{"id":36539,"date":"2020-02-17T12:27:16","date_gmt":"2020-02-17T11:27:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.riksantikvaren.no\/verdensarv\/verdensarvkonvensjonen\/"},"modified":"2025-03-20T12:13:52","modified_gmt":"2025-03-20T11:13:52","slug":"verdensarvkonvensjonen","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/riksantikvaren.no\/en\/the-world-heritage-convention-and-the-world-heritage-list\/","title":{"rendered":"The World Heritage Convention and the World Heritage List"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The World Heritage<\/span><\/p>

The World Heritage Convention and the World Heritage List<\/h1><\/div>

The UNESCO World Heritage Convention was created in 1972 in response to increasing pressure on cultural and natural heritage sites as a result of tourism, wars, natural disasters, decay and pollution. By signing the convention, each individual country undertakes to protect both its own World Heritage sites and the entirety of its national cultural and natural heritage.<\/p><\/div>[\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″]\n\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\"The<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t
The Geirangerfjord<\/strong> is part of the West Norwegian Fjords area, which is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Foto: Ludovic P\u00e9ron (CC BY-SA), via Wikimedia Commons.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t<\/figure>[\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”2\/3″][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

The World Heritage Convention<\/h2>\n

The World Heritage Convention stipulates what is to be considered part of the World Heritage. Of all the international environmental conventions, the World Heritage Convention is the most widely ratified.<\/p>\n

The obligations of States Parties<\/h2>\n

Individual states parties are obligated to care for their part of the World Heritage. The acquisition of World Heritage status does not equate to a new form of protection. Protection and management are to be ensured through national legislation and using the resources of the country in question. The international community as a whole has a duty to collaborate to ensure the preservation of the heritage which we all share.<\/p>\n

Reporting to UNESCO<\/h2>\n

Every six years, the states parties report to UNESCO on the status of their World Heritage sites. UNESCO will then assess whether or not the values based on which the inscription was made have changed and whether or not changes to site management are required. Negative developments may result in the site being added to the List of World Heritage in Danger. If the values are no longer present, the site will be removed from the World Heritage List.[\/vc_column_text]\n\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\"Kathmandu<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t
Katmandu in Nepal.<\/strong> From the Patan Durbar Square World Heritage area. The Kathmandu Valley was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1979. Foto: Anne Nyhamar, the Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t<\/figure>[vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

The World Heritage List<\/h2>\n

The World Heritage List offers an overview of World Heritage objects (cultural and natural sites) in the member countries.<\/p>\n

What does inscription on the World Heritage List mean?<\/h2>\n

World Heritage status is the highest mark of quality that an area can attain. It involves a responsibility for safeguarding the site for posterity. World Heritage is also a brand with significant tourism appeal.<\/p>\n

World Heritage status does not automatically give a site a new type of protection, but an additional mark of quality and exclusive international status. A place on the list means that decisions on value must be made locally in terms of land and resource use, including in the future. It is important to safeguard the cultural values and a management plan outlining how the heritage is to be protected must be put in place.<\/p>\n

Applications are assessed in detail before a recommendation is made to the World Heritage Committee. It is a long process. Local involvement, support and dedication is a prerequisite for success. Requirements relating to demarcation, context, completeness and authenticity must be met in addition to the main selection criteria.[\/vc_column_text]

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Examples of sites inscribed on the World Heritage List<\/h3>\n

The Acropolis in Athens
\nThe Pyramids of Egypt
\nThe Great Wall of China
\nThe Statue of Liberty in New York
\nThe Galapagos Islands
\nMachu Picchu in Peru<\/p><\/div>[vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Tentative list<\/h3>\n

According to the World Heritage Convention, each state party should prepare a list of proposed sites for nomination. This is known as the Tentative List.<\/p>\n

Not all sites on the Tentative List will be nominated, but inclusion does represent the first step towards nomination. A site cannot be nominated unless it has been included in the Tentative List first.<\/p>\n

Norway\u2019s tentative list includes the following sites:<\/h3>\n