Who Makes the Decision to Classify a Place as a World Heritage Site?

The designation of a place as a World Heritage Site is a significant honor, recognizing its outstanding universal value. But who exactly holds the power to bestow this prestigious title? The decision isn't made by a single individual or a small, isolated committee. Instead, it's a complex, multi-layered process overseen by a specific international body: the World Heritage Committee.

The World Heritage Committee is the supreme decision-making body of the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) World Heritage Convention. This convention, established in 1972, is the legal and political framework that guides the identification, protection, and preservation of World Heritage sites. The Committee is composed of representatives from the 194 State Parties that have ratified the World Heritage Convention. These State Parties are essentially the countries that have signed on to the convention and are committed to its principles.

The Role of the World Heritage Committee

The Committee meets annually to discuss and decide on a wide range of issues concerning the World Heritage List. This includes:

Reviewing the state of conservation of existing World Heritage sites.
Deciding on new inscriptions to the World Heritage List.
Considering nominations for sites that have been submitted by individual countries.
Allocating funds from the World Heritage Fund for conservation projects.

When it comes to inscribing new sites, the Committee's decision is based on rigorous evaluation and recommendations. It's not a simple vote where any country can nominate their backyard and get it approved. There's a structured pathway that a potential site must follow.

The Nomination Process: A Step-by-Step Journey

Before a site even reaches the World Heritage Committee for a final decision, it undergoes a thorough nomination process:

National Nomination: First, a country must formally decide to nominate a site within its territory. This involves a national inventory of potential sites and a thorough assessment to determine if the site possesses "outstanding universal value." This value is judged against specific criteria, which are outlined by UNESCO.
Tentative List: The nominating country then submits the site to UNESCO for inclusion on its "Tentative List." This list represents properties that a State Party intends to nominate for World Heritage status in the future. It's a way for countries to signal their intentions and for UNESCO to understand the pipeline of potential nominations.
World Heritage Centre's Role: Once a site is on the Tentative List, it can be formally nominated. The nomination dossier is then sent to the UNESCO World Heritage Centre. The Centre, in turn, sends the dossier to one of the three international advisory bodies for evaluation.
Advisory Body Evaluation: These advisory bodies are responsible for assessing the technical merits of the nomination. The primary advisory bodies are:
- ICOMOS (International Council on Monuments and Sites): For cultural heritage.
- IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature): For natural heritage.
- ICCROM (International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property): While not directly evaluating, ICCROM contributes its expertise in conservation.
These bodies conduct independent expert reviews of the nomination, often involving site visits, to verify the claims made in the dossier and assess the site's authenticity and integrity.
The World Heritage Committee's Deliberation: After receiving the evaluations from the advisory bodies, the World Heritage Centre prepares a summary report. This report, along with the advisory bodies' recommendations, is then presented to the World Heritage Committee at its annual session. The Committee members then discuss the nominations and vote on whether to inscribe the sites on the World Heritage List.

It is crucial to understand that a country cannot simply declare its own site a World Heritage Site. The process is international, objective, and based on expert assessment. The World Heritage Committee, comprised of representatives from around the globe, makes the final decision, ensuring that only sites of true outstanding universal value are recognized.

This rigorous process ensures that the World Heritage List remains a credible and respected designation, signifying sites that are of paramount importance not just to one nation, but to all of humanity. The decision-making power rests with the collective will of the State Parties to the Convention, acting through their representatives on the World Heritage Committee.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How is "outstanding universal value" determined?

Outstanding universal value is determined by a set of ten criteria, established by UNESCO. These criteria are divided into cultural and natural categories and assess factors like a site's importance to human history, its natural beauty, its geological significance, or its role in representing major stages of Earth's history. Expert evaluations by bodies like ICOMOS and IUCN assess whether a nominated site meets at least one of these criteria to an exceptional degree.

Why does a country need to nominate a site? Can't UNESCO just identify them?

While UNESCO facilitates the process and provides the framework, the nomination must originate from a State Party to the World Heritage Convention. This is because each country has the primary responsibility for protecting its own heritage. The nomination process is a commitment from the country to protect and manage the site, and it often involves significant national effort and resources.

What happens if a site is not inscribed?

If a site is not inscribed, the nominating country can revise its nomination based on the feedback received from the advisory bodies and the Committee, and resubmit it in a future session. Sometimes, further conservation work or management planning is recommended before a resubmission is advisable. It doesn't necessarily mean the site lacks value, but rather that it may not have fully met the rigorous criteria at that time.

Can a World Heritage Site be de-listed?

Yes, in very rare circumstances, a site can be removed from the World Heritage List. This typically happens if the site's outstanding universal value is lost, for example, due to severe destruction from conflict or natural disaster, or if the state of conservation deteriorates significantly and the country is unable or unwilling to take adequate protective measures.