WORLD HERITAGE. Protecting heritage to build peace

UNESCO is the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation.

Founded in 1946, at the end of World War II, it seeks to build lasting world peace through international cooperation.

One of UNESCO’s main missions is to identify, enhance and protect the world’s cultural and natural heritage.

This heritage represents the legacy of the past that can benefit us today and that must be handed on to future generations. T

he World Heritage Convention, adopted by UNESCO in 1972, establishes a list of cultural and natural items to be afeguarded by the international community as a whole.

To be included on the World Heritage List, candidate sites must be recognised as having Outstanding Universal Value and meet at least one out of ten selection criteria that identify the exemplary nature of the site.