What is a World Heritage Site (WHS)?

About World Heritage Site (WHS):

• World Heritage Sites are cultural and/or natural sites with legal protection inscribed on the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage List. 
• These sites are designated by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, scientific, or other forms of significance.
• The sites are designated as having “outstanding universal value” under the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (World Heritage Convention).
  • This document was adopted by UNESCO in 1972 and formally took effect in 1975 after having been ratified by 20 countries.
  • It provides a framework for international cooperation in preserving and protecting cultural treasures and natural areas throughout the world.
• Designating WHS: There are three types of sites: cultural, natural and mixed.
  • Cultural heritage sites include hundreds of historic buildings and town sites, important archaeological sites and works of monumental sculpture or painting.
  • Natural heritage sites are restricted to those natural areas that
    • furnish outstanding examples of Earth’s record of life or its geologic processes,
    • provide excellent examples of ongoing ecological and biological evolutionary processes
    • contain natural phenomena that are rare, unique, superlative, or of outstanding beauty, or
    • furnish habitats for rare or endangered animals or plants or are sites of exceptional biodiversity.
  • Mixed heritage sites contain elements of both natural and cultural
• As of July 2024, a total of 1,199 World Heritage Sites (933 cultural, 227 natural and 39 mixed properties) exist across 168 countries.
• The countries with the most sites are Italy (59), China (57), Germany (52), France (52), Spain (50), India (42), Mexico (35), the United Kingdom (33) and Russia (31).

Key Facts about World Heritage Committee:

• It is a committee of UNESCO.
• The Committee is responsible for the implementation of the World Heritage Convention, defines the use of the World Heritage Fund, and allocates financial assistance upon requests from States Parties.
• It has the final say on whether a property is inscribed on the World Heritage List.