World Heritage Committee

The intergovernmental body responsible for implementing the World Heritage Convention and deciding which properties enter or leave the World Heritage List.

World Heritage List: The list of cultural and natural properties recognized under the World Heritage Convention. The Committee decides which nominated properties join this list.
States Parties to the World Heritage Convention: Countries that have ratified or accepted the World Heritage Convention. They elect Committee members and nominate properties within their territories.
UNESCO: The United Nations agency that promotes international cooperation in education, science, culture, and communication. The Committee operates within UNESCO’s institutional framework.
UNESCO World Heritage Site: A property inscribed on the World Heritage List under the World Heritage Convention. It is a designated property, not the intergovernmental body that makes inscription decisions.
World Heritage nomination process: The process through which States Parties propose properties for inscription on the World Heritage List. The Committee evaluates nominations after advisory-body review.
Outstanding Universal Value: Cultural or natural significance so exceptional that it transcends national boundaries and matters to humanity as a whole. A property must meet this standard to be inscribed.
General Assembly of States Parties to the World Heritage Convention: The assembly of all Convention States Parties, which elects members of the World Heritage Committee. It determines which countries serve on the Committee.
Intangible Cultural Heritage: Practices, expressions, knowledge, and skills recognized as cultural heritage transmitted between generations. Its international safeguarding system is separate from the Committee’s World Heritage List mandate.
World Heritage in Danger: A list of World Heritage properties facing serious and specific threats to their conservation. The Committee can place threatened properties on this list and recommend corrective action.
World Heritage criteria: Ten criteria used to assess whether a property qualifies for inscription on the World Heritage List. The Committee applies these criteria when deciding on nominations.

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