memory Systems of a City, its Architecture and Urban Landscape” (In French: « Atlas historique de Kyoto: Analyse spatiale des systèmes de mémoire d’une ville, ...
Founded in the ninth century, the Agadez, Niger, occupies a prominent position on the crossroads of the principal commercial routes of the Sahara, which allowed it to play an important role in the region until the ...
Preparatory assistance and feasibility study for the inscription of Varanasi, India
As part of the Indian Heritage Cities Network project, and in link with the “Rivers and heritage” initiative, a seminar was held in February 2007 in Varanasi, India. The objective was the enhancement of this ...
The France-UNESCO Cooperation Agreement, similar to the technical cooperation provided to the Town of Luang Prabang in the Lao People's Democratic Republic, has provided technical and financial support to national ...
Preparatory assistance for an extension to the site of Tiya, Ethiopia
Ethiopia has numerous megalithic sites. The most important of them is Tiya, which was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1980. It has thirty-six monuments, including thirty-two stelae inscribed with sometimes ...
Preparatory assistance for inscription of the Rainforests of the Atsinanana, Madagascar
The Rainforests of the Atsinanana are predominantly old-growth forests, and, as such, are critically important for the maintenance of ecological processes and the survival of Madagascar’s unique biodiversity. The ...
Preparatory assistance for inscription of the Royal Domain of Mbé cultural landscape, Congo
Located 200km from Brazzaville, Congo, the Royal Domain of the Mbé was inscribed on the Tentative Lists in 2008. The property, which is also of significant historical value, is made up of a group of areas linked to ...
Preparatory assistance for inscription of the Royal Hill of Ambohimanga
The Royal Hill of Ambohimanga in Madagascar consists of a royal city and burial site, and an ensemble of sacred places. It is associated with strong feelings of national identity, and has maintained its spiritual ...
The Ehotilé Islands National Park is a group of six islands situated along the eastern shoreline of the Côte d’Ivoire that shelters a complex and diverse flora and fauna. It was listed as a Ramsar Site (see the ...
The Kingdom of Wu and Six Canal Towns of the Lower Yangtze River, China, are located to the south of the Yangtze River, near Lake Tai, approximately 60 km east of Shanghai, in a landscape shaped by crisscrossing ...
Preparatory assistance for the inscription of Issyk Kul warm-water lake, Kyrgyzstan
North of the Tian Shan Mountains, 1608 m above sea level, is the Issyk Kul Lake, Kyrgyzstan, a natural reservoir of warm water contained in a region famous for its natural resources. In the Soviet era, the lake was ...
Preparatory assistance for the inscription of Koutammakou, the Land of the Batammariba, Togo
The Koutammakou landscape in north-eastern Togo, which extends into neighboring Benin, is home to the Batammariba people whose remarkable mud tower-houses have become a symbol of Togo. In this landscape, nature is ...
Preparatory assistance for the inscription of Stone Circles of Senegambia
Africa is underrepresented on the World Heritage List, particularly concerning archaeological sites. This is why it is important to assist countries in the preparation of nominations. In a territory approximately ...
The Ancient Villages of Northern Syria constitute one of the most extraordinary archeological ensembles in the world. There are more than 700 sites from the Roman and Byzantine eras located in a vast region. They ...
The Aka Pygmies are considered the very first inhabitants of the Central African Republic. They live in the Mongoumba Forest, of Lobaye. A preparatory assistance mission, under the framework of the France-UNESCO ...
In the 19th century, the riches of Chile aroused the greed of European and American powers, resulting in the establishment of large industrial plants, including intensive saltpetre mining companies. The production ...
Preparatory assistance for the inscription of the Southern Oasis of Morocco
At the initiative of the Permanent Delegation of Morocco and the “Agence pour la promotion et le développement économique culturel et social des provinces du Sud du Royaume du Maroc” (agency for the economic, ...
Le Corbusier is one of the greatest architects of the 20th century, and his work both built and written have had a huge impact on the world, and demonstrate major technical and conceptual changes of the Modern ...
Preparatory assistance for the Slave Route, Benin
Wishing to submit the Slave Route (running from Djougou in the north of Benin to Ouidah, and passing through the Royal Palaces of Abomey) for inscription on the World Heritage List, the Benin authorities submitted a ...
Preparatory assistance for the updating of the national inventory of cultural heritage of Cameroon
In order to identify and protect its heritage, Cameroon launched a national inventory of cultural heritage in 2001. The French Embassy in Cameroon passed on the request for technical assistance to the French ...
Preparing World Heritage Nominations
The aim of this Resource Manual (Second Edition 2011) is to help States Parties to achieve good quality World Heritage nominations.
Preservation Of The Historic Town Of Grand-Bassam
Following the October 2019 floods that had invaded the main arteries of the Historic Town (residential, administrative and commercial areas) as well as the N'zima village which suffered the heaviest toll, an ...
Preserving traditional farming through cooperative systems in Røros (Norway)
A farming cooperative system conserves the agricultural landscape around the historic town of Røros and promotes sustainable tourism.
Preventing climate-related impacts in the Chan Chan Archaeological Zone (Peru)
After Chan Chan was placed on the List of World Heritage in Danger, a disaster risk reduction plan was developed and integrated with heritage management mechanisms. The plan provided valuable strategies for ...
Private property management in historic city centres of European countries in transition
The transfer of responsibility from private ownership to local and territorial governments poses new management problems in the centres of European countries in transition. France, which has a long tradition in this ...
The World Heritage properties of Africa face a variety of threats from armed conflict to development pressures, rapid urbanisation, growth and climate change. Several of these properties are located in conflict and ...
Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve (RNIMN) (Côte d'Ivoire/Guinea) was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1981. Thereafter, the property has been inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger for 29 years due ...
Promoting climate change adaptation and mitigation in Lamu Old Town (Kenya)
Lamu Old Town faces multiple threats from climate change, energy needs and rapid social and economic transformation. The Lamu Old town management plan and the Lamu Municipality Waste Management Policy focused on ...
Promoting field-based heritage education in Cartagena de Indias (Colombia)
In early 2020, the University of Pennsylvania carried out a field research seminar in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia. The educational exercise was used as an opportunity to study the city’s cultural heritage in more ...
Promoting local businesses in Mexican World Heritage Cities
An online platform connects and supports small- and medium-sized enterprises located in World Heritage Cities in Mexico, promoting national tourism and increasing local businesses' digital presence.
After the World Heritage Committee warned in 2016 that the poor state of conservation of the property could lead to its inscription on the List of World Heritage in Danger, a number of local, national and ...
Promoting sustainable tourism in response to COVID-1
Many of the world’s World Heritage sites are dependent upon tourism to maintain their economic, environmental, social and cultural well-being. However, the impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic has hit World ...
Promoting traditional environmental knowledge in the M’Zab Valley (Algeria)
The traditional settlements of the M’Zab valley were adapted to their environment and climate. Floodable areas were occupied only by temporary structures and not by dwellings. Water infrastructure was a core ...
Promouvoir le Patrimoine Mondial à Madagascar
« Promouvoir le Patrimoine Mondial à Madagascar » est un programme du Centre du patrimoine mondial de l’UNESCO qui a pour finalité la mise en œuvre de la Convention du patrimoine mondial comme outil de conservation ...
Properties of Religious Interest – Sustainable Management [PRI-SM] Thematic Paper & General Guidance
The issue of the protection and management of properties of religious interest is increasingly prominent in contemporary conservation debates. In today’s interconnected world grappling with serious socio-economic ...
Protecting World Heritage during the Energy Transition
National strategies and policies for the transition to renewable energy and initiatives for decarbonization are often based on the strategic principles and guidelines set in international agreements and directives. ...
Lately, the Djoudj National Park is subject to discharges of agricultural effluents and proliferation of invasive plants that threaten its natural balance. This situation is notably due to the installation of rice ...
Providing a platform for youth’s participation in World Heritage conservation
The World Heritage Youth Forum is a flagship activity carried out under the World Heritage Education Programme since 1995. The forum serves as a platform by bringing young people, educators and heritage experts ...
Rapid Response Facility (RRF) Protecting natural World Heritage sites in times of crisis
Natural World Heritage sites face many challenges that threaten their existence. They represent a global heritage recognized as being of outstanding universal value, unique and irreplaceable. As the rate of global ...
Reconstruction of the destroyed mausoleums of Timbuktu (Mali)
After armed conflict resulted in the destruction of several historical mausoleums, these were reconstructed using traditional knowledge systems as part of an international cooperation campaign. The reconstruction of ...
Reducing waste and improving visitor experience in Viet Nam
Reducing waste and improving visitor experience in Viet Nam © The long closure of the sites led to reduced income, disruption of community life and reduced maintenance. Viet Nam’s international ...
Reflection on the election system of the members of the World Heritage Committee (2007-2009)
At its 13th session (UNESCO, 2001), the General Assembly of States Parties to the World Heritage Convention adopted Resolution 13 GA 9 for an equitable representation within the World Heritage Committee. This ...
Reflection Period (2015-2017) after the Second Cycle of Periodic Reporting
The Second Cycle of Periodic Reporting came to a close at the 39th session of the World Heritage Committee (Bonn, 2015). It has brought to light important efforts underway to improve the protection, conservation and ...
Reflection year after the First Cycle of Periodic Reporting
The completion of the first Cycle of Periodic Reporting has generated important information regarding the state of implementation of the World Heritage Convention, as well as about the state of conservation of ...
Regional Thematic Consultations
The World Heritage Committee at its 35th session (UNESCO, 2011) requested the World Heritage Centre, in collaboration with the Advisory Bodies, to elaborate a thematic paper proposing to States Parties general ...
Reintroduction of hydropower in the mills district of the Town of Bamberg (Germany)
The installation of a new water turbine at the site of the former water mills in the Town of Bamberg follows traditional water practices while respecting the Outstanding Universal Value of the property. The new ...
Le but de ce projet est de financer des ateliers de formation au profit des gestionnaires du patrimoine mondial en Egypte en vue de leur permettre de maîtriser les techniques de réalisation des études d’impacts de ...
Research and global thematic survey
Elaboration of a thematic paper proposing to the States Parties to the World Heritage Convention general guidance regarding the management of their cultural and natural heritage of religious interest. This could be ...
Restauration and revitalisation of the Complex of Hué Monuments and historical town, Viet Nam
Hué, Viet Nam, is one of the last large fortified citadel cities of south-east Asia which was the imperial capital until 1945. The Complex of Hué Monuments has exceptional architectural and landscape heritage which ...
Restoring Life to the Community in Lamu Old Town, Kenya
The Lamu Old Town, a World Heritage Site on the coast of East Africa about 350 km north of Mombasa, has seen its public spaces refreshed, access improved, and pride in the city's status as the oldest and best ...
Retrospective Inventory and "boundary clarifications"
The Retrospective Inventory is a project aiming at the identification and collection of baseline data (such as boundaries, geographical coordinates, serial components, area of properties in hectares, etc.) for ...
Revival of the Historic City of Sankhu (Nepal)
Sankhu is a traditional Newar settlement located in the North East of the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal, and was inscribed on the tentative World Heritage List in 2008. The April and May 2015 earthquakes had a ...
The ‘Niger-Loire: Governance and Culture’ project, coordinated by the World Heritage Centre within the framework of the France-UNESCO Cooperation Agreement, and financed by the European Commission, was launched in ...
Learning from experiences of the Rivers and Heritage initiative The Rivers and Heritage initiative proposes to support the process of cultural development of rivers and to contribute to the protection and the ...
Rubem Braga Elevator Complex: connecting the favelas with the city of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)
An urban intervention becomes a major gateway linking the favelas and the lower city via two elevators, stairs and a pedestrian bridge. The complex was built on the premise of fostering inclusivity for the urban ...
This project’s objective was to provide technical assistance to set up management and conservation plans on several sites distributed across a vast territory.600 km south of Algiers, Algeria, the small M'Zab ...
Safeguarding Heritage against Climate Crisis
Climate change is among the greatest threats facing cultural and natural heritage today. One in three natural sites and one in six cultural heritage sites are currently threatened by climate change. In recent years ...
Safeguarding project of Hassan Fathy’s New Gourna Village
New Gourna Village is located in Luxor on the West Bank of the Nile River, within the World Heritage property of Ancient Thebes in Egypt. The Village was designed and built between 1946 and 1952 by the famous ...
Salonga National Park boundary demarcation project
Created in 1970, the park is the second largest forest park in the world in terms of size. It boasts an extraordinary biological richness, with diverse vegetation that constitutes important habitats for species. ...
Since the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between UNITAR-UNOSAT and UNESCO in June 2015, cultural heritage around the world has continued to suffer on an unprecedented scale from intentional attacks, ...
Saving nature and livelihoods: Belize
The Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System (BBRRS) won its place on the World Heritage List in 1996 as an outstanding natural system, consisting of the largest barrier reef in the northern hemisphere, offshore atolls, ...
Seminar at the Royal Saltworks of Arc-et-Senans (France) on Tourism and World Heritage Sites
An international expert meeting focusing on “Tourism and World Heritage Sites” was held from 6 to 8 March 2008 at the Royal Saltworks of Arc-et-Senans, France. (The Saltwork is part of a property inscribed on the ...
Seminar in Cinque Terre (Italy) on cultural landscapes
In 1992, the World Heritage Committee changed the Operational Guidelines for the inscription of cultural landscapes on the World Heritage List. It was defined as the “combined works of nature and man” as set out in ...
Seminar in Niamey (Niger) on Global Strategy in West Africa
Following the 4th Global Strategy Meeting for West Africa, 16 to 19 September 1998, Porto Novo, Benin, nine African States Parties to the 1972 World Heritage Convention were invited to a meeting organised by the ...
In 1994, the World Heritage Committee launched the Global Strategy for a representative, balanced and credible World Heritage List. Crucial to the Global Strategy are efforts to encourage the nomination of ...
Seminar on the cultural heritage inventories of Maghreb
Within the framework of the France-UNESCO Cooperation Agreement support was provided for the preparation of cultural heritage inventories for several African countries. A similar request was made to UNESCO by ...
Setting up a World Heritage management framework in Kyiv (Ukraine)
A new, unified buffer zone and a management plan aim to preserve the Outstanding Universal Value of the World Heritage site “Kyiv: Saint-Sophia Cathedral and Related Monastic Buildings, Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra” and ...
SFIT funded Activities in the Pacific sub-region
May 2004 - World Heritage Workshop in Palau, South Pacific In the framework of the Pacific 2009 Action plan the Spanish Funds in Trust (SFIT) funded in 2004 a sub-regional workshop in Palau, South Pacific. This ...
Shaping the future of climate adaptation through Resilient Reefs
Climate change is today the biggest threat to coral reefs. Under a business-as-usual scenario, nearly 90% of the 29 World Heritage-listed coral reefs are expected to severely bleach twice-per-decade by 2040.
Sharing best practices in World Heritage management
The World Heritage Capacity Building Strategy, adopted by the World Heritage Committee in 2011, responds to the identified needs of a diverse and growing audience for capacity building for World Heritage ...
Small Islands Developing States (SIDS) have a rich cultural and natural heritage, yet this is not currently fully reflected in the World Heritage List. Between 2011 and 2016, SIDS States Parties to the World ...
Socio-economic impacts of World Heritage Listing
Socio-economic Impacts of World Heritage Listing © UNESCO Cultural and natural heritage is not only an irreplaceable source of identity and inspiration, but also a key driving force for ...
In order to face challenges such as urban gentrification, the abandonment of the city centre and the impact of tourism, the City of Santiago de Compostela developed a comprehensive framework for heritage ...