For the purposes of this Convention shall be considered as "cultural heritage":

-

Monuments: architectural works, monumental sculptures or paintings, elements or structures of archaeological character, inscriptions, caves and groups of elements, which have outstanding universal value from the point of view of history, Art or science,

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Ensembles: groups of constructions isolated or united, which, because of their architecture, their unity, or their integration into the landscape, have outstanding universal value from the point of view of history, art or science,

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Sites: works de l' homme ou oeuvres conjugated de l' homme et de la nature, as well as areas including archaeological sites which have outstanding universal value from a historical, aesthetic, ethnological or anthropological point of view.

For the purposes of this Convention are considered to be "natural heritage":

-

Natural monuments consisting of physical and biological formations or groups of such formations which are of outstanding universal value from an aesthetic or scientific point of view,

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The geological and physiographic formations and the strictly delineated areas constituting the habitat of threatened animal and plant species, which have outstanding universal value from the point of view of science or conservation,

-

Natural sites or strictly delineated natural areas, which have outstanding universal value from the point of view of science, conservation or natural beauty.

It is for each State Party to this Convention to identify and delimit the different property situated in its territory and subject to Art. 1 and 2 above.

Each of the States Parties to this Convention recognizes that the obligation to ensure the identification, protection, conservation, presentation and transmission to future generations of the cultural and natural heritage referred to in Art. 1 and 2, situated on its territory, is the primary responsibility. It shall endeavour to do so through its own efforts to the maximum of its available resources and, as appropriate, through the international assistance and cooperation available to it, including financial, artistic, Scientific and technical.

In order to ensure such effective protection and conservation and the development as active as possible of the cultural and natural heritage located on their territory and under the conditions appropriate to each country, the States Parties to this The Convention shall endeavour to the extent possible:

(a)

To adopt a general policy to assign a function to the cultural and natural heritage in collective life, and to integrate the protection of this heritage into general planning programmes;

(b)

To establish in their territory, to the extent that they do not exist, one or more services for the protection, conservation and presentation of the cultural and natural heritage, with appropriate personnel, and with the means enabling it to Perform the tasks assigned to it;

(c)

To develop scientific and technical studies and research and to improve the methods of intervention that enable a state to cope with the dangers that threaten its cultural or natural heritage;

(d)

To take appropriate legal, scientific, technical, administrative and financial measures for the identification, protection, conservation, presentation and resuscitation of this heritage; and

(e)

To encourage the creation or development of national or regional training centres in the field of protection, conservation and presentation of cultural and natural heritage and to encourage scientific research in this field Domain.

1. In full respect of the sovereignty of States in whose territory the cultural and natural heritage referred to in art is situated. 1 and 2, and without prejudice to the actual rights provided for in national legislation on such heritage, the States Parties to this Convention recognize that it constitutes a universal heritage for the protection of which the international community Has a duty to cooperate.

2. The States Parties undertake accordingly, and in accordance with the provisions of this Convention, to assist in the identification, protection, conservation and presentation of the cultural and natural heritage referred to in the By. 2 and 4 of Art. 11 if the State in whose territory the application is situated.

3. Each of the States Parties to this Convention undertakes not to wilfully take any measures which may directly or indirectly damage the cultural and natural heritage referred to in Art. 1 and 2 which is situated in the territory of other States Parties to this Convention.

For the purposes of this Convention, international protection of the world cultural and natural heritage must be understood as the establishment of a system of international cooperation and assistance to assist States parties to the Convention In their efforts to preserve and identify this heritage.

1. It shall be established at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, an Intergovernmental Committee for the Protection of the Cultural and Natural Heritage of Outstanding Universal Value, " the Committee of the World Heritage ". It is composed of 15 States Parties to the Convention, elected by the States Parties to the Convention gathered at the General Assembly during ordinary sessions of the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Culture. The number of member States of the Committee shall be increased to 21 from the ordinary session of the General Conference following the entry into force of this Convention for at least 40 States.

2. The election of the members of the Committee must ensure equitable representation of the different regions and cultures of the world.

3. To attend the meetings of the Committee with a consultative vote a representative of the Centre international d' études pour la conservation et la restauration des biens culturels (Centre de Rome), a representative of the International Council of Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), and a representative of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN), to which may be added, at the request of the States Parties meeting at the General Assembly during the ordinary sessions of the Conference The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Representatives of other intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations with similar objectives.

(1) The member States of the World Heritage Committee shall exercise their mandate since the end of the ordinary session of the General Conference in which they were elected until the end of its third subsequent ordinary session.

2. However, the terms of office of one third of the members appointed in the first election shall end at the end of the first ordinary session of the General Conference following that in which they were elected and the term of office of a second third of the Members appointed at the same time shall conclude at the end of the second ordinary session of the General Conference following that in which they were elected. The names of these members shall be drawn by lot by the President of the General Conference after the first election.

3. The member States of the Committee shall select to represent persons qualified in the field of cultural heritage or natural heritage.

The World Heritage Committee shall adopt its rules of procedure.

2. The Committee may at any time invite to its meetings public or private bodies, as well as private persons, to consult them on specific issues.

The Committee may establish such advisory bodies as it considers necessary to carry out its task.

1. Each of the States Parties to this Convention shall submit, to the greatest extent possible, to the World Heritage Committee an inventory of the property of the cultural and natural heritage located on its territory and likely to be included on the list Provided in par. 2 of this article. This inventory, which is not considered exhaustive, should include documentation of the location of the assets in question and their interest.

2. On the basis of the inventories submitted by the States under subs. 1 above, the Committee draws up, updates and disseminates, under the name "World Heritage List", a list of cultural heritage and natural heritage properties, as defined in art. 1 and 2 of this Convention, which it considers to be of outstanding universal value in accordance with the criteria established by it. An update to the list must be issued at least every two years.

3. The registration of a property on the World Heritage List may be made only with the consent of the State concerned. The registration of a property situated in a territory subject to the claim of sovereignty or jurisdiction by several States shall in no way prejudice the rights of the parties to the dispute.

4. The Committee shall establish, update and disseminate, whenever circumstances so require, under the name "List of World Heritage in Danger", a list of the properties listed on the World Heritage List for the safeguarding of which major works Are necessary and for which assistance has been requested under this Convention. This list contains an estimate of the cost of operations. Only property of the cultural and natural heritage which is threatened with serious and specific dangers, such as the threat of loss due to accelerated degradation, projects of major public or private works, can be included on this list. Urban and tourist development, destruction due to changes in land use or ownership, profound alterations due to an unknown cause, abandonment for any reason, armed conflict coming or threatening to explode, calamities And cataclysms, major fires, earthquakes, landslides, volcanic eruptions Changes in water levels, floods and tidal waves. The Committee may, at any time, in the event of an emergency, proceed to a new inscription on the List of World Heritage in Danger and give such recording an immediate release.

The Committee shall define the criteria on the basis of which a good of the cultural and natural heritage may be included in any of the lists referred to in s. 2 and 4 of this article.

6. Before refusing an application for registration on one of the two lists referred to in s. 2 and 4 of this Article, the Committee shall consult the State Party on whose territory the property of the cultural or natural heritage concerned is situated.

7. The Committee shall, with the agreement of the States concerned, coordinate and encourage the studies and research necessary for the establishment of the lists referred to in s. 2 and 4 of this article.

The fact that a cultural and natural heritage property was not included in any of the two lists referred to in s. 2 and 4 of Art. 11 cannot in any way mean that it does not have an exceptional universal value for purposes other than those resulting from the inclusion on those lists.

1. The World Heritage Committee shall receive and consider requests for international assistance from the States party to this Convention in respect of the cultural and natural heritage property situated on their territory, which are included or Are likely to appear on the lists referred to in s. 2 and 4 of Art. 11. Such requests may be for the protection, preservation, presentation or resuscitation of such property.

2. Requests for international assistance under s. 1 of this article may also have as its object the identification of property of the cultural and natural heritage defined in art. 1 and 2, when preliminary research has established that the latter deserve to be pursued.

The Committee shall decide on the follow-up to such 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 sets a priority order for its interventions. It shall do so taking into account the respective importance of the goods to be safeguarded for the cultural and natural world heritage, the need to ensure international assistance for the most representative goods of nature or of genius and of The history of the peoples of the world and the urgency of the work to be undertaken, the importance of the resources of the States in whose territory the assets threatened and in particular the extent to which they could be safeguarded Of these goods by their own means.

5. The Committee shall establish, update and circulate a list of goods for which international assistance has been provided.

The Committee shall decide on the use of the resources of the Fund established under Art. 15 of this Convention. It seeks ways to increase its resources and takes all necessary measures to that end.

The Committee shall cooperate with international and national, governmental and non-governmental organisations with objectives similar to those of this Convention. For the implementation of its programmes and the implementation of its projects, the Committee may appeal to these organizations, in particular the International Centre for the Study of the Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (Rome Centre), to the International Council of Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN), as well as other public or private bodies and private individuals.

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

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, using as much as possible the services of the Centre international d' études pour la conservation et la restauration des biens culturels (Centre de Rome), The International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN), in the fields of their respective competences and opportunities, prepares the documentation Of the Committee, the agenda of its meetings and the execution of its decisions.

1. A fund for the protection of the world cultural and natural heritage of outstanding universal value, known as the World Heritage Fund, is hereby established.

2. The Fund shall be made up of deposit funds in accordance with the provisions of the Financial Regulations of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

3. The resources of the Fund shall consist of:

(a)

Compulsory contributions and voluntary contributions by the States Parties to this Convention;

(b)

Any payments, gifts or bequests that may be made by:

(i)

Other States,

(ii)

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, other organizations of the United Nations system, including the United Nations Development Programme and other intergovernmental organizations,

(iii)

Public or private bodies or private persons;

(c)

Any interest in the Fund's resources;

(d)

The proceeds of the collections and the proceeds of the events organized for the benefit of the Fund and

(e)

Any other resources authorized by the regulations to be developed by the World Heritage Committee.

4. Contributions to the Fund and other forms of assistance provided to the Committee may be allocated only for the purposes identified by the Committee. The Committee may accept contributions to be allocated only to a specific programme or project, provided that the implementation of this programme or the implementation of this project has been decided by the Committee. Contributions to the Fund may not be subject to any political conditions.

Without prejudice to any complementary voluntary contribution, the States Parties to this Convention undertake to pay regularly, every two years, to the World Heritage Fund for contributions, the amount of which is calculated according to a Uniform percentage applicable to all States shall be decided by the General Assembly of States Parties to the Convention, meeting at the sessions of the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. This decision of the General Assembly shall require the majority of the States Parties present and voting who have not made the declaration referred to in paragraph 1. 2 of this article. In no case shall the compulsory contribution of States Parties to the Convention exceed 1 per cent of its contribution to the regular budget of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

2. However, any State referred to in Art. 31 or art. 32 of this Convention may, at the time of deposit of its instruments of ratification, acceptance or accession, declare that it will not be bound by the provisions of s. 1 of this article.

(3) A State Party to the Convention having made the declaration referred to in para. 2 of this Article, may at any time withdraw the said declaration upon notification to the Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. However, the withdrawal of the declaration shall have effect on the compulsory contribution due by that State only from the date of the General Assembly of the States Parties that will follow.

4. In order for the Committee to be able to provide for its operations in an efficient manner, the contributions of the States Parties to this Convention having made the declaration referred to in para. 2 of this Article shall be paid on a regular basis, at least every two years, and should not be less than the contributions that they should have paid had they been bound by the provisions of subs. 1 of this article.

5. Any State Party to the Convention which is late in payment of its compulsory or voluntary contribution in respect of the current year and the calendar year immediately preceding it shall not be eligible for the World Heritage Committee, That provision does not apply in the first election. The term of office of such a State which is already a member of the Committee shall terminate at the time of any election under Art. 8, para. 1, of this Convention.

The States Parties to this Convention shall consider or promote the establishment of foundations or national public and private associations aimed at encouraging the protection of the defined cultural and natural heritage Art. 1 and 2 of this Convention.

The States Parties to this Convention lend their support to the international collection campaigns that are organized for the benefit of the World Heritage Fund under the auspices of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Culture. They shall facilitate collections made for these purposes by bodies mentioned in par. 3, art. 15.

Any State Party to this Convention may request international assistance in favour of property of the cultural or natural heritage of outstanding universal value situated on its territory. He must include in his application the information and documents provided for in s. 21 of which it has and which the Committee needs to make its decision.

Subject to the provisions of subs. 2 of the art. 13, para. (c) s. 22, and art. 23, the international assistance provided for in this Convention may be granted only to property of the cultural and natural heritage which the World Heritage Committee has decided or decides to include on one of the lists referred to in s. 2 and 4 of Art. 11.

1. The World Heritage Committee shall define the procedure for examining applications for international assistance which it is required to provide and specify, in particular, the elements to be included in the application, which shall describe the proposed operation, Necessary work, an estimate of their cost, their urgency and the reasons why the resources of the requesting State do not allow it to cope with the total expenditure. Applications must, whenever possible, be based on expert advice.

2. Due to the work that may be required to be undertaken without delay, requests based on natural disasters or disasters must be considered urgently and, as a matter of priority, by the Committee, which must have a contingency fund Used for such eventualities.

(3) Before making a decision, the Committee shall conduct such studies and consultations as it deems necessary.

The assistance granted by the World Heritage Committee may take the following forms:

(a)

Studies on the artistic, scientific and technical problems posed by the protection, conservation, presentation and resuscitation of the cultural and natural heritage, as defined in s. 2 and 4 of Art. 11 of this Convention;

(b)

Provision of qualified experts, technicians and labour to ensure the proper implementation of the approved project;

(c)

Training of specialists at all levels in the field of identification, protection, conservation, presentation and resuscitation of cultural and natural heritage;

(d)

Supply of equipment that the State concerned does not own or is not in a position to acquire;

(e)

Interest-free, low-interest loans, or that could be repaid over the long term;

(f)

Grant, in exceptional and specially motivated cases, of non-repayable grants.

The World Heritage Committee may also provide international assistance to national or regional centres for the training of specialists at all levels in the field of identification, protection, conservation, Value and resuscitation of the cultural and natural heritage.

Very important international assistance can be granted only after a detailed scientific, economic and technical study. This study shall use the most advanced techniques for the protection, conservation, presentation and resuscitation of the cultural and natural heritage and correspond to the objectives of this Convention. Means of rationally employing the resources available in the State concerned.

Funding for the necessary work should, in principle, be left to the international community only partially. The participation of the State which benefits from international assistance must constitute a substantial part of the resources provided to each programme or project, unless its resources do not permit it.

The World Heritage Committee and the beneficiary State shall define in the agreement that they conclude the conditions under which a programme or project for which international assistance under this Convention shall be delivered shall be carried out. It is the responsibility of the State which receives this international assistance to continue to protect, preserve and present the assets thus safeguarded, in accordance with the conditions laid down in the Agreement.

1. The States Parties to this Convention shall endeavour by all appropriate means, in particular through education and information programmes, to strengthen the respect and attachment of their peoples to the cultural and natural heritage defined in art. 1 and 2 of the Convention.

2. They undertake to inform the public largely of the threats to this heritage and of the activities undertaken pursuant to this Convention.

The States Parties to this Convention which receive international assistance under the Convention shall take the necessary measures to raise awareness of the importance of the goods which have been the subject of such assistance and the role that The latter has played.

1. The States Parties to this Convention shall indicate in their reports to the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization on the dates and in the form it will determine, the Legislative and regulatory provisions and other measures adopted by them for the implementation of the Convention, as well as their experience in this field.

2. These reports will be made known to the World Heritage Committee.

The Committee shall submit a report on its activities at each of the ordinary sessions of the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

This Convention shall be established in English, Arabic, Spanish, French and Russian, the five texts being equally authentic.

(1) This Convention shall be subject to ratification or acceptance by the member States of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in accordance with their respective constitutional procedures.

2. Instruments of ratification or acceptance shall be deposited with the Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

(1) This Convention shall be open for accession by any non-member State of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, invited to accede to it by the General Conference of the Organization.

(2) Accession shall be made by the deposit of an instrument of accession with the Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

This Convention shall enter into force three months after the date of deposit of the twentieth instrument of ratification, acceptance or accession, but only with respect to those States which have deposited their respective instruments of ratification, Of acceptance or accession on or before that date. It shall enter into force for each other State three months after the deposit of its instrument of ratification, acceptance or accession.

The following provisions shall apply to the States Parties to this Convention having a federative or non-unitary constitutional system:

(a)

With regard to the provisions of this Convention, the implementation of which is subject to the legislative action of the federal or central legislative authority, the obligations of the federal or central government shall be the same as those of the States Parties which Are not federal states;

(b)

As regards the provisions of this Convention, the application of which is governed by the legislative action of each of the constituent states, countries, provinces or cantons, which are not under the constitutional system of the federation required to take Legislative measures, the Federal Government will, with its favourable opinion, bring these provisions to the attention of the competent authorities of the states, countries, provinces or cantons.

(1) Each State party to this Convention shall have the right to denounce the Convention.

2. The denunciation shall be notified by a written instrument deposited with the Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

The denunciation shall take effect 12 months after receipt of the instrument of denunciation. It will not alter the financial obligations to be assumed by the whistleblower until the date on which the withdrawal takes effect.

The Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization shall inform the member States of the Organization, the non-member States referred to in Art. 32, as well as the United Nations, for the deposit of all instruments of, ratification, acceptance or accession referred to in s. 31 and 32, as well as disclosures under s. 35.

(1) This Convention may be revised by the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. The revision will, however, only bind the States which will become party to the revised Convention.

2. In the event that the General Conference adopts a new convention for the total or partial revision of this Convention and unless otherwise provided for in the new Convention, this Convention shall cease to be open to Ratification, acceptance or accession, from the date of entry into force of the new revision agreement.

In accordance with Art. 102 of the United Nations Charter ¹ , this Convention shall be registered with the United Nations Secretariat at the request of the Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

Done at Paris, this twenty-third day of November 1972, in two authentic copies bearing the signature of the President of the General Conference, meeting at its seventeenth session, and of the Director-General of the United Nations for Education, science and culture, which will be deposited in the archives of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, and whose certified copies will be handed over to all States referred to in Art. 31 and 32 and to the United Nations.

The President of the General Conference: The Director-General:

Toru Haguiwara René Maheu