World Heritage: A Guide

UNESCO World Heritage Convention

The 'Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage' was adopted by UNESCO in 1972 and has been signed by 193 countries (as of Summer 2018). It is based on the idea that certain places in the world are of outstanding universal value and, as such, should form part of the common heritage of humankind.

The Convention's primary purpose is to define the cultural and natural sites of the world which signify our common heritage and which would represent an irreplaceable loss should they disappear.

One of the Convention's greatest strengths is that it combines in one document both natural and cultural sites and recognises that cultural identity is related to the natural environment in which it develops.

The Convention defines the kind of natural or cultural sites which can be considered for inscription on the World Heritage List, and sets out the duties of countries in identifying potential sites and their role in protecting and preserving them. The Convention also describes the function of the World Heritage Committee, how its members are elected and their terms of office, and specifies the professional advisory bodies to which it can turn for advice in selecting the sites to be listed. The Convention explains how the World Heritage Fund is to be used and managed and under what conditions international financial assistance may be provided.

Operational Guidelines

The Operational Guidelines set out the details of how the World Heritage Convention should be implemented.

They are prepared by the World Heritage Committee and have been updated several times since they were first written in 1977. An updated version of the Guidelines was published in 2021.

The Operational Guidelines set out the criteria for:

Inscription of sites onto the List of World Heritage Sites;
Principles for monitoring and reporting on sites;
Criteria and procedures for the List of World Heritage in Danger;
Procedures for international assistance to sites in need;
Procedures for accepting contributions to the World Heritage Fund;
Balancing the World Heritage List; and,
Procedural matters such as use of the World Heritage emblem and Committee arrangements.

The Operational Guidelines can be seen on the UNESCO website.

World Heritage Committee

The World Heritage Committee was created in 1976 and is made up of representatives of 21 countries which have signed up to the 1972 World Heritage Convention.

These countries are elected on six-year terms by the General Assembly (made up of all 194 countries who have signed up to the Convention).

The Committee's four main duties are:

To select new sites for the World Heritage List from those nominated by each country;
To monitor the state of conservation of sites on the List;
To decide in cases of urgent need which sites on the List should be placed on the List of World Heritage Sites in danger; and,
To distribute money from the World Heritage Fund for the protection of sites on the World Heritage List.

The Committee meets once a year to discuss all matters relating to the implementation of the Convention and in particular those matters relating to the four main duties given above.

World Heritage Centre, Paris

The World Heritage Centre provides professional and administrative support for the UNESCO World Heritage Committee and is based in Paris. The Centre was set up in 1992.

The Centre has several other areas of work. They help Governments to prepare nominations for new World Heritage Sites and maintain the official archive of nominations. They also run World Heritage projects and initiatives in areas such as education and youth work, and training.

The Centre deals with any information from the public, sites or governments about potential threats to World Heritage Sites. The Centre may ask the site in question for more information, and will then pass this information on to the World Heritage Committee.

Other duties of the Centre include:

Arranging technical seminars and workshops
Updating the World Heritage List and database
Developing teaching materials to raise awareness of World Heritage
Keeping the public informed of World Heritage issues
Producing World Heritage documentary and educational films, digital publications, books, and other material

Advisory Organisations

There are three organisations that provide technical advice to the World Heritage Committee on sites that are being nominated to the World Heritage List.

These organisations also provide advice and help in the ongoing management and conservation of sites on the List.

The International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) provide evaluations of sites nominated for inscription to the World Heritage List.

The International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM) provides advice and practical help on conservation of cultural sites and training activities.

ICOMOS - International Council on Monuments and Sites

ICOMOS is a non-governmental organisation dedicated to the conservation of the world's historic monuments and sites. ICOMOS provides a forum for professional debate and the collection, evaluation and distribution of information on conservation principles, techniques and policies.

ICOMOS was founded in 1965 in Warsaw, Poland, following the 1964 Venice International Charter on the Conservation and Restoration of Monuments and Sites. This important Charter set the standard for conservation and has proved a solid foundation from which the conservation community has developed.

Based in Paris, ICOMOS has national committees in over 100 countries, including ICOMOS-UK. It is one of the principal advisors to UNESCO on cultural world heritage and the World Heritage Convention. ICOMOS evaluates cultural sites that have been nominated for inscription to the World Heritage List for the World Heritage Committee.

For more information see the ICOMOS website

ICOMOS-UK

World Heritage List

Australia outback landscape with blue sky. iStock.com/structuresxx

Statue of Liberty sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor in New York City, iStock.com/johnandersonphoto

The Sites

As of July 2021 there were 1,154 World Heritage Sites. Of these, 897 are cultural sites, 218 are natural sites and 39 are mixed (both cultural and natural) sites. 33 of these are in UK territories. While there are fewer natural sites in comparison to cultural sites, the territory covered by each natural site is, in general, much larger than that of the cultural sites.

194 countries have signed up to the World Heritage Convention. 167 of these countries now have sites on the World Heritage List.

The complete World Heritage List and List of World Heritage in Danger can be viewed on the UNESCO World Heritage Centre's website. The World Heritage Centre also holds a link to the list of United Kingdom World Heritage Sites.

As of 2022, there were 52 sites on the List of World Heritage Sites in Danger. The List includes Sites that are in danger from natural threats (including erosion and natural disaster) and man-made threats (such as war, political change or poor management). The List of World Heritage in Danger aims to highlight the threats to these Sites and encourage special action to improve the situation.

Tentative Lists

The UNESCO World Heritage Committee asks each country to prepare and submit a Tentative List which identifies sites which they intend to nominate to the World Heritage List.

In 2014 the UK Government revised its 1999 publication 'World Heritage Sites: The Tentative List of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland'. These lists form the basis for submitting World Heritage Site nominations to the World Heritage Centre. Some sites nominated in the 1999 list have since become World Heritage Sites. These include Blaenavon Industrial Landscape, the Dorset and East Devon Coast, Saltaire, the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew and the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape. The List and nomination process can be seen on the Department of Culture Media and Sport website.

An updated official UK Tentative List will be submitted to UNESCO in 2022 with official nominations to be made to UNESCO from 2024.

World Heritage in the UK

Bath is a founder member of World Heritage UK, an organisation set up in 2015 to undertake networking, advocacy and promotion of the UK's World Heritage Sites, and UK sites progressing towards World Heritage Site status.

World Heritage UK is the successor of the Local Authority World Heritage Forum (LAWHF), a group for UK local authorities with responsibility for World Heritage Sites, in which Bath played a prominent role. WH:UK has taken over the important work carried out by LAWHF for 20 years with an extended remit and constitution to include representation from all UK World Heritage Sites.

World Heritage UK talks to Government about the needs of UK World Heritage Sites, and provides a forum for discussion, information exchange and the sharing of best practice. WH:UK works with a range of national bodies and advisory organisations, including ICOMOS, ICCROM, Historic England, Cadw and Historic Scotland.

For further information visit the World Heritage UK website..

Other UK World Heritage Sites

Tower of London, Vladislav Zolotov

Remains of the old Engine house chimneys at Levant Tin Mine - located very close to Geevor Tin Mine in Cornwall, England. Photo chrisdorney

Explore Bath's world heritage

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World Heritage: A Guide

World Heritage Sites are places of global significance, telling the story of our cultural evolution and natural beauty. Their conservation for the appreciation and education of future generations is vital.

The Operational Guidelines set out the details of how the World Heritage Convention should be implemented.

The World Heritage Committee was created in 1976 and is made up of representatives of 21 countries which have signed up to the 1972 World Heritage Convention.

The World Heritage Centre provides professional and administrative support for the UNESCO World Heritage Committee and is based in Paris. The Centre was set up in 1992.

There are three organisations that provide technical advice to the World Heritage Committee on sites that are being nominated to the World Heritage List.

ICOMOS is a non-governmental organisation dedicated to the conservation of the world's historic monuments and sites. ICOMOS provides a forum for professional debate and the collection, evaluation and distribution of information on conservation principles, techniques and policies.

ICOMOS-UK, the UK arm of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), was formed in 1965.

More than 1,100 sites have been inscribed on the World Heritage List by UNESCO. Over 30 of these Sites are in the United Kingdom.

The Sites

The UNESCO World Heritage Committee asks each country to prepare and submit a Tentative List which identifies sites which they intend to nominate to the World Heritage List.

Bath is a founder member of World Heritage UK, an organisation set up in 2015 to undertake networking, advocacy and promotion of the UK's World Heritage Sites, and UK sites progressing towards World Heritage Site status.

Cultural

Natural

Mixed

Explore Bath's world heritage

Explore Bath's world heritage

Other things to do in Bath

World Heritage: A Guide

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