The Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention are a series of instructions to signatory nations regarding the proper implementation of the 1972 Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. The guidelines were adopted by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee at its first session and amended at its second session in 1978.
History
The first text of the Operational Guidelines was titled Operational Guidelines for the World Heritage Committee. It dates back to 1977 at the First Session of the World Heritage Committee (27 June - 1 July) in Paris. The Drafting Committee and the World Heritage Committee prepared the text. It contained four chapters and twenty-eight paragraphs. In October same year, the Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage with 27 paragraphs followed. A year later, at the Second Session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, the Operational Guidelines was adopted with 30 paragraphs.
The World Heritage Committee, the main body responsible for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention, has revised its text ever since adding paragraphs updating it with new concepts, knowledge or experiences.
The 2011 Operational Guidelines is the latest version dating from November 2011 and available in English, French, Portuguese and Spanish. A revised Draft dating from February 2011 with limited distribution is available online.
Contents
Introduction
The 2011 version of the Operational Guidelines contains two hundred and ninety paragraphs which reflect the aim of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Protection of the Cultural and Natural Heritage to further facilitate the Implementation of the 1972 Convention.
The key users of the guidelines are not only the signatory nations. (States Parties to the 1972 Convention) The Secretariat of the World Heritage Committee based at the World Heritage Centre in Paris, the Advisory Bodies, site managers, stakeholders and partners all active in the protection of World Heritage properties are also invited to make usage of the Operational Guidelines.
Aim
The first chapter of the Operational Guidelines aims to facilitate the implementation of the 1972 World Heritage Convention. The major goals and procedure of the Convention are given reflecting certain articles of the Convention in a more detailed explanation.
The main bodies of the 1972 Convention i.e. the General Assembly, the World Heritage Committee, the Secretariat, the Advisory Bodies IUCN, ICOMOS, ICCROM are presented in detail precising their role, tasks, specific responsibilities, moreover meeting sessions, term of office, contact informations etc. A list of functions of the World Heritage Committee in cooperation with the States Parties is provided. Most functions derives from Articles 11(2+4+7), Article 13(6), Article 21(1+3) and Article 29(3) of the World Heritage Convention.
In general the overall aim of the Convention and its Guidelines is to safeguard heritage of universal value for future generations. It is to give a guidance on how properties can be inscribed on the World Heritage List or/and the List of World Heritage in Danger if the properties are facing serious dangers and are in need of emergency inscription. The Birthplace of Jesus: Church of the Nativity and the Pilgrimage Route, Bethlehem were thus inscribed in 2012.
For the purpose of facilitating the nomination process for properties considered to be of universal value, World Heritage is defined so as to categorize heritage into cultural, natural, and mixed sites to be handled specifically. Other specific types of Heritage like e.g. Cultural landscape is a category of heritage acknowledged only since 1992 out of the need to recognize and protect the "combined work of man and nature".
All informations consisting the World Heritage List and the way to it is to be found in Chapter 2.