International Assistance under the World Heritage Convention is a financial assistance granted to the States Parties to the World Heritage Convention, in order to help them protect the cultural or natural heritage sites inscribed on the World Heritage List or on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
Fund Projects under International Assistance
Find projects recommended for approval by the International Assistance panel but for which no funding is available.
Search
They gave funds
for International Assistance
Who can apply?
All States Parties to the World Heritage Convention are eligible in principle, provided they have paid their contributions to the World Heritage Fund.
Individuals, foundations, IGOs and NGOs are not eligible for submitting International Assistance requests under the World Heritage Fund.
Which projects can be funded?
Projects must be related to sites inscribed on the World Heritage List (for Emergency and Conservation & Management) or included in national Tentative Lists (for Preparatory Assistance).
Priority is given to the most threatened properties.
International Assistance under the World Heritage Fund can support projects falling under one of the following three categories:
How to apply?
International Assistance requests must be transmitted by a State Party National Commission for UNESCO or Permanent Delegation to UNESCO, or an appropriate governmental Department or Ministry. Individuals who do not represent one of these bodies are therefore not entitled to submit requests for International Assistance
For the detailed principles and priorities for International Assistance, please refer to the Operational Guidelines for the implementation of the World Heritage Convention, paragraphs 236 to 239.
Apply for International Assistance
If you do not have a login: you have to request for a login by sending your name, the institution you work in and your function by email to International Assistance Coordinator. Once the login is created, you will receive it directly to your email address.
World Heritage International Assistance Projects -
Conservation for Sustainable Development
2016-2021
DownloadReports and statistics
All International Assistance granted since 1978
By region
Requests approved
By category
Requests approved
By type
Requests approved
By modality
Requests approved
By year
Requests approved
Resources
Who can apply?
All States Parties to the World Heritage Convention are eligible in principle. Individuals, foundations, IGOs and NGOs are not eligible for submitting International Assistance requests under the World Heritage Fund.
International Assistance requests must be transmitted by a State Party National Commission for UNESCO or Permanent Delegation to UNESCO, or an appropriate governmental Department or Ministry. Individuals who do not represent one of these bodies are not entitled to submit requests for International Assistance.
States Parties in arrears of payment of their compulsory or voluntary contributions to the World Heritage Fund are not eligible for International Assistance. For example, for the 2017 cycle, it means that all contributions up to 2016 included have to be paid. The status of contributions can be checked on whc.unesco.org/en/world-heritage-fund
Moreover, the Operational Guidelines outline that when funds available are limited and a selection has to be made, preference should be given to:
- a Least Developed Country (LDC) or Low Income Economy (LIE) as defined by the United Nations Economic and Social Council's Committee for Development Policy, or
- a Lower Middle Income Country (LMIC) as defined by the World Bank, or
- a Small Island Developing State (SIDS), or
- a State Party in a post-conflict situation.
How to apply?
International Assistance requests must be transmitted by a State Party National Commission for UNESCO or Permanent Delegation to UNESCO, or an appropriate governmental Department or Ministry. Individuals who do not represent one of these bodies are therefore not entitled to submit requests for International Assistance
Online
Advantages of the online form:
- Submission not possible if all the fields are not filled in (missing fields can lead to rejection of the request)
- Automatic calculations in the budget part can help avoiding mistakes
- Request a log-in, if you do not have one yet. Persons belonging to National Commissions for UNESCO, Permanent Delegations to UNESCO or appropriate governmental Departments or Ministries can send their name, function, institution and email address at wh-intassistance@unesco.org; they will receive their log-in directly to their email address.
- Fill in the application online in English or French. Attach relevant supporting documents and information that are deemed appropriate.
- Submit the request online
- Sign a printed version of the application after having downloaded it under Word format. Reminder: it must be signed and dated by a National Commission for UNESCO, a Permanent Delegation to UNESCO or an appropriate governmental Department or Ministry.
- The completed application form must be sent to the World Heritage Centre at the following address:
UNESCO World Heritage Centre
7, place de Fontenoy
75352 Paris 07 SP
France
An advanced scanned copy can be sent at wh-intassistance@unesco.org
Offline
- Download one of the forms below:
International Assistance request application form in Word format in English
International Assistance request application form in Word format in French
If you experience difficulty downloading this file, please contact the Convention Secretariat at wh-intassistance@unesco.org - Fill in the application in English or French. Attach relevant supporting documents and information that are deemed appropriate.
- Sign the application. Reminder: it must be signed and dated by National Commissions for UNESCO, Permanent Delegations to UNESCO or appropriate governmental Departments or Ministries.
- The completed application form must be sent to the World Heritage Centre at the following address:
UNESCO World Heritage Centre
7, place de Fontenoy
75352 Paris 07 SP
France
An advanced scanned copy can be sent at wh-intassistance@unesco.org
In order to help you filling in the above form, here are some written guidelines giving explanations and examples:
You can also consult the evaluation criteria that will be used by the Advisory Bodies (ICOMOS, IUCN, ICCROM) in their evaluation of the request:
Rules & Calendar
Who decides? Is there a ceiling?...
| Preparatory Assistance | Conservation & Management Assistance | Emergency Assistance | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Technical Cooperation Assistance | Training & Research Assistance | Educational & Promotional Assistance | |||
| Decision by Director | up to $10,000 |
up to $10,000 |
up to $10,000 |
up to $10,000 |
up to $10,000 |
| Decision by Chairperson | from $10,001 to $40,000 |
from $10,001 to $40,000 |
from $10,001 to $40,000 |
N/A | from $10,001 to $75,000 |
| The Chairperson cannot approve requests submitted by his/her own country | |||||
| Decision by Committee | N/A | above $40,000 |
above $40,000 |
N/A | N/A |
| Budgetary Ceiling | Maximum amount = $40,000 |
None | None | Maximum amount = $10,000 |
Maximum amount = $75,000 |
| Payment of contributions to the World Heritage Fund | States Parties must have paid all their contribution up to 31 December of the previous calendar year - for example, requests can be approved in 2025 if the contributions are paid up to 31 December 2024. | N/A | |||
| Submission date | For $10,000 or less: any time Above $10,000: 31 October |
For $10,000 or less: any time Above $10,000: 31 October |
For $10,000 or less: any time Above $10,000: 31 October |
For $10,000 or less: any time |
Any time |
| Comments by the Advisory Bodies* | Mandatory above $30,000 | Mandatory above $30,000 | Mandatory above $30,000 | N/A | Mandatory above $30,000 |
| Evaluation by the panel** | Mandatory above $10,000 | Mandatory above $10,000 | Mandatory above $10,000 | N/A | N/A |
* ICOMOS and ICCROM for cultural heritage, IUCN for natural heritage, ICOMOS, ICCROM and IUCN for mixed heritage
** The panel is composed of representatives from the Secretariat, the Advisory Bodies, and is chaired, if possible, by the Chairperson of the World Heritage Committee or, in observer capacity, a person designated by the Chairperson. It is held every year in January.
Preparatory Assistance
Maximum amount: 30,000 USD
The purpose of Preparatory assistance is
- to prepare or update Tentative Lists; the process to be followed for the creation / revision of a Tentative List can be found here
- to prepare nomination files for sites inscribed on national Tentative Lists; or
- to prepare requests for Conservation & Management Assistance.
Examples
- Établissement de la Liste indicative de la république de Guinée Equatoriale (Equatorial Guinea)
- Update the Mongolian Tentative List to the World Heritage List (Mongolia)
- Lancement de l’élaboration de la proposition d’inscription des sites de métallurgie ancienne de réduction du fer dans les espaces boose et bwi : Ronguin, Tiwega, Yamane, Kindbo, Bekuy, Douroula (Burkina Faso)
Process for a Preparatory Assistance Request
 Submission - Deadline |
Evaluation by |
Examination by the panel (conveyed in January) |
 Final decision made by |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Request for 10,000 USD or less |
Any time during the year | World Heritage Centre | No | Director of the World Heritage Centre |
| Request between 10,001 USD and 40,000 USD |
31 October at the latest | World Heritage Centre and Advisory Bodies* | Yes If the request needs to be revised, “catch-up” panel in April (deadline: 31 March) |
Chairperson of the World Heritage Committee |
* Advisory Bodies are: ICOMOS for cultural heritage and IUCN for natural heritage, both for mixed heritage (see paragraph 247 of the Operational Guidelines for the implementation of the World Heritage Convention)
Conservation & Management Assistance
Conservation & Management Assistance includes:
Technical cooperation
To provide equipment or experts for the conservation, management and presentation of properties inscribed on the World Heritage List. For example, conservation works, preparation or update of management plans or risk-preparedness plans fall under this category;
To establish / revise national policies or legal frameworks on heritage preservation benefitting World Heritage properties.
Examples
- Conservation of mosaic floors at the World Heritage sites of Quseir Amra (Jordan)
- Dénombrement de la grande et moyenne faune mammalienne, terrestre, diurne, du parc national du Niokolo Koba (Senegal)
- Development of a management/conservation plan for World Heritage site of Samarkand cross-road of culture (Uzbekistan)
Promotional and educational assistance
Maximum amount: 10,000 USD.
To raise awareness and develop educational materials for the general promotion of the World Heritage Convention and the World Heritage List.
As a consequence, the promotion of a single site is not an eligible activity.
Examples
Training &
research assistance
To support the training of staff and specialists at all levels in the fields of identification, monitoring, conservation, management and presentation of properties inscribed on the World Heritage List, with an emphasis on group training. Individual scholarships cannot be funded and should be sent to UNESCO’s Fellowship Section instead.
This assistance can be requested also to undertake scientific research benefiting properties inscribed on the World Heritage List, or studies on the scientific and technical problems of conservation, management, and presentation of World Heritage properties.
Examples
Process for a Conservation & Management Assistance Request
|
Submission - Deadline |
Evaluation by |
Examination by the panel (conveyed in January) |
Final decision made by |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Request for 10,000 USD or less |
Any time during the year | World Heritage Centre | No | Director of the World Heritage Centre |
| Request between 10,001 USD and 40,000 USD |
31 October at the latest | World Heritage Centre and Advisory Bodies* | Yes If the request needs to be revised, “catch-up” panel in April (deadline: 31 March) |
Chairperson of the World Heritage Committee |
| Request above 40,000 USD |
31 October at the latest | World Heritage Centre and Advisory Bodies* | Yes If the request needs to be revised, “catch-up” panel in April (deadline: 31 March) |
World Heritage Committee (June/July) |
* Advisory Bodies are: ICOMOS and ICCROM for cultural heritage, IUCN for natural heritage, the 3 of them for mixed heritage (see paragraph 247 of the Operational Guidelines for the implementation of the World Heritage Convention)
Emergency Assistance
Maximum amount: 75,000 USD
The purpose of Emergency assistance is to address ascertained or potential threats facing properties inscribed on the World Heritage List which have suffered severe damage or are in imminent danger of severe damage due to sudden, unexpected phenomena (eg. land subsidence, extensive fires, flooding or man-made disaster).
This assistance does not concern cases of damage or deterioration caused by gradual processes of decay, pollution or erosion.
Process for an Emergency Assistance request
|
Submission – Deadline |
Evaluation by |
Examination by the panel (conveyed in January) |
Final decision made by |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Request for 10,000 USD or less |
Any time during the year | World Heritage Centre | No | Director of the World Heritage Centre |
| Request between 10,001 USD and 75,000 USD |
Any time during the year | World Heritage Centre and Advisory Bodies* | No | Chairperson of the World Heritage Committee |
* Advisory Bodies are: ICOMOS and ICCROM for cultural heritage, IUCN for natural heritage, the 3 of them for mixed heritage (see paragraph 247 of the Operational Guidelines for the implementation of the World Heritage Convention)
Documents Relating To International Assistance
- International Assistance in the World Heritage Convention, articles 13.1, 13.2 and 19 to 26
- International Assistance in the Operational Guidelines for the implementation of the World Heritage Convention, paragraphs 233 to 257.
Background information documents
- In 1999: Examination of the recommendations of the twenty-third session of the Bureau of the World Heritage Committee concerning prioritization in granting International Assistance to States Parties (document WHC-99/CONF.209/16)
- In 2000: Report on the Evaluation of International Assistance provided under the World Heritage Fund (document WHC-2000/CONF.204/16)
- In 2004: Progress Report on the Evaluation of the World Heritage Fund Emergency Assistance (document WHC-04/28.COM/10B)
- In 2005: Information on the Evaluation of the World Heritage Fund’s Preparatory Assistance, Technical Cooperation, Training, and Promotional and Educational Activities (document WHC-05/29.COM/14B)
- In 2006: Examination of the Recommendations on International Assistance (document WHC-06/30.COM/14A)
- In 2007: Reform of International Assistance (document WHC-07/31.COM/18B)
- In 2012: Examination of International Assistance requests – part III: proposals to improve the international assistance process (document WHC-12/36.COM/14).
World Heritage Committee's Decisions Related To International Assistance
- In 2004: Decision 28 COM 10B on the Progress Report on the Evaluation of Emergency Assistance
- In 2006: Decision 30 COM 14A on the Reform of International process (3 types of assistance instead of 5, earmarking by type of assistance discontinued, new application form, official establishment of the evaluation panel, creation of the online database)
- In 2007: Decision 31 COM 18B on the adoption of: the new application form, the evaluation criteria, the share 65/35 for nature-culture, no panel for Emergency assistance or for requests of US$5,000 or less.
- In 2012: Decision 36 COM 13.I, paragraph 8 and Annex 2 on the adoption of a yearly deadline for the examination of requests and on the reintroduction of the earmarking by type of assistance.
- In 2019: Decision 43 COM 11A, paragraph 3 and Annex (part C) on the introduction of a ceiling for Emergency assistance (US$ 75,000) and on the reintroduction of a ceiling for the comments of the Advisory Bodies (mandatory only above US$ 30,000).
- In 2024: Decision 46 COM 12, paragraph 3 on the increase of ceiling for Preparatory assistance (US$ 40,000 instead of US$ 30,000), and the increase of ceiling for approval by the Chairperson of the World Heritage Committee (US$ 40,000 instead of US$ 30,000) and by the Director of the World Heritage Centre (US$ 10,000 instead of US$ 5,000).