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What is the World Heritage Convention?
 In
1972, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation
(UNESCO) recognised the need to identify and permanently protect
the world's special areas and adopted the World Heritage Convention.
Founded on the principle of international cooperation, the Convention
provides for the protection of the world's cultural and natural
heritage places. It came into force in 1975 after being initially
ratified by 20 countries.
By adopting the Convention in August 1974, Australia
became one of the first of more than 140 countries committed to
the identification, protection, conservation and presentation of
World Heritage properties. The Convention is UNESCO's most widely
accepted international instrument and also the world's most ratified
agreement on conservation.
The World Heritage Convention is administered
by the World Heritage Committee which consists of 21 elected nations,
all parties to the Convention. Elections are held every two years.
The Committee's function is to:
- identify nominated cultural and natural properties of outstanding universal value which are to be protected under the Convention and to list them on the World Heritage List;
- decide if properties on the list should be
inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger;
- and determine how and under what conditions
the World Heritage Fund can be used to assist countries in protection
of their World Heritage property.
 The
World Heritage Bureau is the executive body of the World Heritage
Committee. Only the national governments of member countries can
nominate properties for the World Heritage list. Nominations go
through a lengthy process of evaluation. The World Heritage Bureau
evaluates all nominations. In addition, the International Council
of Monuments (ICOMOS) and the International Center for Conservation
in Rome (ICCROM) evaluate nominations for cultural sites and the
International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) evaluates
nominations for natural properties. Their recommendations are passed
to the World Heritage Bureau which, in turn, reports its recommendations
and the need for any additional information to the World Heritage
Committee. The Committee examines the nominations at its annual
meeting and decides if a property is to be listed or not.
The UNESCOwebsite has more information about the World
Heritage Convention, member countries and sites worldwide. The Australia Government site has more information about the 18 Australian World
Heritage Areas.
The National Heritage List
In May 2007 the Wet Tropics of Queensland was also added to the National Heritage List for five criteria.
Australia's national heritage comprises exceptional natural and cultural places which help give Australia its national identity. Such places are a living and accessible record of the nation's evolving landscapes and experiences.
National heritage defines the critical moments in Australia's development as a nation and reflects achievements, joys and sorrows in the lives of Australians. It also encompasses those places that reveal the richness of Australia's extraordinarily diverse natural heritage.
A National Heritage List has been established to list places of outstanding heritage significance to Australia. The National Heritage List will comprise natural, historic and Indigenous places that are of outstanding national heritage value to the Australian nation.
Each place in the List is assessed by the Australian Heritage Council as having national heritage values which can be protected and managed under a range of Commonwealth powers.
The Australian Government website has more information about the National Heritage List.
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