Special Designations

World Heritage Sites

Definition

World Heritage Sites are either natural or cultural sites that have been determined by the World Heritage Committee to have "outstanding universal value to mankind." Inclusion on the World Heritage List or the corresponding List of World Heritage in Danger does not infringe on the service's management authority, the national sovereignty of the United States, or any personal property rights.

Policy and Program Objectives 

Parks containing natural features believed to possess "outstanding universal value to mankind" may be nominated to the World Heritage List.... Once an area is designated a world heritage site, the Service will recognize the designation in public information and interpretive programs... (Management Policies 4.3.7, also see 5.1.3.2.3)

Listing properties on the World Heritage List is intended to encourage preservation by recognition of outstanding universal significance.

Authorities

Authorities for designation and management of World Heritage Sites include the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, ratified by the United States Senate, October 26, l973, and Title IV of the National Historic Preservation Act Amendments of l980 (P.L. 96-515).

Relationship to Other Guidance

See World Heritage Convention--Final Rules 36 CFR 73; Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention, 1999, UNESCO, World Heritage Committee/2 revised.

Program Guidance

Information on selection criteria can be found in the World Heritage Convention, which provides broad criteria addressing the nature and integrity of properties. In addition, the World Heritage Committee has adopted specific criteria that natural or cultural properties must meet to be included on the World Heritage List.

Designation Procedure

Nations that are parties to the Convention nominate properties within their borders that appear to the World Heritage Committee to qualify for inclusion on the World Heritage List. In the United States, the Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Fish and Wildlife and Parks, assisted by the Federal Interagency Panel for World Heritage, is responsible for approving U.S. nominations and for transmitting nominations to the World Heritage Committee for consideration. Any individual, organization, or agency may recommend a site for U.S. nomination to the World Heritage List, but private property can be nominated only with the owner's consent. Site administrators are responsible for preparing U.S. nominations, with the assistance of authorities having the most detailed knowledge of the significance of the site. Nominations are coordinated by the NPS, Office of International Affairs, which oversees their preparation and technical review, verifies that the site administrators concur in the nominations, and submits them to the Federal Interagency Panel. Proposals are reviewed by the Panel, which approves sites for inclusion on the U.S. Indicative Inventory, a preliminary listing of candidate sites published in the Federal Register for public comment. The Panel considers public comments and site qualifications in deciding whether to recommend a property for nomination. Nominated sites reviewed by the Panel are then forwarded to the Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks for approval and transmitted to the World Heritage Committee for review and official consideration.

The boundary of a World Heritage Site usually follows park boundaries, although this is not mandatory, as the boundary of the internationally significant resource may not coincide with the park boundary. For example, Independence Hall, a component of Independence National Historical Park, is a World Heritage Site.

Sites can be nominated wherever qualified areas exist, including those already having other legislative or administrative designations. To be eligible for nomination, a site must have previously been determined to be nationally significant, e.g., legislatively by creation of a national park or administratively by designation as a national natural or historic landmark. Boundaries of World Heritage Sites do not have to be congruent with earlier designations, but cannot be larger than areas already designated as described above.

Research in designated World Heritage Sites is encouraged by treaty and law. Sites should be managed to avoid any negative impact on the site's integrity. The nomination for the site must include evidence of the legal measures taken to ensure the preservation of the property and its environment. The nomination, upon signature, promises the preservation of the property under the terms of the treaty. If a listed property becomes threatened, the World Heritage Committee may place it on the List of World Heritage in Danger. Ultimately, the Committee may remove it from the World Heritage List if it has lost the qualities for which it was designated. World Heritage Sites should meet the same standards and considerations with respect to interpretation, educational use, and publicity as national parks. However, since a World Heritage Site has been determined to possess outstanding universal value to humankind, this recognition should be publicized at the site through bronze plaques, explanatory brochures, and related interpretive programs covering the range of the program's implications from site specific to international. The concept of "world heritage" should be introduced as appropriate. Management of recreational uses and development is the same as for national parks.

The World Heritage Fund, administered by the World Heritage Committee, provides a minimal amount of money for which all participating countries can apply. Grants are awarded for emergency site assistance; technical assistance, including training; assistance in preparing nominations or making a national inventory; and public information programs.

Roles and Responsibilities

The World Heritage Committee, supported by the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), guides the activities of the Convention worldwide.The Assistant Secretary for Fish, Wildlife and Parks, assisted by the Federal Interagency Panel for World Heritage, guides the relevant activities in the United States.

The Washington Office, Office of International Affairs, oversees the preparation of submissions of U.S. nominations. The Associate Director, Natural Resource Stewardship and Science, and the Associate Director, Cultural Resource Stewardship and Partnerships, are responsible for providing technical review and, where necessary, revising nominations.

The superintendent is responsible for the integrity of World Heritage Sites and their interpretation.