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1.
"Accession" is the act whereby a state accepts the offer or the opportunity to become a party to a treaty already negotiated and signed by other states. It has the same legal effect as ratification. Accession usually occurs after the treaty has entered into force. The Secretary-General of the United Nations, in his function as depositary, has also accepted accessions to ...
2.
The instruments of "acceptance" or "approval" of a treaty have the same legal effect as ratification and consequently express the consent of a state to be bound by a treaty. In the practice of certain states acceptance and approval have been used instead of ratification when, at a national level, constitutional law does not require the treaty to be ratified by the head of ...
3.
A generic term for treaties, conventions, protocols, and other binding instruments. This term is usually applied to instruments of a geographic scope between two states.
Source(s): United Nations Information Portal on Multilateral Environmental Agreements
4.
A binding rule or body of rules prescribed by the government of a sovereign state that holds force throughout the regions and territories within the government's dominion.
In the context of international law a State party to an international treaty must ensure that its own domestic law and practice are consistent with what is required by the treaty.
Source(s):
United ...
5.
Following are universities that include specialized study of World Heritage issues. You can consult the Education section of this website to learn how to contact the universities directly for more information.
Africa
Cameroon: Ecole de faune de Garoua/Garoua Wildlife School
United Republic of Tanzania: Mweka College of African Wildlife Management
Asia and the ...
6.
The Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage is an international agreement that was adopted by the General Conference of UNESCO in 1972. It is based on the premise that certain places on Earth are of outstanding universal value and should therefore form part of the common heritage of humankind. The countries who ratify the Convention ...
7.
The Convention on Migratory Species of Wild Animals, also known as the Bonn Convention, was adopted on 23 June 1979. As of 1 December 2017 the Convention on Migratory Species had 126 Parties. The CMS is a framework convention and encompasses a range of agreements, memoranda of understanding, and special species initiatives. As an environmental treaty under the aegis of ...
8.
A human rights-based approach is a conceptual framework for the process of human development that is normatively based on international human rights standards and operationally directed to promoting and protecting human rights. It seeks to analyse inequalities which lie at the heart of development problems and redress discriminatory practices and unjust distributions of ...
9.
"The term ‘Indigenous peoples’ is to be understood in the context of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention (No. 169) concerning Indigenous and Tribal Peoples in Independent Countries as:
1. tribal peoples in independent countries whose social, cultural and economic conditions distinguish them from other sections of the national community, and whose status ...
10.
The United Nations Information Portal on Multilateral Environmental Agreements defines Biodiversity as:
1) Genetic diversity: the variation between individuals and between populations within a species; species diversity: the different types of plants, animals and other life forms within a region; community or ecosystem diversity: the variety of habitats found within an ...
11.
Adaptation to climate change refers to adjustment in natural or human systems in response to actual or expected climatic stimuli or their effects, which moderates harm or exploits beneficial opportunities.
In 1992 the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (the Earth Summit) was held in Rio de Janeiro and resulted in the establishment of the UN Framework ...
12.
‘Climate change’ means a change of climate which is attributed directly or indirectly to human activity that alters the composition of the global atmosphere and which is in addition to natural climate variability observed over comparable time periods.
Source: United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Article 1
13.
Instruments for implementing a convention at the national level; includes action plans such as NBSAPs (for CBD), NAP and NAMA (for UNFCCC and UNCCD), national conservation strategies (for RAMSAR), and national implementation plans (Stockholm).
Source(s): United Nations Information Portal on Multilateral Environmental Agreements
14.
Protected areas that are strictly set aside to protect biodiversity and also possibly geological/geomorphological features, where human visitation, use and impacts are strictly controlled and limited to ensure protection of the conservation values. Such protected areas can serve as indispensable reference areas for scientific research and monitoring.
Source(s): United ...
15.
Quality of life is the notion of human welfare (well-being) measured by social indicators (such as the possibility to vote, demonstrate, or participate in political parties) rather than by “quantitative” measures of income and production (Glossary of Environment Statistics, Studies in Methods, Series F, No. 67, United Nations, New York, 1997).
Source(s): World Heritage ...
16.
The International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) is a 1951 multilateral treaty deposited with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) that aims to secure coordinated, effective action to prevent and to control the introduction and spread of pests of plants and plant products. The Convention extends beyond the protection of cultivated plants to ...
17.
The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture was adopted by the Thirty-First Session of the Conference of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations on 3 November 2001.
The Treaty aims at:
recognizing the enormous contribution of farmers to the diversity of crops that feed the world;
- establishing a global system to ...
18.
Human rights are rights inherent to all human beings, regardless of race, sex, nationality, ethnicity, language, religion, or any other status. Human rights include the right to life and liberty, freedom from slavery and torture, freedom of opinion and expression, the right to work and education, and many more. Everyone is entitled to these rights, without ...
19.
Tourism that takes full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and host communities." (United Nations World Tourism Organization)
Source(s):
The World Tourism Organization’s defines sustainable tourism as:
Tourism which makes optimal use of environmental resources ...
20.
UNESCO is the only UN Agency to have a global network of national cooperating bodies known as National Commissions for UNESCO.
Acting as agencies of consultation, liaison and information, and mobilizing and coordinating partnerships with national partners, including the civil society, the National Commissions make also substantial contributions in the advancement of ...
21.
States Parties are countries which have adhered to the World Heritage Convention. They identify and nominate sites on their national territory to be considered for inscription on the World Heritage List. States Parties have the responsibility to protect the World Heritage values of the sites inscribed and report periodically on their condition.
22.
The Rules of Procedure adopted by the General Assembly in November 2014 state that “at each election, due consideration shall be given to the election of at least one State Party which has never served as a Member of the World Heritage Committee" (Rule 14.1d).
See Statistics on States Parties.
23.
State of Conservation or “SOC” reports are the result of the Reactive Monitoring process, which is the reporting by the Secretariat, other sectors of UNESCO and the Advisory Bodies to the Committee on the state of conservation of specific World Heritage properties that are under threat. These reports on the state of conservation of selected properties are examined each ...
24.
States Parties are countries which have adhered to the World Heritage Convention. They thereby agree to identify and nominate properties on their national territory to be considered for inscription on the World Heritage List. When a State Party nominates a property, it gives details of how a property is protected and provides a management plan for its upkeep. States ...
25.
According to Paragraph 217 of the Operational Guidelines, States Parties “[…] are encouraged to raise awareness of the need to preserve World Heritage. In particular, they should ensure that World Heritage status is adequately marked and promoted on-site".
Paragraph 218 of the Operational Guidelines states:
“The Secretariat provides assistance to States Parties in ...
26.
States Parties have an obligation to regularly prepare reports about the state of conservation and the various protection measures put in place at their sites. These reports allow the World Heritage Committee to assess the conditions at the sites and, eventually, to decide on the necessity of adopting specific measures to resolve recurrent problems. One of such measures ...
27.
With regards to conflict prevention, the Policy Document for the Integration of a Sustainable Development Perspective into the Processes of the World Heritage Convention states that:
"States Parties have a critically important role to play in ensuring that the implementation of the World Heritage Convention, including the establishment of the World Heritage List and ...
28.
As per Article 8(1) of the World Heritage Convention (or Rule 49 of the Rules of Procedure of the World Heritage Committee), the General Assembly of States Parties to the Convention meets every two years during the General Conference of UNESCO (Article 8.3 of the Convention).
There are 21 Committee members represented by 21 States Parties to the World Heritage Convention. ...
29.
Refers to a decision taken by the World Heritage Committee on the State of Conservation of a property. Committee decisions can recommend a number of courses of action. These can include:
a) [The Committee] may decide that the property has not seriously deteriorated and that no further action should be taken;
b) when the Committee considers that the property has seriously ...
30.
The World Heritage Resource Manual 'Managing Cultural World Heritage' states 'The World Heritage system requires States Parties to engage in the management of cultural properties in two different and significant stages which form a continuum. 1) A State Party must first demonstrate, as part of the inscription process, how it will manage the Outstanding Universal Value of ...
31.
Paragraph 17 of the World Heritage and Sustainable Development Policy states 'The World Heritage Convention in Article 5 calls upon States Parties to “adopt a general policy which aims to give the cultural and natural heritage a function in the life of the community”. States Parties should recognise that inclusive social development is at the heart of the implementation of ...
32.
Article 4 of the World Heritage Convention states:
"Each State Party to this Convention recognizes that the duty of ensuring the identification, protection, conservation, presentation and transmission to future generations of the cultural and natural heritage referred to in Articles 1 and 2 and situated on its territory, belongs primarily to that State ...".
The World ...
33.
As per Article 8(1) of the World Heritage Convention (or Rule 49 of the Rules of Procedure of the World Heritage Committee), the General Assembly of States Parties to the Convention meets during the sessions of the General Conference of UNESCO.
During its session, the General Assembly determines the uniform percentage of contributions to the World Heritage Fund applicable ...
34.
Transboundary sites may occur where the features of a site span international boundaries. Transboundary nominations are inscribed as a single property on the World Heritage List, and require joint nomination by the States Parties involved.”
According to the Operational Guidelines, paragraph 134 regarding transboundary properties, 'A nominated property may occur:
on the ...
35.
The General Assembly includes all States Parties to the Convention and meets once every two years during the ordinary session of the General Conference of UNESCO to elect the members of the World Heritage Committee. During its session, the Assembly determines contributions to the World Heritage Fund applicable to all States Parties and elects new members to the World ...
36.
The World Heritage Committee meets annually and consists of representatives from twenty-one of the States Parties to the Convention, who are elected by the General Assembly for terms up to six years.
The Committee is responsible for the implementation of the World Heritage Convention, defines the use of the World Heritage Fund and allocates financial assistance. It decides ...
37.
No, there is no provision.
38.
Reactive Monitoring is the reporting by the Secretariat, other sectors of UNESCO and the Advisory Bodies to the Committee on the state of conservation of specific World Heritage properties that are under threat. To this end, the States Parties shall submit specific reports and impact studies each time exceptional circumstances occur or work is undertaken which may have an ...
39.
Inclusive social development is one of the three dimensions of sustainable development set out in the 2030 UN Agenda for Sustainable Development and in the Policy Document for the Integration of a Sustainable Development Perspective into the Processes of the World Heritage Convention.
Paragraph 17 of the Policy states: The World Heritage Convention in Article 5 calls upon ...
40.
There are 21 Committee members represented by 21 States Parties to the World Heritage Convention.
41.
Refers to a State that has not ratified, acceded, or otherwise become a Party to an international agreement. As a Non-Party, a State may have limited rights to participate in negotiations or deliberations under the agreement, or to invoke provisions of the agreement.
Source(s): Glossary of World Heritage Terms related to the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention ...
42.
Ratification defines the international act whereby a state indicates its consent to be bound to a treaty if the parties intended to show their consent by such an act. In the case of bilateral treaties, ratification is usually accomplished by exchanging the requisite instruments, while in the case of multilateral treaties the usual procedure is for the depositary to collect ...
43.
The World Heritage Convention, adopted in 1972, is a legally binding instrument providing an intergovernmental framework for international cooperation for the identification and conservation of the world's most outstanding natural and cultural properties. The document developed from the merging of two separate movements: the first focusing on the preservation of cultural ...
44.
The 'fostering of peace and security' is one of the three dimensions of sustainable development set out in the 2030 UN Agenda for Sustainable Development and in the Policy Document for the Integration of a Sustainable Development Perspective into the Processes of the World Heritage Convention. Paragraphs 28 and 29 of this policy read:
28. Sustainable development and the ...
45.
The World Heritage Fund is used to provide international assistance to States Parties in the following areas: preparatory assistance for the nomination of sites, training activities, technical cooperation, emergency assistance, or promotional and educational activities.
46.
The World Heritage Convention, adopted in 1972, is a legally binding instrument providing an intergovernmental framework for international cooperation for the identification and conservation of the world's most outstanding natural and cultural properties. The document developed from the merging of two separate movements: the first focusing on the preservation of cultural ...
47.
Please refer to Rule 14 of the Rules of Procedure of the General Assembly: "Election of the members of the World Heritage Committee"
48.
Not yet drafted
49.
The World Heritage Committee meets once a year, and consists of representatives from 21 of the States Parties to the Convention elected for terms up to six years. The Committee is responsible for the implementation of the World Heritage Convention, allocates financial assistance from the World Heritage Fund and has the final say on whether a site is inscribed on the World ...
50.
According to Paragraph 123 of the Operational Guidelines;
“Participation of local people in the nomination process is essential to enable them to have a shared responsibility with the State Party in the maintenance of the property. States Parties are encouraged to prepare nominations with the participation of a wide variety of stakeholders, including site managers, local ...
51.
Countries (or States Parties) submit nomination proposals to the World Heritage Committee. If the Committee determines, based on the recommendations of its Advisory Bodies (ICOMOS and IUCN), that the nomination meets at least one of the necessary criteria, then the property proposed by the State Party is inscribed on the World Heritage List. In general, the Committee adds ...
52.
With regards to promoting conflict resolution, the Policy Document for the Integration of a Sustainable Development Perspective into the Processes of the World Heritage Convention states:
32. The inherent potential of World Heritage properties and of their conservation to contribute favourably to conflict resolution and the re-establishment of peace and security should be ...
53.
The first step a country must take is making an ‘inventory’ of its important natural and cultural heritage sites located within its boundaries. This ‘inventory’ is known as the Tentative List, and 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. It is an ...
54.
If you have a suggestion for a World Heritage site, you may wish to send your proposal to the UNESCO National Commission in the country concerned. To see the contact details of the National Commission, click on the name of the country in the list of States Parties.
55.
According to Article 5(d) of the World Heritage Convention, the States Parties are required to:”[…] take the appropriate legal, scientific, technical, administrative and financial measures necessary for the identification, protection, conservation, presentation and rehabilitation of this heritage ”.
The World Heritage Operational Guidelines (paragraph 97) further states ...
56.
Article 5 of the World Heritage Convention, states:
"To ensure that effective and active measures are taken for the protection, conservation and presentation of the cultural and natural heritage situated on its territory, each State Party to this Convention shall endeavor, in so far as possible, and as appropriate for each country:
to adopt a general policy which aims to ...
57.
The World Heritage Convention does not specifically define conservation. Throughout the Convention reference is made to the "identification, protection, conservation, presentation and transmission to future generations of the cultural and natural heritage".
Article 5 of the Convention makes reference to a number of "effective and active measures" that can be taken by ...
58.
ICCROM (International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property) is an international intergovernmental organization based in Rome, Italy. Established by UNESCO in 1956, ICCROM’s statutory functions are to carry out research, documentation, technical assistance, training and public awareness programmes to strengthen conservation of ...
59.
In relation to the nomination of sites for inscription on the World Heritage List, “Upstream processes” include advice, consultation and analysis that occur prior to the submission of a nomination and are aimed at reducing the number of nominations that experience significant problems during the evaluation process. The basic principle of the upstream processes is to enable ...
60.
The process through which a contracting State presents in written form the actions it took to implement the provisions of a convention.
Source(s): Informea
61.
As per Rule 13.1 of the Rules of procedure of the General Assembly, candidatures should be sent to the Secretariat at least six weeks prior to the opening of the General Assembly.
As per Rule 13.4, this list of candidatures shall be finalised 48 hours before the opening of the General Assembly. No other candidatures nor payments of compulsory and voluntary contributions to ...
62.
The aims of Strategy for Reducing Risks from disasters at World Heritage properties (2007) are to strengthen the protection of World Heritage and contribute to sustainable development by assisting States Parties to the Convention to integrate heritage concerns into national disaster reduction policies and to incorporate concern for disaster reduction within management ...
63.
According to Article 5(d) of the World Heritage Convention, the States Parties are required to:”[…] take the appropriate legal, scientific, technical, administrative and financial measures necessary for the identification, protection, conservation, presentation and rehabilitation of this heritage ...”. The World Heritage Operational Guidelines (paragraph 97) further states ...
64.
‘Communities’ should be understood in the meaning of Article 5 (a) of the World Heritage Convention, which asks each State Party to the Convention "to adopt a general policy which aims to give the cultural and natural heritage a function in the life of the community and to integrate the protection of that heritage into comprehensive planning programmes".
One of the central ...
65.
Buffer zones are clearly delineated area(s) outside a World Heritage property and adjacent to its boundaries which contribute to the protection, conservation, management, integrity, authenticity and sustainability of the Outstanding Universal Value of the property. Although buffer zones are not regarded as part of the inscribed property, their boundaries and relevant ...
66.
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 ...
67.
The World Heritage Fund, created in 1972 by the World Heritage Convention, receives most of its income from compulsory contributions from countries (States Parties), and from voluntary contributions. The total received each year is just under US$4 million, a modest sum considering the magnitude of world heritage needs.
Donations are important. Your donation can help make ...
68.
Based on the State of Conservation report and on the advice of the Advisory Bodies and in consultation with the States Parties, the Committee may include properties on the List of World Heritage in Danger. The Danger List was established under Article 11.4 of the World Heritage Convention for World Heritage properties threatened by serious and specific danger, whose ...
69.
According to Paragraph 23 of the 'Policy Document for the Integration of a Sustainable Development Perspective into the Processes of the World Heritage Convention' (World Heritage Sustainable Development Policy), "Gender equality is one of UNESCO’s two global priorities. The UNESCO Priority Gender Equality Action Plan (2014-2021), moreover, requires Member States and the ...
70.
According to Article 65 of the Operational Guidelines, “States Parties are encouraged to re-examine and re-submit their Tentative List at least every ten years.”
Source(s): Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention
71.
On 19 November 2015, the 20th General Assembly of the States Parties to the World Heritage Convention adopted a Policy on the Integration of a Sustainable Development Perspective into the Processes of the Convention.
The overall goal of the policy is to assist States Parties, practitioners, institutions, communities and networks, through appropriate guidance, to harness ...
72.
The General Assembly includes all States Parties to the Convention. It meets once every two years during the ordinary session of the General Conference of UNESCO to elect the members of the World Heritage Committee, to examine the statement of accounts of the World Heritage Fund and to decide on major policy issues.
73.
All States Parties to the World Heritage Convention are eligible in principle. But they must have paid their dues to the World Heritage Fund.
Individuals, foundations, IGOs and NGOs are not eligible for submitting International Assistance requests under the World Heritage Fund.
74.
The same General Conference that adopted the Convention concerning the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage (the World Heritage Convention) in 1972 also adopted the Recommendation concerning the Protection, at National Level, of the Cultural and Natural Heritage.
According to this Recommendation, “In conformity with their jurisdictional and legislative ...
75.
Gender equality is one of UNESCO’s two global priorities. The UNESCO Priority Gender Equality Action Plan (2014-2021), moreover, requires Member States and the governing bodies of UNESCO regulatory instruments “to establish gender-sensitive, gender-responsive and gender-transformative policies and practices in the field of heritage”.
Therefore, States Parties ...
76.
According to the Convention, a Committee member's mandate is for 6 years.
The General Assembly (Resolution 13 GA 9, paragraph 6) invites the States Parties to the World Heritage Conventionto voluntarily reduce their term of office from six to four years.
77.
A generic term for treaties, conventions, protocols, and other binding instruments related to the environment. Usually applied to instruments of a geographic scope wider than that of a bilateral agreement (i.e., between two States).
Source(s): Glossary of Terms for Negotiators of Multilateral Environmental Agreements
78.
The World Heritage Centre is constantly concluding partnerships with new partners in order to ensure the preservation of natural and cultural diversity in the long term. These partners include States Parties, Advisory Bodies, non-governmental and inter-governmental organizations, the private sector and the media. Click here to see the list of our partners and their actions ...
79.
Elections to replace outgoing Committee members take place during the General Assembly of States Parties, meeting every two years during the General Conference of UNESCO (Article 8.3 of the Convention).
For more information on the forthcoming elections see General Assembly.
80.
Periodic Reporting is one of the core conservation monitoring mechanisms of the World Heritage Convention. Every six years, the States Parties are invited to submit to the World Heritage Committee a Periodic Report on the application of the World Heritage Convention in their territory.
81.
The UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions states:
“Cultural diversity” refers to the manifold ways in which the cultures of groups and societies find expression. These expressions are passed on within and among groups and societies. Cultural diversity is made manifest not only through the varied ways in which the ...
82.
Articles 10-14 of the Second Protocol to the Hague Convention of 1954 for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict. These articles say that the State Party may request the granting of enhanced protection for cultural property considered to be of “the greatest importance for humanity,” provided that it is already “protected by adequate domestic ...
83.
Social inclusion is about the processes and outcomes that improve the terms on which people participate in society. People may be excluded from a range of development processes, opportunities, and benefits due to their gender, ethnicity, migrant or refugee status, religion...
Social Inclusion recognizes and addresses these disadvantaged positions with the aim of fostering ...
84.
The International Council on Monuments and Sites, a non-governmental organization, was founded in 1965 after the adoption of the Charter of Venice, in order to promote the doctrine and the techniques of conservation. ICOMOS provides the World Heritage Committee with evaluations of properties with cultural values proposed for inscription on the World Heritage List, as well ...
85.
An inventory drawn up by a Member State for the protection of its cultural and natural heritage, including items which, without being of outstanding importance, are inseparable from their environment and contribute to its character.
Source(s): 1972 Recommendation concerning the Protection, at National Level, of the Cultural and Natural Heritage
86.
Three international non-governmental or intergovernmental organizations are named in the Convention to advise the Committee in its deliberations.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is an international, non-governmental organization that provides the World Heritage Committee with technical evaluations of natural heritage properties and, through its ...
87.
The UNESCO World Heritage Convention is a treaty that has become, over the past 40 years, the foremost international legal tool in support of the conservation of the world's cultural and natural heritage. Today, 191 countries (called States Parties) have ratified the Convention, making it an almost universally accepted set of principles and framework of action.
Learn more ...
88.
UNESCO is a non-profit intergovernmental organization. Contributions to UNESCO’s World Heritage from states, public institutions, foundations or individuals - are used for projects implemented by experts to protect World Heritage sites around the world. The World Heritage Marketplace is one way for donors to support World Heritage, it matches potential donors and projects ...
89.
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.
For more information, please visit: ...
90.
The Fund for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage of Outstanding Universal Value, called "the World Heritage Fund", was established under Article 15 of the World Heritage Convention. Its resources consist primarily of assessed contributions by the States Parties of the Convention and may be used only for such purposes as the World Heritage Committee ...
91.
ICOMOS thematic studies: The International Council on Monuments and Sites regularly conducts and publishes thematic studies in the context of the World Heritage Convention. An overview of the publications can be found here.
IUCN thematic studies: the International Union for the Conservation of Nature has undertaken a range of global and regional studies to support State ...
92.
With regard to the number of candidatures presented by an electoral group, it is worth recalling Resolution 1 EXT.GA 3 on the revision of the Rules of Procedure of the General Assembly (in 2014), by which the General Assembly of States Parties to the Convention "reiterate[d] its strong request to States Parties and electoral groups to provide a sufficient number of ...
93.
International assistance requests may be filled in and submitted either directly online, or on paper.Reminder: 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 ...
94.
The International Council on Monuments and Sites, a non-governmental organization, was founded in 1965 after the adoption of the Charter of Venice, in order to promote the doctrine and the techniques of conservation. ICOMOS provides the World Heritage Committee with evaluations of properties with cultural values proposed for inscription on the World Heritage List, as well ...
95.
With regards to post-conflict recovery, the Policy Document for the Integration of a Sustainable Development Perspective into the Processes of the World Heritage Convention states:
"33. During a conflict and in the post-conflict transition phase, World Heritage properties and their wider settings can make a significant contribution to recovery and socioeconomic ...
96.
For the purpose of management, States Parties prepare a Statement of Outstanding Universal Value which the World Heritage Committee adopts at the time of inscription.
According to the Operational Guidelines, ‘the Statement of Outstanding Universal Value shall be the basis for the future protection and management of the property’.
Statements of OUV aim to provide a clear, ...
97.
The World Heritage Committee relies on citizens to play an active role in protecting World Heritage sites. If you have any concern about an existing site, do not hesitate to contact the National Commission of the country in charge of the site. To see the contact details of the National Commission, click on the name of the country in the list of States Parties. You may also ...
98.
The UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage, adopted in 2001, is intended to enable States to better protect their submerged cultural heritage.
The main principles laid out in the Convention are the obligation to preserve underwater cultural heritage, the prioritization of in-situ preservation and the stipulation that underwater cultural ...
99.
Refers to a decision taken by the World Heritage Committee on whether a site should be inscribed on the World Heritage List.
Once a site has been nominated and evaluated, it is up to the intergovernmental World Heritage Committee to make the final decision on its inscription. Once a year, the Committee meets to decide which sites will be inscribed on the World Heritage ...
100.
A heritage education programme is a programme designed to educate, train or involve people in the protection of cultural or natural heritage.
According to Article 27 of the Convention concerning the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage:
The States Parties to this Convention shall endeavour by all appropriate means, and in particular by educational and ...
101.
The "Policy document on the impacts of climate change on World Heritage properties" was adopted by the 16th General Assembly of States Parties to the World Heritage Convention. It touches on synergies between conventions on the issue; identification of future research needs in this area, legal questions on the role of the World Heritage Convention with regard to suitable ...
102.
The overall goal of the Policy on the Integration of a Sustainable Development Perspective into the Processes of the World Heritage Convention is to assist States Parties, practitioners, institutions, communities and networks, through appropriate guidance, to harness the potential of World Heritage properties and heritage in general, to contribute to sustainable ...
103.
World Heritage Resource Manuals are tools available to help States Parties in their implementation of the World Heritage Convention.
Consult the Resource Manuals
UNESCO, ICCROM, ICOMOS and IUCN. 2010. Managing Disaster Risks for World Heritage. Paris, UNESCO World Heritage Centre.
UNESCO, ICCROM, ICOMOS and IUCN. 2011. Preparing World Heritage Nominations.(Second edition). ...
104.
The Justification for inscription is a part of nomination documentation that makes clear why the property is considered to be of “Outstanding Universal Value”. It is comprised of more detailed information to support the text of the proposed Statement of Outstanding Universal Value; the World Heritage criteria under which the property is proposed together with a clearly ...
105.
UNESCO’s work with geoparks began in 2001. In 2004, 17 European and 8 Chinese geoparks came together at UNESCO headquarters in Paris to form the Global Geoparks Network (GGN) where national geological heritage initiatives contribute to and benefit from their membership of a global network of exchange and cooperation.
On 17 November 2015, the 195 Member States of UNESCO ...
106.
The objectives of the 1970 Convention are to protect and safeguard the world cultural property against damage, theft, clandestine excavations, illicit import, export and transfer of ownership, trafficking, to implement preventive measures and raise awareness of the importance thereof, to establish a moral and ethical code for the acquisition of cultural property, to ...
107.
Defined in the International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention (No. 169) concerning Indigenous and Tribal Peoples in Independent Countries as:‘(a) tribal peoples in independent countries whose social, cultural and economic conditions distinguish them from other sections of the national community, and whose status is regulated wholly or partially by their own customs or ...
108.
The World Heritage Convention does not specifically define identification. Throughout the Convention reference is made to the "identification, protection, conservation, presentation and transmission to future generations of the cultural and natural heritage". Article 5 of the Convention makes reference to a number of "effective and active measures" that can be taken by ...
109.
The International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM) is an intergovernmental organization created to promote the conservation of all forms of cultural heritage, in every region of the world. Its mission is to provide Member States with the best tools, knowledge, skills and enabling environment to preserve their cultural ...
110.
Governance may take place at different levels (local, regional/provincial/state and national federal) and should be understood in a wide context to include legislation/institutional arrangements/democratic processes/citizens etc.
According to the World Heritage Resource Manual ‘Managing Cultural Heritage’ (UNESCO 2013), good governance refers to “the relationship between ...
111.
The condition of the attributes of Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) is a good guide to the overall state of conservation of a World Heritage property.
The categories of the condition of the attributes can be defined as follows:
Lost: Loss or alteration to most aspects of this attribute has occurred and has caused a major loss of significance of this attribute.
Seriously ...
112.
The First Protocol to the 1954 Hague Convention was adopted in 1954 in response to the systematic pillage of cultural property of the occupied territories during the Second World War. The States Parties to the First Protocol agree to undertake the following measures:
Prevent exportation of cultural property from an occupied territory in the event of armed conflict;
Take ...
113.
Sustainable development involves stable, equitable and inclusive economic growth, based on sustainable patterns of production and consumption” (“Realizing the Future We Want for All”, page 29 of the World Heritage and Sustainable Development Policy). Inclusive economic development favours a people-centred economy. It makes macroeconomic growth and equity compatible, as ...
114.
The World Heritage Capacity Building Strategy was requested by the World Heritage Committee at its 34th session (Decision 34 COM 9C) and presented at the 35th Session in 2011.
According to its Mission Statement, “The purpose of this strategy is to provide a framework which favours the development of effective actions and programmes to strengthen or develop capacities of ...
115.
The Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict was adopted at The Hague (Netherlands) in 1954 in the wake of massive destruction of cultural heritage during the Second World War. It is the first international treaty with a worldwide vocation focusing exclusively on the protection of cultural heritage in the event of armed ...
116.
The six topics of the Monitoring Indicator Framework are in accordance with the six core thematic areas of the Periodic Reports:
“I. State of Conservation of World Heritage properties: Indicators to assess temporal patterns in the status and trends of the OUV and factors affecting the property; integrity and authenticity of the site.
II. Management: Indicators to measure ...
117.
The World Heritage Centre UNESCO World Heritage Centre is responsible for the day-to-day management of the World Heritage Convention. The Centre, which is based in Paris, is staffed by conservation experts from around the world who coordinate within UNESCO activities relating to World Heritage including management of the Convention, organization of the annual World ...
118.
The Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, adopted in 2005 by the UNESCO General Conference, is a binding international legal instrument. Its goal is to protect and promote the diversity of cultural expressions, particularly as embodied and conveyed in cultural activities, goods and services, which are the vehicles of ...
119.
The Recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape was adopted on 10 November 2011 by UNESCO General Conference. It outlines the Historic Urban Landscape (HUL) approach, which moves beyond the preservation of the physical environment and focuses on the entire human environment with all of its tangible and intangible qualities. It seeks to increase the sustainability of ...
120.
In 1994, the World Heritage Committee launched the Global Strategy for a Representative, Balanced and Credible World Heritage List. Its aim is to ensure that the List reflects the world's cultural and natural diversity of outstanding universal value.
By adopting the Global Strategy, the World Heritage Committee wanted to broaden the definition of World Heritage to better ...
121.
In various regions of the world capacity building institutions dealing specifically with World Heritage have been established and granted the status of "category 2 centres under the auspices of UNESCO.
UNESCO Category II Centres (C2Cs) are organizations which operate under the auspices of UNESCO and are committed to engage in support of UNESCO’s strategic programme ...
122.
Biosphere reserves are areas comprising terrestrial, marine and coastal ecosystems. Each reserve promotes solutions reconciling the conservation of biodiversity with its sustainable use.
Biosphere reserves are ‘Science for Sustainability support sites’ – special places for testing interdisciplinary approaches to understanding and managing changes and interactions between ...
123.
A key benefit of ratification, particularly for developing countries, is access to the World Heritage Fund and International Assistance. This is made available to assist States Parties in identifying, preserving and promoting World Heritage sites. Emergency assistance may also be made available for urgent action to repair damage caused by human-made or natural disasters. ...
124.
The full cycle of activities from nomination to management and decision-making conducted with regard to the World Heritage properties stipulated under the World Heritage Convention.
Heritage processes include national and international protection processes for the identification, protection, conservation, presentation and transmission to future generations of the cultural ...
125.
The definition of capacity-building identifies three broad areas where capacities reside – practitioners, institutions, and communities and networks – and this is the basis for identifying audiences to target for capacity-building initiatives. This is an approach which brings World Heritage in line with other sectors, for example, the UNDP and the health and food aid ...
126.
In relation to boundaries for effective protection, paragraphs 99-102 of the Operational Guidelines state:
‘99. The delineation of boundaries is an essential requirement in the establishment of effective protection of nominated properties. Boundaries should be drawn to incorporate all the attributes that convey the Outstanding Universal Value and to ensure the integrity ...
127.
Heritage impact assessments (HIAs) for World Heritage (WH) properties are conducted in order to evaluate effectively the impact of potential development on the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of properties. Due to diversity of World Heritage properties and varieties of potential impacts, different assessment tools are to be applied, from the state of the art techniques - ...
128.
By compiling on the Internet the national laws of its Member States, UNESCO offers all stakeholders involved (Governments, customs officials, art dealers, organizations, lawyers, buyers and so forth) a complete and easily accessible source of information. In the event of a legal question about the origin of an object (which may have been stolen, pillaged, or illegally ...
129.
"Management systems are described and defined in paragraphs 108-118 of the Operational Guidelines.
Specifically, paragraph 108 states that “Each nominated property should have an appropriate management plan or other documented management system which must specify how the Outstanding Universal Value of a property should be preserved, preferably through participatory ...
130.
The standard list of threats/factors affecting the Outstanding Universal Value of World Heritage properties consists of a series of 14 primary factors, encompassing each a number of secondary factors.
The 14 primary factors are:
Buildings and Development
Transportation Infrastructure
Utilities or Service Infrastructure
Pollution
Biological resource ...
131.
Buffer zones are described in The World Heritage Resource Manual Preparing World Heritage Nominations (2nd edition, UNESCO 2011) as follows: ”Every World Heritage property needs protection and management arrangements for activities outside the property, including their immediate setting. Buffer zones are one commonly used means to achieve this protection, conservation and ...