UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) is responsible for creating and maintaining the World Heritage List.
UNESCO adopted the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage in 1972, and it formally took effect in 1975. This convention established the criteria and procedures for designating sites as having "outstanding universal value." The World Heritage Committee, comprised of representatives from State Parties to the convention, makes the final decision on which sites are inscribed on the World Heritage List.
Here's a breakdown:
- UNESCO: The overall organization that established the framework.
- World Heritage Convention (1972): The legal document outlining the process.
- World Heritage Committee: The body within UNESCO that makes the final decisions.
- State Parties: Countries that have ratified the Convention and nominate sites within their borders.
In essence, while State Parties nominate sites, it's UNESCO's World Heritage Committee that officially makes the World Heritage List.
