World Heritage Leadership (WHL) News

At the 48th session of the World Heritage Committee, held in Busan, Republic of Korea, from 19 to 29 July 2026, ICCROM worked alongside States Parties, UNESCO, the Advisory Bodies and heritage professionals from around the world to strengthen the conservation and management of World Heritage properties. Through technical advice, co-organization of the World Heritage Site Managers’ Forum, strategic...

In a statement adopted at the 8th World Heritage Site Managers' Forum, site managers from across the globe called for more participatory, connected and inclusive approaches to managing the world's shared heritage, urging stronger collaboration among institutions, rights-holders, communities and heritage professionals to strengthen decision-making and ensure the long-term conservation of World...

From 27 May to 4 June 2026, the international course “Managing World Heritage: People, Nature, Culture” was held in Suzhou (People’s Republic of China), bringing together 34 heritage professionals from 19 countries. The course provided participants with an overview of the World Heritage management system, alongside tools and knowledge to assess management effectiveness, while fostering...

IUCN, ICCROM and ICOMOS are looking for heritage professionals working with World Heritage properties (cultural, natural and mixed) and other heritage places to join an interactive online consultation to shape a future guidance on preparing and updating management plans.

Professionals from 15 countries have spent the past week in the terraced landscapes of the UNESCO World Heritage property “Portovenere, Cinque Terre, and the Islands (Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto) transforming this remarkable site into a living laboratory for integrated conservation practice.

The Republic of Korea, as Host Country of the 48th session of the World Heritage Committee, UNESCO World Heritage Centre, ICCROM and IUCN, through the World Heritage Leadership Programme, are pleased to announce that the 8th edition of the World Heritage Site Managers’ Forum (WHSM26) will be organized in conjunction with the session of the World Heritage Committee.

UNESCO and the Advisory Bodies to the World Heritage Committee – ICCROM, ICOMOS, and IUCN – have announced the release of a new manual, Managing World Heritage, a foundational reference document to guide conservation in World Heritage and other heritage places, outlining the key elements and processes of the management system.

ICCROM, together with ICOMOS and IUCN – the Advisory Bodies to the World Heritage Committee – and UNESCO, have launched the French translation of the Enhancing Our Heritage Toolkit 2.0 (EoH 2.0), making this key resource for World Heritage management accessible to an even wider francophone community.