As the Convention’s technical Advisory Body on nature, IUCN will submit recommendations for the inscriptions of 13 new sites and report on the state of conservation of over 50 natural sites. Key outcomes following the Committee’s decisions will be addressed to governments.

Organizations involved in World Heritage work can attend by requesting observer status at least 15 days before the event. Open side events will further facilitate knowledge sharing on topics such as IUCN’s State of World Heritage monitoring system and Gap Analysis, or the CBD and Aichi Targets.

The UNESCO World Heritage Convention is a unique platform for developing and sharing best practice, and can act as a barometer of global protected area performance. Natural World Heritage represents 11% of all protected areas and a quarter of all marine protected areas. Wider participation to the Convention is key to its good functioning.