Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage in the United States

III. Intergovernmental Committee For The Protection Of The World Cultural And Natural Heritage

Article 8

1. An Intergovernmental Committee for the Protection of the Cultural and
Natural Heritage of Outstanding Universal Value, called “the World
Heritage Committee”, is hereby established within the United Nations
Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization. It shall be composed
of 15 States Parties to the Convention, elected by States Parties to
the Convention meeting in general assembly during the ordinary
session of the General Conference of the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization. The number of States members of
the Committee shall be increased to 21 as from the date of the
ordinary session of the General Conference following the entry into
force of this Convention for at least 40 States.

2. Election of members of the Committee shall ensure an equitable
representation of the different regions and cultures of the world.

3. A representative of the International Centre for the Study of the
Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (Rome Centre), a
representative of the International Council of Monuments and Sites
(ICOMOS) and a representative of the International Union for
Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN), to whom may be
added, at the request of States Parties to the Convention meeting in
general assembly during the ordinary sessions of the General
Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization, representatives of other intergovernmental or non-
governmental organizations, with similar objectives, may attend the
meetings of the Committee in an advisory capacity.

Article 9

1. The term of office of States members of the World Heritage Committee
shall extend from the end of the ordinary session of the General
Conference during which they are elected until the end of its third
subsequent ordinary session.

2. The term of office of one-third of the members designated at the time
of the first election shall, however, cease at the end of the first
ordinary session of the General Conference following that at which
they were elected; and the term of office of a further third of the
members designated at the same time shall cease at the end of the
second ordinary session of the General Conference following that at
which they were elected. The names of these members shall be chosen
by lot by the President of the General Conference of the United
Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization after the
first election.

3. States members of the Committee shall choose as their representatives
persons qualified in the field of the cultural or natural heritage.

Article 10

1. The World Heritage Committee shall adopt its Rules of Procedure.

2. The Committee may at any time invite public or private organizations
or individuals to participate in its meetings for consultation on
particular problems.

3. The Committee may create such consultative bodies as it deems
necessary for the performance of its functions.

Article 11

1. Every State Party to this Convention shall, in so far as possible,
submit to the World Heritage Committee an inventory of property
forming part of the cultural and natural heritage, situated in its
territory and suitable for inclusion in the list provided for in
paragraph 2 of this Article. This inventory, which shall not be
considered exhaustive, shall include documentation about the location
of the property in question and its significance.

2. On the basis of the inventories submitted by States in accordance
with paragraph 1, the Committee shall establish, keep up to date and
publish, under the title of “World Heritage List,” a list of
properties forming part of the cultural heritage and natural
heritage, as defined in Articles 1 and 2 of this Convention, which it
considers as having outstanding universal value in terms of such
criteria as it shall have established. An updated list shall be
distributed at least every two years.

3. The inclusion of a property in the World Heritage List requires the
consent of the State concerned. The inclusion of a property situated
in a territory, sovereignty or jurisdiction over which is claimed by
more than one State shall in no way prejudice the rights of the
parties to the dispute.

4. The Committee shall establish, keep up to date and publish, whenever
circumstances shall so require, under the title of “list of World
Heritage in Danger”, a list of the property appearing in the World
Heritage List for the conservation of which major operations are
necessary and for which assistance has been requested under this
Convention. This list shall contain an estimate of the cost of such
operations. The list may include only such property forming part of
the cultural and natural heritage as is threatened by serious and
specific dangers, such as the threat of disappearance caused by
accelerated deterioration, large-scale public or private projects or
rapid urban or tourist development projects; destruction caused by
changes in the use or ownership of the land; major alterations due to
unknown causes; abandonment for any reason whatsoever; the outbreak
or the threat of an armed conflict; calamities and cataclysms;
serious fires, earthquakes, landslides; volcanic eruptions; changes
in water level, floods and tidal waves. The Committee may at any
time, in case of urgent need, make a new entry in the List of World
Heritage in Danger and publicize such entry immediately.

5. The Committee shall define the criteria on the basis of which a
property belonging to the cultural or natural heritage may be
included in either of the lists mentioned in paragraphs 2 and 4 of
this article.

6. Before refusing a request for inclusion in one of the two lists
mentioned in paragraphs 2 and 4 of this article, the Committee shall
consult the State Party in whose territory the cultural or natural
property in question is situated.

7. The Committee shall, with the agreement of the States concerned, co-
ordinate and encourage the studies and research needed for the
drawing up of the lists referred to in paragraphs 2 and 4 of this
article.

Article 12

The fact that a property belonging to the cultural or natural heritage has
not been included in either of the two lists mentioned in paragraphs 2 and
4 of Article 11 shall in no way be construed to mean that it does not have
an outstanding universal value for purposes other than those resulting from
inclusion in these lists.

Article 13

1. The World Heritage Committee shall receive and study requests for
international assistance formulated by States Parties to this
Convention with respect to property forming part of the cultural or
natural heritage, situated in their territories, and included or
potentially suitable for inclusion in the lists mentioned referred to
in paragraphs 2 and 4 of Article 11. The purpose of such requests may
be to secure the protection, conservation, presentation or
rehabilitation of such property.

2. Requests for international assistance under paragraph 1 of this
article may also be concerned with identification of cultural or
natural property defined in Articles 1 and 2, when preliminary
investigations have shown that further inquiries would be justified.

3. The Committee shall decide on the action to be taken with regard to
these requests, determine where appropriate, the nature and extent of
its assistance, and authorize the conclusion, on its behalf, of the
necessary arrangements with the government concerned.

4. The Committee shall determine an order of priorities for its
operations. It shall in so doing bear in mind the respective
importance for the world cultural and natural heritage of the
property requiring protection, the need to give international
assistance to the property most representative of a natural
environment or of the genius and the history of the peoples of the
world, the urgency of the work to be done, the resources available to
the States on whose territory the threatened property is situated and
in particular the extent to which they are able to safeguard such
property by their own means.

5. The Committee shall draw up, keep up to date and publicize a list of
property for which international assistance has been granted.

6. The Committee shall decide on the use of the resources of the Fund
established under Article 15 of this Convention. It shall seek ways
of increasing these resources and shall take all useful steps to this
end.

7. The Committee shall co-operate with international and national
governmental and non-governmental organizations having objectives
similar to those of this Convention. For the implementation of its
programmes and projects, the Committee may call on such
organizations, particularly the International Centre for the Study of
the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (the Rome
Centre), the International Council of Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS)
and the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural
Resources (IUCN), as well as on public and private bodies and
individuals.

8. Decisions of the Committee shall be taken by a majority of two-thirds
of its members present and voting. A majority of the members of the
Committee shall constitute a quorum.

Article 14

1. The World Heritage Committee shall be assisted by a Secretariat
appointed by the Director-General of the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization.

2. The Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organization, utilizing to the fullest extent possible
the services of the International Centre for the Study of the
Preservation and the Restoration of Cultural Property (the Rome
Centre), the International Council of Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS)
and the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural
Resources (IUCN) in their respective areas of competence and
capability, shall prepare the Committee’s documentation and the
agenda of its meetings and shall have the responsibility for the
implementation of its decisions.