maailmanperintöluettelo

The Maailmanperintöluettelo, or World Heritage List in English, is a designation established by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Its purpose is to identify, protect, and preserve sites of outstanding universal value. These sites can be natural, such as mountains, forests, and lakes, or cultural, including monuments, buildings, cities, and archaeological areas.

The list serves as a tool to promote international cooperation in safeguarding these irreplaceable treasures. When a site is inscribed on the World Heritage List, it gains recognition for its exceptional importance to all of humanity. This status often facilitates access to technical and financial assistance for conservation efforts, although it also entails responsibilities for the host country to protect and manage the site.

Criteria for inscription are rigorous, requiring sites to possess "outstanding universal value" and meet specific conditions of integrity and authenticity. The World Heritage Committee, composed of representatives from member states, meets annually to review nominations and make decisions on inscriptions. The list currently includes hundreds of sites across the globe, representing a diverse range of natural wonders and human achievements. The concept of World Heritage was established by the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, adopted by UNESCO in 1972.