View source for World Heritage Committee

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Short description|Body selecting UNESCO World Heritage Sites}}
[[File:World Heritage Logo global.svg|thumb|150px|[[Logo]] of the [[UNESCO]] World Heritage Committee]]

The '''World Heritage Committee''' is a committee of the [[United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization]] that selects the sites to be listed as UNESCO [[World Heritage Site|World Heritage Sites]], including the World Heritage List and the List of World Heritage in Danger, defines the use of the World Heritage Fund and allocates financial assistance upon requests from States Parties.<ref name=":0">{{cite web|url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/committee/|title=The World Heritage Committee|last=UNESCO|website=UNESCO|access-date=27 June 2019|archive-date=17 May 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220517091432/http://whc.unesco.org/en/committee/|url-status=live}}</ref> It comprises representatives from 21 [[Sovereign state|state parties]]<ref>According to the UNESCO World Heritage [[website]], [https://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/ States Parties] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200526200633/https://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/ |date=26 May 2020 }} are countries that signed and ratified [https://whc.unesco.org/en/convention/ The World Heritage Convention] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160827065310/https://whc.unesco.org/en/convention/ |date=27 August 2016 }}. As of March 2013, there were a total of 170 State Parties.</ref><ref name=":0" /> that are elected by the '''General Assembly of States Parties''' for a four-year term.<ref name="world">{{cite web
|url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/comittee/
|title=The World Heritage Committee
|publisher=UNESCO World Heritage Site
|access-date=2006-10-14
|archive-date=5 July 2020
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200705131510/https://whc.unesco.org/en/committee/
|url-status=live
}}</ref> These parties vote on decisions and proposals related to the [[World Heritage Convention]] and World Heritage List. 

According to the World Heritage Convention, a committee member's term of office is six years. However many States Parties choose to voluntarily limit their term to four years, in order to give other States Parties an opportunity to serve.<ref name="world"/>  All members elected at the 15th [[General assembly|General Assembly]] (2005) voluntarily chose to reduce their term of office from six to four years.<ref name="world"/>

Deliberations of the World Heritage Committee are aided by three advisory bodies, the [[International Union for Conservation of Nature|IUCN]], [[International Council on Monuments and Sites|ICOMOS]] and [[International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property|ICCROM]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/advisorybodies|title=Advisory Bodies|last=UNESCO World Heritage Centre|website=UNESCO World Heritage Centre|access-date=27 June 2019|archive-date=27 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190627070637/https://whc.unesco.org/en/advisorybodies|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":1">Office of the External Auditor for the United Nations Scientific, Educational and Cultural Organization (2011) [https://whc.unesco.org/archive/2011/whc11-35com-INF9Ae.pdf Independent Evaluation by the UNESCO External Auditor, Volume 1: Implementation of the Global Strategy for the Credible, Balanced and Representative World Heritage List] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210512022711/http://whc.unesco.org/archive/2011/whc11-35com-INF9Ae.pdf |date=12 May 2021 }}. UNESCO Headquarters, Paris.</ref>

==Sessions==
{{See also|List of World Heritage Sites by year of inscription}}

The World Heritage Committee meets once a year for an ordinary session to discuss the management of existing [[World Heritage Sites by country|World Heritage Sites]], and accept nominations by countries.<ref name="world"/> Extraordinary meetings can be convened at the request of two-thirds of the state members.<ref name=":2">UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Protection of the World Natural and Cultural Heritage (2015) Rules of Procedure. World Heritage Centre, Paris. Download available at  https://whc.unesco.org/en/committee/ {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220517091432/http://whc.unesco.org/en/committee/ |date=17 May 2022 }} (27 June 2019)</ref> Meetings are held within the territory of state members of the World Heritage Committee at their invitation. Rotation between regions and cultures is a consideration for selection and the location for the next session is chosen by the committee at the end of each session.<ref name=":2" />

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Session<ref>{{cite web|url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/sessions|title=Sessions|publisher=UNESCO World Heritage Site|access-date=26 December 2019|archive-date=20 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211220132041/https://whc.unesco.org/en/sessions/|url-status=live}}</ref>
!Year
!Date
!Host city
|-
! 1
| 1977
| 27 June–1 July
|{{flagicon|France}} [[Paris]]
|-
! 2
| 1978
| 5 September–8 September
| {{flagicon|United States}} [[Washington, D.C.]]
|-
! 3
| 1979
| 22 October–26 October
|{{flagicon|Egypt|1972}} [[Cairo]] & [[Luxor]]
|-
! 4
| 1980
| 1 September–5 September
|{{flagicon|France}} Paris
|-
! 5
| 1981
| 26 October–30 October
| {{flagicon|Australia}} [[Sydney]]
|-
! 6
| 1982
| 13 December–17 December
|{{flagicon|France}} Paris
|-
! 7
| 1983
| 5 December–9 December
| {{flagicon|Italy}} [[Florence]]
|-
! 8
| 1984
| 29 October–2 November
| {{flagicon|Argentina}} [[Buenos Aires]]
|-
! 9
| 1985
| 2 December–6 December
|{{flagicon|France}} Paris
|-
! 10
| 1986
| 24 November–28 November
|{{flagicon|France}} Paris
|-
! 11
| 1987
| 7 December–11 December
|{{flagicon|France}} Paris
|-
! 12
| 1988
| 5 December–9 December
| {{flagicon|Brazil}} [[Brasília]]
|-
! 13
| 1989
| 11 December–15 December
|{{flagicon|France}} Paris
|-
! 14
| 1990
| 7 December–12 December
| {{flagicon|Canada}} [[Banff, Alberta|Banff]]
|-
! 15
| 1991
| 9 December–13 December
| {{flagicon|Tunisia}} [[Carthage]]
|-
! 16
| 1992
| 7 December–14 December
| {{flagicon|United States}} [[Santa Fe, New Mexico|Santa Fe]]
|-
! 17
| 1993
| 6 December–11 December
| {{flagicon|Colombia}} [[Cartagena, Colombia|Cartagena]]
|-
! 18
| 1994
| 12 December–17 December
| {{flagicon|Thailand}} [[Phuket Province|Phuket]]
|-
! 19
| 1995
| 4 December–9 December
| {{flagicon|Germany}} [[Berlin]]
|-
! 20
| 1996
| 2 December–7 December
| {{flagicon|Mexico}} [[Mérida, Yucatán|Mérida]]
|-
! 21
| 1997
| 1 December–6 December
| {{flagicon|Italy}} [[Naples]]
|-
! 22
| 1998
| 30 November–5 December
| {{flagicon|Japan}} [[Kyoto]]
|-
! 23
| 1999
| 29 November–4 December
| {{flagicon|Morocco}} [[Marrakech]]
|-
! 24
| 2000
| 27 November–2 December
| {{flagicon|Australia}} [[Cairns]]
|-
! 25
| 2001
| 11 December–16 December
| {{flagicon|Finland}} [[Helsinki]]
|-
! 26
| 2002
| 24 June–29 June
| {{flagicon|Hungary}} [[Budapest]]
|-
! 27
| 2003
| 30 June–5 July
| {{flagicon|France}} Paris
|-
! 28
| 2004
| 28 June–7 July
| {{flagicon|China}} [[Suzhou, Jiangsu|Suzhou]]
|-
! 29
| 2005
| 10 July–17 July
| {{flagicon|South Africa}} [[Durban]]
|-
! 30
| 2006
| 8 July–16 July
| {{flagicon|Lithuania}} [[Vilnius]]
|-
! 31
| 2007
| 23 June–1 July
| {{flagicon|New Zealand}} [[Christchurch]]
|-
! 32
| 2008
| 2 July–10 July
| {{flagicon|Canada}} [[Quebec City]]
|-
! 33
| 2009
| 22 June–30 June
| {{flagicon|Spain}} [[Seville]]
|-
! 34
| 2010
| 25 July–3 August
| {{flagicon|Brazil}} Brasília
|-
! 35
| 2011
| 19 June–29 June
| {{flagicon|France}} Paris
|-
! 36
| 2012
| 25 June–5 July
| {{flagicon|Russia}} [[Saint Petersburg]]
|-
! 37
| 2013
| 17 June–27 June
| {{flagicon|Cambodia}} [[Phnom Penh]]
|-
! 38
| 2014
| 15 June–25 June
| {{flagicon|Qatar}} [[Doha]]
|-
! 39
| 2015
| 28 June–8 July
| {{flagicon|Germany}} [[Bonn]]
|-
! 40
| 2016
| 10 July–20 July
| {{flagicon|Turkey}} [[Istanbul]]
|-
! 41
| 2017
| 2 July–12 July
| {{flagicon|Poland}} [[Kraków]]
|-
! 42
| 2018
| 24 June–4 July
| {{flagicon|Bahrain}} [[Manama]]
|-
! 43
| 2019
| 30 June–10 July
| {{flagicon|Azerbaijan}} [[Baku]]
|-
! 44
| 2020–21
| data-sort-value="16 July–31 July" | 16 July–31 July 2021<br>''Originally scheduled for 2020. Postponed to an extended 2021 session due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]].''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/news/2311|title=Extended 44th World Heritage Committee session opens in Fuzhou, China|last=UNESCO|website=UNESCO|date=16 July 2021|access-date=23 July 2021}}</ref>
| {{flagicon|China}} [[Fuzhou]]
|-
! 45
| 2022–23
| data-sort-value="0" | 10 September–25 September 2023<br>''Originally scheduled for 19 June–30 June 2022 in [[Kazan]], Russia. Postponed to an extended 2023 session due to the [[2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine|Russian invasion of Ukraine]].''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2022/04/22/unesco-postpones-world-heritage-meeting-russia|title=UNESCO indefinitely postpones planned world heritage meeting in Russia|work=[[The Art Newspaper]]|date=22 April 2022|access-date=24 April 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-01-24 |title=Saudi Arabia to host UNESCO's World Heritage Committee meetings in September |url=https://saudigazette.com.sa/article/629207 |access-date=2023-01-25 |website=[[Saudi Gazette]] |language=English}}</ref>
| {{flagicon|Saudi Arabia}} [[Riyadh]]
|-
! 46
| 2024
| 21 July–31 July
| {{flagicon|India}} [[New Delhi]]
|-
! 47
| 2025
| 6 July–16 July
| {{flagicon|France}} [[Paris]]
|}

== Bureau ==
At the end of each ordinary session, the committee elects a chairperson, five vice-chairpersons and a [[Rapporteur]] from those members whose term will continue through the next session.<ref name=":2" /> These are known as the Bureau, and their representatives are responsible for coordinating the work of the World Heritage Committee, including fixing dates, hours and the order of business meetings.<ref name=":0" />

== Voting ==
Each state member of the World Heritage Committee has one vote. Decisions require a simple majority with abstentions counted as not voting. Votes are delivered by a show of hands unless a secret ballot is requested by either the chairperson or two or more states members.<ref name=":2" />

==Members==
'''Current members of the [[UNESCO]] World Heritage Committee:'''
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:left;"

!  style="text-align:center; background:#e9e9e9; vertical-align:top;"|Member state<ref>{{cite web |url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/sessions/46COM |website=[[World Heritage Site]] |archive-date=24 November 2023 |location= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231124180554/https://whc.unesco.org/en/sessions/46COM |date=2024 |language=en |access-date=28 December 2023 |title=46th session of the World Heritage Committee |url-status=live }}</ref>
!  style="background:#e9e9e9; text-align:center;"|Mandate
|-
|{{flag|Argentina}}
|2021–2025
|-
|{{flag|Belgium}}
|2021–2025
|-
|{{flag|Bulgaria}}
|2021–2025
|-
|{{flag|Greece}}
|2021–2025
|-
|{{flag|India}}
|2021–2025
|-
|{{flag|Italy}}
|2021–2025
|-
|{{flag|Jamaica}}
|2023–2027
|-
|{{flag|Japan}}
|2021–2025
|-
|{{flag|Kazakhstan}}
|2023–2027
|-
|{{flag|Kenya}}
|2023–2027
|-
|{{flag|Lebanon}}
|2023–2027
|-
|{{flag|Mexico}}
|2021–2025
|-
|{{flag|Qatar}}
|2021–2025
|-
|{{flag|Rwanda}}
|2021–2025
|-
|{{flag|Saint Vincent and the Grenadines}}
|2021–2025
|-
|{{flag|Senegal}}
|2023–2027
|-
|{{flag|South Korea}}
|2023–2027
|-
|{{flag|Turkey}}
|2023–2027
|-
|{{flag|Ukraine}}
|2023–2027
|-
|{{flag|Vietnam}}
|2023–2027
|-
|{{flag|Zambia}}
|2021–2025
|-
! Total
! 21
|}

== Criticism ==
Increasing politicization of World Heritage Committee decisions to the detriment of conservation aims has been alleged, particularly with regard to new nominations for the World Heritage List, but also with the consideration of sites for the List of World Heritage in Danger.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Meskell|first=Lynn|author-link=Lynn Meskell|date=Winter 2014|title=States of Conservation: Protection, Politics, and Pacting within UNESCO's World Heritage Committee|url=https://muse.jhu.edu/article/537352/pdf|journal=Anthropological Quarterly|volume=87|pages=217–243|doi=10.1353/anq.2014.0009|s2cid=143628800|archive-date=26 September 2020|access-date=27 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200926224057/https://muse.jhu.edu/article/537352/pdf|url-status=live|url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine | magazine=The Economist | date=26 August 2010 | url=https://www.economist.com/international/2010/08/26/a-danger-list-in-danger | title=UNESCO's world heritage sites: A danger list in danger | accessdate=27 June 2019 | archive-date=31 July 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210731110530/https://www.economist.com/international/2010/08/26/a-danger-list-in-danger | url-status=live }}</ref> In 2010, states parties including Hungary, Switzerland and Zimbabwe submitted an official protest against such politicization.<ref name=":1" />

An external audit requested by the World Heritage Committee for its ''Global Strategy of the World Heritage List'' concluded in 2011 that political considerations were indeed influencing decisions.<ref name=":1" /> It observed that the composition of committee representatives had shifted from experts to diplomats in spite of World Heritage Convention Article 9 and found that opinions from advisory bodies often diverged from World Heritage Committee decisions.<ref name=":1" />

In 2016, Israel recalled its UNESCO ambassador after the World Heritage Committee adopted a resolution in a secret ballot that referred to one of [[Jerusalem]]'s holiest sites, the [[Temple Mount]], only as a "Muslim holy site of worship", not mentioning that Jews and Christians venerate the site.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2017/10/united-states-us-withdraw-unesco-world-heritage-spd/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200321023902/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2017/10/united-states-us-withdraw-unesco-world-heritage-spd/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=21 March 2020 |title=U.S. to Withdraw From UNESCO. Here's What That Means |publisher=National Geographic |date=2017-10-12 |first1=Michael |last1=Greshko |access-date=2020-03-21}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Tress |first=Luke |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/unesco-adopts-another-resolution-erasing-jewish-link-to-temple-mount/ |title=UNESCO adopts another resolution ignoring Jewish link to Temple Mount |publisher=The Times of Israel |date=2016-10-26 |access-date=2020-03-21 |archive-date=21 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200321023857/https://www.timesofisrael.com/unesco-adopts-another-resolution-erasing-jewish-link-to-temple-mount/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

The committee has also been criticized with alleged racism, colorism, and geographic bias for favoring the inscription of sites in Western and industrialized countries over sites belonging to so-called "third-world" countries. A large proportion of the world heritage sites are located in Europe, Eastern Asia, and North America, where populations notably have lighter skin.<ref>Eliot, et al (2012). World heritage: Constructing a universal cultural order. Poetics Journal.</ref><ref>Djurberg, et al (2018). Reforming UNESCO's World Heritage. The Globalist.</ref><ref>Keough (2011). Heritage in Peril: A Critique of UNESCO's World Heritage Program. Global Studies Law Review.</ref><ref>Steiner, et al (2011). Imbalance of World Heritage List: "Did the UNESCO Strategy Work?". University of Zurich.</ref>

==See also==
* [[Lists of World Heritage Sites]]
* [[Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* [https://whc.unesco.org/ UNESCO World Heritage portal] – official website {{in lang|en|fr}}
* [https://whc.unesco.org/en/list The World Heritage List] – official searchable list of all Inscribed Properties

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[[Category:UNESCO treaties|UNESCO Conventions]]
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[[Category:Organizations established in 1977]]