What is the World Heritage Convention?
The World Heritage Convention is an international agreement that was adopted by the General Conference of UNESCO in 1972. It has been ratified by 185 countries (in 2007) and is considered the most important international legal instrument for the identification, preservation and presentation of both natural and cultural sites of outstanding universal value. The convention is based on the premise that certain places on Earth are of outstanding universal value and should therefore form part of the common heritage of mankind.
