Introduction

A number of key policies and measures to ensure “accelerated action and transformative pathways” have been taken by the World Heritage Committee and the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (as the Secretariat for the 1972 World Heritage Convention) for realizing the decade of action and delivery for sustainable development in the framework of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development include protecting the world’s cultural and natural heritage in line with Goal 11.4 as well as contributing transversally across a number of other Goals and Targets.

The World Heritage Convention

The Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (World Heritage Convention) has now been ratified by 194 States Parties making it among the legal treaties with the most parties. 1,121 World Heritage sites are included on the UNESCO World Heritage List providing for a global network in 167 States Parties (i.e. only 27 States Parties have no property inscribed on the World Heritage List). 179 States Parties have submitted national Tentative Lists of sites, in total 1,753 sites, that they may decide to nominate in future years.

The World Heritage Convention supports international cooperation and intergovernmental decision-making and the governance of cultural and natural heritage through its governing bodies, the World Heritage Committee and the General Assembly of States Parties who adopt strategic resolutions and decisions for the implementation of the World Heritage Convention.

Properties inscribed on the World Heritage List that face imminent and ongoing threats are placed on the List of World Heritage in Danger. With focused technical assistance from the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies, and efforts by State Parties, World Heritage properties such as Belize Barrier Reef, Belize (2018), Humberstone, Santa Laura Saltpeter Works, Chile (2019), and Bethlehem, Palestine (2019) were removed from the List of World Heritage in Danger.

Efforts are made to provide specific support for sites in post-conflict countries. Among the achievements was the submission of the Tentative List entry for Mosul, Iraq, a UNESCO flagship activity in heritage rehabilitation in post-conflict regions. 2021 also marks the 20th anniversary of the tragic destruction of the giant Buddha statues of Bamiyan. UNESCO has led a three-phase project - now almost completed - to preserve the Buddha niches in Bamiyan and their wall paintings. Japan, Republic of Korea, Switzerland, Germany the EU and many others have provided funding, which has also allowed for the safeguarding of the statues' fragments.

Africa is a Global Priority for UNESCO: for the first time, in 2019 a working document on the African region, World Heritage and Sustainable Development highlighted to the World Heritage Committee the alignment of activities in the region with the 2030 Agenda and the African Union "Agenda 2063 - The Africa We Want".