World Heritage Committee's 47th Session: Unveiling Our Primary Messages, July 4th, 2025
In a bid to safeguard the planet's most valuable natural and cultural heritage sites, the UNESCO World Heritage Convention continues to evolve and adapt to the challenges of the 21st century. The Convention, ratified by 196 States Parties, is at the forefront of recognising the links between nature and culture, advocating for synergistic actions to achieve outcomes for World Heritage, biodiversity conservation, geodiversity, and climate and sustainable development.
One of the key players in this endeavour is the World Heritage Advisory Body for nature, primarily represented by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). This advisory body plays a critical role in supporting the World Heritage Convention's nature-related objectives.
The IUCN acts as the official advisory body for natural World Heritage under the Convention. Its primary focus is leading technical evaluations and recommendations regarding the inscription and management of natural World Heritage sites, ensuring that nature conservation is prioritised within the World Heritage framework.
Moreover, the advisory body promotes the enhanced participation of Indigenous Peoples in World Heritage processes. This collaboration fosters shared stewardship and respects Indigenous rights, recognising their essential role in conserving biodiversity and maintaining cultural and natural heritage.
The IUCN also aims to improve conservation and management practices through partnerships and capacity-building programs such as the ICCROM-IUCN World Heritage Leadership (WHL) programme. This initiative integrates sustainable development objectives with World Heritage conservation, ensuring natural sites contribute effectively to global biodiversity preservation.
In addition, the advisory body advocates for new leadership approaches and innovative conservation practices that inspire higher standards and effectiveness in managing natural heritage sites.
Recently, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, comprising 21 elected States Parties, has proposed greater synergies between World Heritage sites and other international designations like Ramsar wetlands, Biosphere Reserves, UNESCO Global Geoparks, GIAHS, and others. This move is aimed at scaling up conservation impact and efficiency.
The UNESCO World Heritage Strategy also emphasises the use of nature-based solutions to conserve World Heritage sites, particularly those with cultural heritage values. Capacity building and knowledge exchange are considered essential for effective conservation, with the UNESCO website and ICCROM having pioneered this through the World Heritage Leadership Programme.
The UNESCO website has established a Specialist Group for World Heritage within the World Commission on Protected Areas, and co-drafted nearly 80 World Heritage state of conservation reports for examination by the Committee. These reports, including 17 for sites on the List of World Heritage in Danger, are crucial in assessing the status of these invaluable sites and identifying areas for improvement.
The UNESCO website has also supported the decision of the intersessional Open-ended Working Group to recommend better representation of nature conservation sites on the UNESCO World Heritage List. It will present its evaluation for new nominations that are proposed for their nature conservation values.
The advice to the Committee is grounded in technical independence, science, field experience, and collaboration. An inclusive, people-centered approach to heritage that addresses global challenges such as climate change, biodiversity conservation, rights-based approaches, and sustainable development is necessary for the long-term sustainability of the Convention.
In conclusion, the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, with the support of entities like the IUCN, continues to be a pioneer in recognising the links between nature and culture and advocating for their joint conservation. The Convention's commitment to supporting World Heritage sites, through financial mechanisms like the Global Environment Facility (GEF) funds and bilateral finance, and its emphasis on capacity building and knowledge exchange, ensure that these invaluable sites will continue to thrive for future generations.
- The IUCN, the official advisory body for natural World Heritage under the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, supports the Convention's nature-related objectives by leading technical evaluations and recommendations for inscription and management of natural World Heritage sites.
- Recognizing the essential role of Indigenous Peoples in conserving biodiversity and maintaining cultural and natural heritage, the IUCN fosters their participation in World Heritage processes to foster shared stewardship and respect Indigenous rights.
- The IUCN works towards improving conservation and management practices by engaging in partnerships and capacity-building programs, such as the ICCROM-IUCN World Heritage Leadership (WHL) programme, which integrates sustainable development objectives with World Heritage conservation.
- Recognizing the need for innovative conservation practices, the IUCN advocates for new leadership approaches and strives to inspire higher standards and effectiveness in managing natural heritage sites.
- The UNESCO World Heritage Committee, with the IUCN's advice, is proposing greater synergies between World Heritage sites and other international designations like Ramsar wetlands, Biosphere Reserves, UNESCO Global Geoparks, GIAHS, and others, to scale up conservation impact and efficiency.
- The UNESCO website has established a Specialist Group for World Heritage within the World Commission on Protected Areas and co-drafted nearly 80 World Heritage state of conservation reports for examination by the Committee, including reports for sites on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
- In the realm of education and self-development, the UNESCO website supports online education and general news platforms to spread awareness about climate change, biodiversity conservation, and other global challenges, promoting a more informed and active citizenry.
- Addressing issues of crime and justice, the UNESCO World Heritage Strategy acknowledges the potential impact of war and conflicts on World Heritage sites and advocates for policy and legislation that ensures their protection.
- There have been instances where accidents have threatened World Heritage sites, underscoring the need for continuous monitoring and prompt action, and the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, with its ongoing commitments to financial mechanisms, capacity building, and knowledge exchange, ensures the sites' protection and long-term sustainability.
