UNESCO World Heritage
UNESCO World Heritage
World Heritage listing procedure
The World Heritage listing procedure begins when governments that have joined the World Heritage Convention submit applications for the tentative list of the World Heritage to the UNESCO World Heritage Center.
Let's look at the procedure by each step
Listing in the tentative list
- The heritage in question should be listed on the tentative list of the World Heritage at least one year in advance. The heritage that is not listed on the Tentative List cannot be applied for listing as World Heritage.
- There is no special examination procedure
- The Tentative List has the nature of a preliminary list of heritage to be listed on the World Heritage List by the state party in the future, and can be updated from time to time.
Submission of the final application
- Reception of preliminary application: September 30 each year
– Review deficiencies before submitting the final application and provide opportunities for supplementation.
- Reception of the final application: February 1 every year
– Applications can be submitted throughout the year, but those received after February 1 will be carried over to the next year.
– Only for applications received on or before February 1, the World Heritage Center will request an on-site inspection to an advisory body.
On-site due diligence and evaluation by advisory bodies
- Cultural heritage: International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS)
- Natural Heritage : International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
- Mixed Heritage : Joint survey by ICOMOS and IUCN
- On-site survey: Typically in the second half of the year, experts from the Advisory Bodies visit the applicant country to investigate the conservation status and value of the heritage.
- Submission of Evaluation Opinion: Based on the results of on-site survey and document review, the advisory body submits a recommendation to the World Heritage Committee on whether or not the proposed heritage should be registered as a World HeritageRefer to <Table 1> and <Table 2> below for examination procedure of ICOMOS and IUCN
Decision by the World Heritage Committee
- Meeting time: Between the end of June and July every year
- After review, the World Heritage Committee makes the final decision whether to list as a new World Heritage
| Decision | Description | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| Listing | Listing as the World Heritage | Except for extremely exceptional cases (Israeli-Arab heritage, etc.), the heritage applied will be listed as it is. |
| Referral | There are some incomplete data, so it is necessary to submit additional data by February 1 of the following year. When data is supplemented, it will be re-examined at the next committee meeting. |
When data is supplemented, it is highly likely to be accepted at the meeting of the current year or the next year |
| Deferral | There are serious deficiencies in the application form, so further study or amended application form is required. | In principle, on-site survey will be conducted |
| Non-listing | Impossible to list | Re-application for the same heritage is not allowed |
ICOMOS Examination Procedure
IUCN examination procedure
