UNESCO

This Resource Manual has a specific purpose: helping to manage natural values within World Heritage properties. As such it is aimed at natural and mixed World Heritage properties as well as cultural landscapes (inscribed under cultural criteria). The intention is to help managers understand and incorporate World Heritage concepts and processes into natural site management.

World Heritage properties are some of the most unique places on our planet because of the range of outstanding and unique natural or cultural features and values that they contain. Like anything precious these places need to be protected and cared for responsibly. The purpose of this manual is to help those responsible for managing World Heritage properties with natural values by suggesting what they need to think about when producing a management plan for their property.

This Resource Manual represents IUCN’s advice to States Parties which are considering nominating a natural or mixed property for World Heritage status. Preparing a World Heritage nomination is not a simple task and interested parties are encouraged to carefully analyse the situation, taking the time needed to ensure a sound process that is closely linked to ensuring effective management of the property and cooperation with communities and stakeholders.

The manual is based on the version of the "Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention" dated August 2011 and seeks to complement it. In particular, the manual seeks to support States Parties in implementing the World Heritage Convention and to provide guidance and knowledge that will help ensure a credible World Heritage List of well-managed properties of Outstanding Universal Value.

Il se fonde sur la version des "Orientations devant guider la mise en oeuvre de la Convention du patrimoine mondial" datée de août 2011, dont il se veut le complément. En particulier, le manuel vise à aider les États parties à mettre en oeuvre la Convention du patrimoine mondial et à les guider et à les informer de telle façon que la Liste du patrimoine mondial soit crédible et regroupe des biens présentant une valeur universelle exceptionelle et convenablement gérés.