IUCN at the World Heritage Committee
The World Heritage Committee is the governing body on World Heritage and meets every year. The Committee takes decisions on whether a property is inscribed on the World Heritage List, and may request States Parties to take action when sites are facing major conservation threats or are not being adequately managed. As its Advisory Body on nature, IUCN prepares and presents its recommendations to the World Heritage Committee regarding the inscription of new sites, assesses sites’ state of conservation, prepares draft decisions, and provides advice to States Parties.
To help maintain the highest possible standards in our delivery, IUCN's work on World Heritage is guided by the following principles:
- Partnership is paramount. All our activities are carried out in partnership with other organizations and stakeholders, particularly the World Heritage Centre, the other Advisory Bodies to the Convention (ICOMOS and ICCROM), and States Parties.
- Sound science is essential. One of the Union's major strengths is its high level of scientific credibility, consistency and objectivity. We maintain this by drawing on the expertise of our scientific networks – particularly the WCPA and SSC.
- Problems require practical solutions. An important part of our work is to identify threats to World Heritage sites, but we aim to go beyond mere reporting to seeking practical and innovative solutions to address these threats.
- Consistency with global agendas and policies. Throughout our advice IUCN is guided by policy positions on the Global Biodiversity Framework, the incompatibility of World Heritage status with oil/gas/mining (no-go commitment), human-rights based approaches, the Guidance and Toolkit for Impact Assessment in a World Heritage Context, and other policies and advice notes.
Past news from IUCN at World Heritage Committee meetings
IUCN AT #46WHC (2024)
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Actualité
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21 Juil, 2024
The 46th session of the World Heritage Committee meeting opens today in New Delhi, India, where over the next 10 days, the Committee will decide which potential sites will be added onto the…
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Événement externe
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21 Juil, 2024
The 46th session of the World Heritage Committee meeting opens today in New Delhi, India, where over the next 10 days, the Committee will decide which potential sites will be added onto the…
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Article
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07 Juin, 2024
IUCN, the official advisory body on nature to UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee, recommends the addition of four new sites to the prestigious World Heritage List for their outstanding natural value…
IUCN at #45WHC (2023)
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Actualité
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21 Sep, 2023
The World Heritage Committee has enlarged natural World Heritage areas by more than 100 million hectares, an area roughly 26 times the size of Switzerland.
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Blog
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27 Sep, 2023
The extended 45th session of the World Heritage Committee has just closed here in Riyadh, a mammoth event covering two years of work instead of the normal one. IUCN has had a good meeting, with a…
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Actualité
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21 Sep, 2023
Cold Winter Deserts of Turan and Tugay Forests of the Tigrovaya Balka Nature Reserve are newly added to the UNESCO World Heritage List, following IUCN’s advice and the dedicated work of national…
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Article
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06 Sep, 2023
Gland, Switzerland 6 September 2023 (IUCN) – The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), as the official advisor on nature to the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, recommends…
IUCN at #44WHC (2021)
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Déclaration de l'UICN
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29 Juil, 2021
IUCN acknowledges the World Heritage Committee’s decision to inscribe the Kaeng Krachan Forest Complex onto the World Heritage List, and the commitment expressed by the State Party of Thailand to…
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Communiqué de presse
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23 Juil, 2021
Gland, Switzerland, 23 July 2021 (IUCN) – IUCN’s call for urgent action to address impacts from climate change and poor water quality affecting the Great Barrier Reef has been adopted by the World…
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Article
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19 Juil, 2021
The World Heritage Committee today has decided to remove Salonga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo from the List of World Heritage in Danger. A mission carried out jointly by IUCN…
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Article
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16 Juil, 2021
IUCN calls on governments gathering virtually today at UNESCO’s 44th World Heritage Committee meeting to take full account of the contributions of World Heritage sites in addressing biodiversity loss…
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Article
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22 Juin, 2021
L'UICN, conseiller officiel pour la nature auprès du Comité du patrimoine mondial de l'UNESCO, recommande l'inscription de quatre sites naturels sur la Liste du patrimoine mondial en péril : la…
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Article
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05 Juin, 2021
L'UICN, conseiller officiel sur la nature pour le Comité du patrimoine mondial de l'UNESCO, recommande deux nouvelles inscriptions sur la prestigieuse Liste du patrimoine mondial pour des sites en…
IUCN at #43WHC
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Article
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05 Déc, 2019
A strategic environmental assessment meant to guide decisions on the Rufiji hydropower project in Tanzania’s Selous Game Reserve World Heritage site is completely inadequate, according to an…
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Article
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15 Juil, 2019
UNESCO’s annual World Heritage Committee meeting concluded on 10 July. After gathering input from the IUCN delegation he headed at the Committee, Peter Shadie, Director of IUCN’s World Heritage…
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Communiqué de presse
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03 Juil, 2019
The World Heritage Committee today followed IUCN’s advice to list Mexico’s Islands and Protected Areas of the Gulf of California as a World Heritage site in danger. The site’s population of vaquitas …
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Déclaration de l'UICN
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27 Juin, 2019
Gland, Suisse – La réserve de gibier de Selous en Tanzanie subira des dommages irréversibles si le projet de construction du barrage de la Gorge de Stiegler va de l’avant, selon l’UICN – conseiller…
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Article
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11 Juin, 2019
L’UICN, conseiller officiel du patrimoine mondial naturel, recommande que trois sites naturels soient classés comme « patrimoine mondial en péril ». Ceux-ci comprennent les Sundarbans au Bangladesh,…
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Article
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20 Mai, 2019
L'Union internationale pour la conservation de la nature (UICN), conseillère officielle sur le patrimoine mondial naturel, recommande d’inscrire quatre nouveaux sites du patrimoine mondial pour leurs…
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Article
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12 Déc, 2018
The IUCN World Heritage Panel met last week to evaluate site nominations proposed for the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2019. Proposals for seven new natural heritage sites and one ‘mixed’ natural…
IUCN at #42WHC
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Blog
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11 Juil, 2018
Returning from the 42nd World Heritage Committee meeting in Manama, in the Kingdom of Bahrain, Peter Shadie, IUCN’s World Heritage Senior Advisor and head of the IUCN delegation at the Committee,…
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Article
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04 Juil, 2018
Water is at the heart of human existence and development. But how do people manage this precious resource in arid landscapes, such as in the Arab region? What cultural practices have developed over…
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Article
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03 Juil, 2018
“I respectfully encourage the representatives of each country present to think of my generation in decision-making regarding World Heritage sites – our barrier reef and our planet depend on it.” Thus…
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Communiqué de presse
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02 Juil, 2018
Manama, Bahrain – Following IUCN’s advice, the World Heritage Committee has urged Yemen to halt any activity that may negatively impact on the unique wildlife and landscapes of the Socotra…
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Article
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01 Juil, 2018
Discover the beauty of the new World Heritage sites inscribed during the 42nd World Heritage Committee meeting, following the advice of IUCN – the official advisor on natural World Heritage. Our…
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Communiqué de presse
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28 Juin, 2018
Manama, Bahrain, 28 June 2018 (IUCN) – Lake Turkana National Parks in Kenya has been placed on the List of World Heritage in Danger today at UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee meeting, due to impacts…
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Article
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27 Juin, 2018
Manama, Bahrain – A benefits concert taking place today at the World Heritage Committee meeting pays tribute to park rangers who were brutally killed while protecting Virunga National Park. It marks…
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Article
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27 Juin, 2018
Manama, Bahrain – Tanzania has been urged to not proceed with plans to log 143,638 ha in the Selous Game Reserve today at UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee meeting, as recommended by the…
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Communiqué de presse
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26 Juin, 2018
Manama, Bahrain, 26 June 2018 (IUCN) – The Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System – the world’s second largest coral reef system after the Great Barrier Reef – has come off the List of World Heritage in…
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Article
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18 Juin, 2018
Le développement incontrôlé, la pêche non durable et les espèces envahissantes menacent l'archipel de Socotra au Yémen, selon l'Union internationale pour la conservation de la nature (UICN) qui…
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Article
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28 Mai, 2018
Le statut de site en péril, déclaré pour le Réseau de réserves du récif de la barrière du Belize (la deuxième barrière de corail au monde), pourra être levé, selon l’Union internationale pour la…
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Article
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15 Mai, 2018
Deux très grandes aires du Canada et de la Colombie sont recommandées pour l’inscription sur la Liste du patrimoine mondial par l'Union internationale pour la conservation de la nature (UICN),…
More information from UNESCO
Description
Key habitats among new World Heritage sites