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The Convention for the Protection of the Cultural and Natural Heritage is an international agreement based on the principle that some places on Earth embody outstanding universal value that should be part of the shared heritage of humankind.

UNESCO recognizes cultural and natural sites of outstanding universal value, and protects them for the benefit of all. As a basis for mutual understanding and dialogue, the responsibility for protecting our shared heritage requires cooperation among all States Parties as well as civil society, local communities and the private sector.

The idea of reconciling the conservation of cultural sites with that of natural sites originated in the United States of America. A White House conference in Washington, D.C., in 1965 called for the creation of a “World Heritage Foundation” that would stimulate international cooperation to protect “the most extraordinary places, landscapes, and historic sites for the present and future of all mankind.” In 1968, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) made similar proposals to its members. These proposals were presented at the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm in 1972.

Eventually, all parties concerned agreed on a single text. The Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage was adopted by the General Conference of UNESCO on 16 November 1972.

In recognizing both cultural and natural aspects of heritage, the Convention reminds us of the interaction between human beings and nature and the fundamental need to preserve the balance between the two.