The World Heritage List includes monuments, groups of buildings, sites, natural features, geological and physiographical formations and natural sites whose Outstanding Universal Value has been agreed upon, according to criteria established by the World Heritage Committee.
Applications for properties to be inscribed on the World Heritage List are made by the State Parties where the site in question is to be located. Decisions are then made by the World Heritage Committee at the annual session, based on the outcome of expert reviews which are conducted by Advisory Bodies to the World Heritage Committee – ICOMOS and IUCN.
The criteria for inscribing sites onto the World Heritage List and the demands relating to protection and conservation of sites which have been put forward for inscription is defined by the World Heritage Committee in the Operational Guidelines.
The List, created in 1978, continues to grow in size each year. Thus far, 1052 sites from 165 countries have been added to it, including 814 cultural sites, 203 natural sites and 35 mixed sites (cultural-natural).
More information: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/
The World Heritage Committee is responsible for updating the World Heritage List. As a result, with the assistance of Advisory Bodies and the World Heritage Centre, it monitors the condition of world heritage sites.
More information: http://whc.unesco.org/en/soc/