World Heritage Leadership is funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Climate and the Environment, as a partnership project run by IUCN and ICCROM, two advisory bodies on natural and cultural World Heritage respectively. It aims to build the skills of practitioners working through the World Heritage Convention, taking into account the totality of conservation practice so World Heritage can provide leadership to achieve innovation and excellence within the sector of conservation.

The World Heritage Leadership programme integrates together nature and culture, centring on areas where World Heritage has the most compelling potential to address pressing challenges, such as climate change and impacts from development.

Five modules make up the programme, including Effective Management: Nature, Culture, and Communities; Resilience; Impact Assessment; Learning Sites; and Leadership Networks. The World Heritage Leadership project is addressed to States Parties, local government, communities and civil society involved in World Heritage conservation.

The project is delivered by IUCN and ICCROM in collaboration with ICOMOS and UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre, with the support of Norway.