Frequently Asked Questions

This section provides information about the 1972 World Heritage Convention and UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre. It includes answers to frequently asked questions in the following areas:

World Heritage/The Convention

What is World Heritage?

World Heritage is the designation for places on earth that are of outstanding universal value to humanity and as such, have been inscribed on the World Heritage List to be protected for future generations to appreciate and enjoy. Places as diverse and unique as the Pyramids of Egypt, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, Galapagos Islands in Ecuador, the Taj Mahal in India, the Grand Canyon in the USA, or the Acropolis in Greece are examples of the 788 natural and cultural places inscribed on the World Heritage List to date.

Click here to learn more about World Heritage.

What does it mean for a site to be inscribed on the List?

Once a country signs the Convention, and has sites inscribed on the World Heritage List, the resulting prestige often helps raise awareness among citizens and governments for heritage preservation. Greater awareness leads to a general rise in the level of the protection and conservation given to heritage properties. A country may also receive financial assistance and expert advice from the World Heritage Committee to support activities for the preservation of its sites.

Learn more about the benefits of ratifying the Convention, including financial assistance.

What is the Convention?

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 mankind. The countries who ratify the Convention (States Parties) have become part of an international community, united in a common mission to identify and safeguard our world's most outstanding natural and cultural heritage. While fully respecting the national sovereignty, and without prejudice to property rights provided by national legislation, the States Parties recognize that the protection of the World Heritage is the duty of the international community as a whole.

What are the legal implications of the Convention?

The UNESCO World Heritage Convention is a treaty that has become, over the past 30 years, the foremost international legal tool in support of the conservation of the world's cultural and natural heritage. Today, 178 countries (called States Parties) have ratified the Convention, making it an almost universally accepted set of principles and framework of action.

Learn more about the Convention.

The World Heritage List

Who owns a site once it’s inscribed on the World Heritage List?

The site is the property of the country on whose territory it is located, but it is considered in the interest of the international community to protect the site for future generations. Its protection and preservation becomes a concern of the international World Heritage community as a whole.

The Nomination of Sites

How is a site inscribed on the List?

A site goes through a nomination process before being considered for inscription by the World Heritage Committee. A site can be proposed for inscription only by the country in which the property is located.

Is a site inscribed on the World Heritage List?

Search a complete list of World Heritage sites.

When was a site inscribed on the List?

Each site page includes the date of inscription and a brief description. Search the List of World Heritage sites.

What are the criteria for nominating a site?

There are 10 criteria for the nomination of World Heritage Sites. Click here to see them in detail.

I know a great place…Can I nominate a site?

All nominations of properties for the World Heritage List come from the national authorities of the country in which the natural or cultural property is located. Click here for an explanation of the nomination process.

Where can I send a recommendation?

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.

Who nominates sites?

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 about 25-30 sites per year to the list. Today there are 830 sites on the list, located in 138 countries around the world.

More details concerning procedures and timetables can be found in the Operational Guidelines.

World Heritage in Danger

Where can I send a letter of concern about a threat to a World Heritage site, or a site on the List of World Heritage in Danger?

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 contact the World Heritage Centre:

World Heritage Centre
UNESCO
7, Place de Fontenoy
75352 Paris 07 SP
France

Fax: 33 (01) 45 68 55 70
E-mail: wh-info@unesco.org

The World Heritage Fund

How can I contribute to the World Heritage Fund?

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 preservation of our world’s most precious sites possible.

Following are the details if you would like to participate with a donation in US dollars, in Euros, or by cheque.

You can send your contribution in US dollars to:

The World Heritage Fund
UNESCO Account No. 949-1-191558
JP MORGAN CHASE BANK
International Money Transfer Division
4 Metrotech Center, Brooklyn
NY 11245 USA
SWIFT CODE: CHASUS 33 - ABA No. 0210-0002-1

To contribute in Euros, you can participate with a donation to:

Fonds du patrimoine mondial
Compte UNESCO No. 30003-03301-00037291909-97
Société Générale
Paris Seine Amont
10 rue Thénard
75005 Paris, FRANCE
SWIFT CODE: SOGE FRPPAFS

Please clearly indicate that the contribution is a donation to the World Heritage Fund.

Cheques should be sent directly to the UNESCO Treasury address:

UNESCO
Division of the Comptroller / Treasury Section
7, place Fontenoy
75352 Paris 07 SP, France

Please clearly indicate that the contribution is a donation to the World Heritage Fund.

How is the Fund used?

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.

Work/Intern/Volunteer

I want to work/intern at UNESCO World Heritage Centre.

All applications for employment or internships must be directed to UNESCO. Please consult the UNESCO web site for information about employment or internships.

I want to volunteer at a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Every year thousands of volunteers donate their time to hundreds of restoration and research projects at UNESCO World Heritage sites around the globe. Today, the possibilities for volunteering are as diverse as they are endless. There is something for everyone, from volunteering close to home as a guide at a World Heritage site, to travelling across the globe to help save the whales, to cyber-volunteering to do data entry.

Click here to learn more about volunteer opportunities.

Education

Which universities offer World Heritage programmes?

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 Pacific

Japan: Tsukuba University
Australia: Deakin University (Melbourne)

Europe and North America

Germany: Brandenburger University of Technology, Cottbus (BTU)
Ireland: University College Dublin (UCD)
Russian Federation: Moscow State M.V. Lomonosov University

I want to learn more about “World Heritage in Young Hands”.

Launched in 1994 at the grassroots level by the UNESCO Associated Schools Project Network (ASPnet) and the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, this Project gives young people a chance to voice their concerns and to become involved in the protection of the world’s natural and cultural heritage.

The World Heritage in Young Hands education kit includes student activities and photographs of World Heritage sites from all regions of the world. It is published in 32 languages. Click here to order the education kit now.

Photographs

How can I obtain/use photos of World Heritage sites?

Unfortunately, photos from this website are not public domain, nor are they available for reproduction due to copyright restrictions.

However, you may obtain other World Heritage photos from the UNESCO Photobank.

I am a photographer interested in proposing my services to UNESCO, or selling my photos to UNESCO.

Neither UNESCO nor the World Heritage Centre purchases photographs from individuals. However, UNESCO and the World Heritage Centre are always happy to accept generous donations of photographs that may be used to help enrich the public’s awareness of the World Heritage sites. For information on donating photographs, contact the World Heritage Centre:

World Heritage Centre
UNESCO
7, Place de Fontenoy
75352 Paris 07 SP
France

Tel.: 33 (01) 45 68 16 60
Fax: 33 (01) 45 68 55 70
E-mail: wh-info@unesco.org

Publications

Are there any free publications or brochures on World Heritage?

A wide range of books, manuals and reports about World Heritage for adults and young people are available for purchase or download on this website, in several languages.

You may download and print a free general information kit about World Heritage in English, French or Spanish from this website, as well as other brochures and materials.

If you would like to receive a general information kit with a World Heritage wall map, please send your name, address and language preference (English, French, Spanish) to the address below.

World Heritage Centre
UNESCO
7, Place de Fontenoy
75352 Paris 07 SP
France

Tel.: 33 (01) 45 68 16 60
Fax: 33 (01) 45 68 55 70
E-mail: wh-info@unesco.org

I want to subscribe to the World Heritage Review.

The UNESCO World Heritage Review is a glossy, colour, quarterly publication featuring in-depth articles and news on World Heritage sites with maps and striking photographs.

E-mail: whreview@pressgroup.net

I want to order the World Heritage Desk Diary/Agenda

The popular UNESCO World Heritage Desk Diary/Agenda features a selection of natural and cultural sites, each one presented with a colour photograph and a short description. To order, contact:

UNESCO Publishing
7, place de Fontenoy
75352 Paris 07 SP
France

Fax: 33 (01) 45 68 57 37
E-mail: publishing.promotion@unesco.org

The World Heritage Logo/Emblem

Use of the World Heritage logo in brochures, ads or in other media.

Use of the World Heritage emblem, or logo, is strictly regulated and determined by the World Heritage Committee, with guidelines for its use defined in Chapter 8 of the Operational Guidelines. Please note that before using the World Heritage logo in any form, authorization from the appropriate UNESCO National Commission is required. Click here for more information regarding the use of the World Heritage emblem.

Partnerships

UNESCO has launched the World Heritage Partnerships for Conservation (PACT) initiative to generate support and strengthen the cooperation needed to ensure adequate protection of the sites included on the World Heritage List.

How can I become a Partner?

World Heritage Partnerships for Conservation (PACT) offers several partnership opportunities, including adopting/sponsoring a World Heritage Site, supporting existing programmes, raising educational awareness, and participating in outreach activities in local and international communities.

Who are some of the current Partners?

The World Heritage Centre is continually creating innovative partnerships to ensure the long-term conservation of the world’s cultural and natural diversity. Partners include States Parties, Advisory Bodies, Inter- and Non-governmental Organizations, Corporate Sectors, and the Media. Click here to see a list of our valued partners and their contributions to projects.

What are some of the current World Heritage projects?

In an effort to support World Heritage conservation, the World Heritage Centre and its partners have developed a series of programmes and have been actively involved in the implementation of projects, participatory workshops, seminars and training courses. Click here to see some of our current projects.

Where can I get more information about this?

For further information about the projects underway, the areas of cooperation that you could contribute towards, or information about how to become a Partner in World Heritage Conservation, please contact us:

World Heritage PACT
UNESCO's World Heritage Centre
7 Place de Fontenoy
75352 Paris 07 SP
France

Tel: 33 (01) 45 68 15 71
Fax: 33 (01) 45 68 55 70
E-mail: wh.pact@unesco.org

Feedback

If you have any questions or comments regarding the set-up or accuracy of information posted on this website, please do not hesitate to contact us: E-mail: wh-support@unesco.org