Tentative List

The first step that a country must take towards the inscription of properties under the Convention is to make an ‘inventory’ of important natural and cultural heritage properties located within its boundaries. One output of this ‘inventory’ is a draft list of potential World Heritage properties, known as a Tentative List, which provides a forecast of the properties that a State Party may decide to submit for inscription in the next five to ten years and which may be updated at any time. This is an important step because the World Heritage Committee cannot consider a nomination for inscription on the World Heritage List unless the property has already been included on the State Party’s Tentative List.

States Parties are encouraged to submit their Tentative Lists, properties which they consider to be cultural and/or natural heritage of outstanding universal value and therefore suitable for inscription on the World Heritage List.

States Parties are encouraged to prepare their Tentative Lists with the participation of a wide variety of stakeholders, including site managers, local and regional governments, local communities, NGOs and other interested parties and partners.

Source(s): Managing Natural World Heritage