Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage

 

Article 22

Assistance granted by the World Heritage Fund may take the following forms:

(a) studies concerning the artistic, scientific and technical problems
raised by the protection, conservation, presentation and
rehabilitation of the cultural and natural heritage, as defined in
paragraphs 2 and 4 of Article 11 of this Convention;

(b) provisions of experts, technicians and skilled labour to ensure that
the approved work is correctly carried out;

(c) training of staff and specialists at all levels in the field of
identification, protection, conservation, presentation and
rehabilitation of the cultural and natural heritage;

(d) supply of equipment which the State concerned does not possess or is
not in a position to acquire;

(e) low-interest or interest-free loans which might be repayable on a
long-term basis;

(f) the granting, in exceptional cases and for special reasons, of non-
repayable subsidies.

Article 23

The World Heritage Committee may also provide international assistance to
national or regional centres for the training of staff and specialists at
all levels in the field of identification, protection, conservation,
presentation and rehabilitation of the cultural and natural heritage.

Article 24

International assistance on a large scale shall be preceded by detailed
scientific, economic and technical studies. These studies shall draw upon
the most advanced techniques for the protection, conservation, presentation
and rehabilitation of the natural and cultural heritage and shall be
consistent with the objectives of this Convention. The studies shall also
seek means of making rational use of the resources available in the State
concerned.

Article 25

As a general rule, only part of the cost of work necessary shall be borne
by the international community. The contribution of the State benefiting
from international assistance shall constitute a substantial share of the
resources devoted to each programme or project, unless its resources do not
permit this.
Article 26

The World Heritage Committee and the recipient State shall define in the
agreement they conclude the conditions in which a programme or project for
which international assistance under the terms of this Convention is
provided, shall be carried out. It shall be the responsibility of the
State receiving such international assistance to continue to protect,
conserve and present the property so safeguarded, in observance of the
conditions laid down by the agreement.

VI. Educational Programmes

Article 27

1. The States Parties to this Convention shall endeavor by all
appropriate means, and in particular by educational and information
programmes, to strengthen appreciation and respect by their peoples
of the cultural and natural heritage defined in Articles 1 and 2 of
the Convention.

2. They shall undertake to keep the public broadly informed of the
dangers threatening this heritage and of the activities carried on in
pursuance of this Convention.

Article 28

States Parties to this Convention which receive international assistance
under the Convention shall take appropriate measures to make known the
importance of the property for which assistance has been received and the
role played by such assistance.

VII. Reports

Article 29

1. The States Parties to this Convention shall, in the reports which
they submit to the General Conference of the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization on dates and in a
manner to be determined by it, give information on the legislative
and administrative provisions which they have adopted and other
action which they have taken for the application of this Convention,
together with details of the experience acquired in this field.

2. These reports shall be brought to the attention of the World Heritage
Committee.

3. The Committee shall submit a report on its activities at each of the
ordinary sessions of the General Conference of the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

VIII. Final Clauses

Article 30

This Convention is drawn up in Arabic, English, French, Russian and
Spanish, the five texts being equally authoritative.

Article 31

1. This Convention shall be subject to ratification or acceptance by
States members of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization in accordance with their respective
constitutional procedures.

2. The instruments of ratification or acceptance shall be deposited with
the Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organization.

Article 32

1. This Convention shall be open to accession by all States not members
of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization which are invited by the General Conference of the
Organization to accede to it.

2. Accession shall be effected by the deposit of an instrument of
accession with the Director-General of the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

Article 33

This Convention shall enter into force three months after the date of the
deposit of the twentieth instrument of ratification, acceptance or
accession, but only with respect to those States which have deposited their
respective instruments of ratification, acceptance or accession on or
before that date. It shall enter into force with respect to any other State
three months after the deposit of its instrument of ratification,
acceptance or accession.

Article 34

The following provisions shall apply to those States Parties to this
Convention which have a federal or non-unitary constitutional system:

(a)with regard to the provisions of this Convention, the implementation
of which comes under the legal jurisdiction of the federal or central
legislative power, the obligations of the federal or central
government shall be the same as for those States parties which are
not federal States;

(b)with regard to the provisions of this Convention, the implementation
of which comes under the legal jurisdiction of individual constituent
States, countries, provinces or cantons that are not obliged by the
constitutional system of the federation to take legislative measures,
the federal government shall inform the competent authorities of such
States, countries, provinces or cantons of the said provisions, with
its recommendation for their adoption.

Article 35

1. Each State Party to this Convention may denounce the Convention.

2. The denunciation shall be notified by an instrument in writing,
deposited with the Director-General of the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

3. The denunciation shall take effect twelve months after the receipt of
the instrument of denunciation. It shall not affect the financial
obligations of the denouncing State until the date on which the
withdrawal takes effect.

Article 36

The Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization shall inform the States members of the Organization,
the States not members of the Organization which are referred to in Article
32, as well as the United Nations, of the deposit of all the instruments of
ratification, acceptance, or accession provided for in Articles 31 and 32,
and of the denunciations provided for in Article 35.

Article 37

1. This Convention may be revised by the General Conference of the
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Any
such revision shall, however, bind only the States which shall become
Parties to the revising convention.

2. If the General Conference should adopt a new convention revising this
Convention in whole or in part, then, unless the new convention
otherwise provides, this Convention shall cease to be open to
ratification, acceptance or accession, as from the date on which the
new revising convention enters into force.

Article 38

In conformity with Article 102 of the Charter of the United Nations , this
Convention shall be registered with the Secretariat of the United Nations
at the request of the Director-General of the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization.

Done in Paris, this twenty-third day of November 1972, in two authentic
copies bearing the signature of the President of the seventeenth session of
the General Conference and of the Director-General of the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, which shall be deposited
in the archives of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization, and certified true copies of which shall be delivered to all
the States referred to in Articles 31 and 32 as well as to the United
Nations.

Author: international

Mentioned in these Entries

Charter of the United Nations, Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage.