About the Organization
Heritage is our legacy from the past, what we live with today, and what we pass on to future generations. Our cultural and natural heritage are both irreplaceable sources of life and inspiration.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) seeks to encourage the identification, protection and preservation of cultural and natural heritage around the world considered to be of outstanding value to humanity. This is embodied in an international treaty called the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, adopted by UNESCO in 1972.
What makes the concept of World Heritage exceptional is its universal application. World Heritage sites belong to all the peoples of the world, irrespective of the territory on which they are located.
About the Grant
International Assistance under the World Heritage Convention is a financial assistance granted to the States Parties to the World Heritage Convention, in order to help them protect the cultural or natural heritage sites inscribed on the World Heritage List or on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
Projects must be related to sites inscribed on the World Heritage List (for Emergency and Conservation & Management) or included in national Tentative Lists (for Preparatory Assistance).
Priority is given to the most threatened properties.
International Assistance under the World Heritage Fund can support projects falling under one of the following three categories:
- Emergency Assistance:
Maximum amount: 75,000 USD
The purpose of Emergency assistance is to address ascertained or potential threats facing properties inscribed on the World Heritage List which have suffered severe damage or are in imminent danger of severe damage due to sudden, unexpected phenomena (eg. land subsidence, extensive fires, flooding or man-made disaster).
This assistance does not concern cases of damage or deterioration caused by gradual processes of decay, pollution or erosion.
- Conservation & Management:
Technical cooperation –
To provide equipment or experts for the conservation, management and presentation of properties inscribed on the World Heritage List. For example, conservation works, preparation or update of management plans or risk-preparedness plans fall under this category;
To establish / revise national policies or legal frameworks on heritage preservation benefitting World Heritage properties.
Promotional and educational assistance –
Maximum amount: 10,000 USD.
To raise awareness and develop educational materials for the general promotion of the World Heritage Convention and the World Heritage List.
As a consequence, the promotion of a single site is not an eligible activity.
Training & research assistance –
To support the training of staff and specialists at all levels in the fields of identification, monitoring, conservation, management and presentation of properties inscribed on the World Heritage List, with an emphasis on group training. Individual scholarships cannot be funded and should be sent to UNESCO’s Fellowship Section instead.
This assistance can be requested also to undertake scientific research benefiting properties inscribed on the World Heritage List, or studies on the scientific and technical problems of conservation, management, and presentation of World Heritage properties.
- Preparatory Assistance:
Maximum amount: 30,000 USD
The purpose of Preparatory assistance is –
to prepare or update Tentative Lists; the process to be followed for the creation / revision of a Tentative List can be found here
to prepare nomination files for sites inscribed on national Tentative Lists; or
to prepare requests for Conservation & Management Assistance.
Who can Apply
All States Parties to the World Heritage Convention are eligible in principle. Individuals, foundations, IGOs and NGOs are not eligible for submitting International Assistance requests under the World Heritage Fund.
International Assistance requests must be transmitted by a State Party National Commission for UNESCO or Permanent Delegation to UNESCO, or an appropriate governmental Department or Ministry. Individuals who do not represent one of these bodies are not entitled to submit requests for International Assistance.
States Parties in arrears of payment of their compulsory or voluntary contributions to the World Heritage Fund are not eligible for International Assistance. For example, for the 2017 cycle, it means that all contributions up to 2016 included have to be paid. The status of contributions can be checked on whc.unesco.org/en/world-heritage-fund.
Moreover, the Operational Guidelines outline that when funds available are limited and a selection has to be made, preference should be given to:
- a Least Developed Country (LDC) or Low Income Economy (LIE) as defined by the United Nations Economic and Social Council’s Committee for Development Policy, or
- a Lower Middle Income Country (LMIC) as defined by the World Bank, or
- a Small Island Developing State (SIDS), or
- a State Party in a post-conflict situation.
How to Apply
International Assistance requests must be transmitted by a State Party National Commission for UNESCO or Permanent Delegation to UNESCO, or an appropriate governmental Department or Ministry. Individuals who do not represent one of these bodies are therefore not entitled to submit requests for International Assistance.
Online:
- Request a log-in, if you do not have one yet. Persons belonging to National Commissions for UNESCO, Permanent Delegations to UNESCO or appropriate governmental Departments or Ministries can send their name, function, institution and email address at wh-intassistance@unesco.org; they will receive their log-in directly to their email address.
- Fill in the application online in English or French. Attach relevant supporting documents and information that are deemed appropriate.
- Submit the request online
- Sign a printed version of the application after having downloaded it under Word format. Reminder: it must be signed and dated by a National Commission for UNESCO, a Permanent Delegation to UNESCO or an appropriate governmental Department or Ministry.
- The completed application form must be sent to the World Heritage Centre at the following address:
UNESCO World Heritage Centre
7, place de Fontenoy
75352 Paris 07 SP
France
An advanced scanned copy can be sent at wh-intassistance@unesco.org
Offline:
- Download one of the forms below:
- International Assistance request application form in Word format in English
- International Assistance request application form in Word format in French
- If you experience difficulty downloading this file, please contact the Convention Secretariat at wh-intassistance@unesco.org
- Fill in the application in English or French. Attach relevant supporting documents and information that are deemed appropriate.
- Sign the application. Reminder: it must be signed and dated by National Commissions for UNESCO, Permanent Delegations to UNESCO or appropriate governmental Departments or Ministries.
- The completed application form must be sent to the World Heritage Centre at the following address:
UNESCO World Heritage Centre
7, place de Fontenoy
75352 Paris 07 SP
France
An advanced scanned copy can be sent at wh-intassistance@unesco.org
For more information please check the Link
