Share on social media

UNESCO social media

AllStates Parties to the World Heritage Convention are eligible in principle. Individuals, foundations, IGOs and NGOsare not eligible for submitting International Assistance requests under theWorld 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 inarrears of payment of their compulsory or voluntary contributions to the World Heritage Fund arenot 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 onwhc.unesco.org/en/world-heritage-fund

Moreover, theOperational 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.

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

Advantages of the online form:

• Submission not possible if all the fields are not filled in (missing fields can lead to rejection of the request)
• Automatic calculations in the budget part can help avoiding mistakes

1. 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 atwh-intassistance@unesco.org; they will receive their log-in directly to their email address.
2. Fill in theapplication online in English or French. Attach relevant supporting documents and information that are deemed appropriate.
3. Submit the request online
4. 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.
5. The completed application form must besent 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 atwh-intassistance@unesco.org

Offline

1. 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 atwh-intassistance@unesco.org
2. Fill in the application in English or French. Attach relevant supporting documents and information that are deemed appropriate.
3. 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.
4. 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 atwh-intassistance@unesco.org

In order to help you filling in the above form, here are some written guidelines giving explanations and examples:

• Guidelines in English
• Guidelines in French

You can also consult the evaluation criteria that will be used by the Advisory Bodies (ICOMOS, IUCN, ICCROM) in their evaluation of the request:

• see Annex 9 of the Operational Guidelines in English
• see Annex 9 of the Operational Guidelines in French

The purpose of Preparatory assistance is

• to prepare or updateTentative Lists; the process to be followed for the creation / revision of a Tentative List can be foundhere
• to preparenomination files for sites inscribed on national Tentative Lists; or
• to prepare requests for Conservation & Management Assistance.

Examples

• Établissement de la Liste indicative de la république de Guinée Equatoriale (Equatorial Guinea)
• Update the Mongolian Tentative List to the World Heritage List (Mongolia)
• Lancement de l’élaboration de la proposition d’inscription des sites de métallurgie ancienne de réduction du fer dans les espaces boose et bwi : Ronguin, Tiwega, Yamane, Kindbo, Bekuy, Douroula (Burkina Faso)

Technical cooperation

To provide equipment or experts for the conservation, management and presentation of properties inscribed onthe 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.

Examples

• Conservation of mosaic floors at the World Heritage sites of Quseir Amra (Jordan)
• Dénombrement de la grande et moyenne faune mammalienne, terrestre, diurne, du parc national du Niokolo Koba (Senegal)
• Development of a management/conservation plan for World Heritage site of Samarkand cross-road of culture (Uzbekistan)

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.

Examples

• Adaptation and publication in Vietnamese of the “World Heritage in Young Hands” kit to be used for extra curriculum activity in primary and middle schools in Viet Nam (Viet Nam)

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 onthe World Heritage List, with an emphasis on group training. Individual scholarships cannot be funded and should be sent toUNESCO’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.

Examples

• Is the endemic golden jelly in Jellyfish Lake, Palau, threatened by sunscreen? (Palau)
• Training Program about Biology, Fisheries and Conservation of Pelagic Fishes that live or visit the Cocos Island National Park (Costa Rica)

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.

Examples

• Consolidation and Protection of the Walls of the Albarrada of the Historical Sector of Santa Cruz (Colombia)
• Eradication of introduced birds to preserve Aldabra's Outstanding Universal Value (Seychelles)

Documents Relating To International Assistance

• International Assistance in theWorld Heritage Convention, articles 13.1, 13.2 and 19 to 26
• International Assistance in theOperational Guidelines for the implementation of the World Heritage Convention, paragraphs 233 to 257.

Background information documents

• In 1999: Examination of the recommendations of the twenty-third session of the Bureau of the World Heritage Committee concerning prioritization in granting International Assistance to States Parties (documentWHC-99/CONF.209/16)

• In 2000: Report on the Evaluation of International Assistance provided under the World Heritage Fund (documentWHC-2000/CONF.204/16)
• In 2004: Progress Report on the Evaluation of the World Heritage Fund Emergency Assistance (documentWHC-04/28.COM/10B)
• In 2005: Information on the Evaluation of the World Heritage Fund’s Preparatory Assistance, Technical Cooperation, Training, and Promotional and Educational Activities (documentWHC-05/29.COM/14B)
• In 2006: Examination of the Recommendations on International Assistance (documentWHC-06/30.COM/14A)
• In 2007: Reform of International Assistance (documentWHC-07/31.COM/18B)

• In 2012: Examination of International Assistance requests – part III: proposals to improve the international assistance process (documentWHC-12/36.COM/14).

World Heritage Committee's Decisions Related To International Assistance

• In 2004:Decision 28 COM 10B on the Progress Report on the Evaluation of Emergency Assistance
• In 2006:Decision 30 COM 14A on the Reform of International process (3 types of assistance instead of 5, earmarking by type of assistance discontinued, new application form, official establishment of the evaluation panel, creation of the online database)
• In 2007:Decision 31 COM 18B on the adoption of: the new application form, the evaluation criteria, the share 65/35 for nature-culture, no panel for Emergency assistance or for requests of US$5,000 or less.
• In 2012:Decision 36 COM 13.I, paragraph 8 and Annex 2 on the adoption of a yearly deadline for the examination of requests and on the reintroduction of the earmarking by type of assistance.
• In 2019:Decision 43 COM 11A, paragraph 3 and Annex (part C) on the introduction of a ceiling for Emergency assistance (US$ 75,000) and on the reintroduction of a ceiling for the comments of the Advisory Bodies (mandatory only above US$ 30,000).
• In 2024:Decision 46 COM 12, paragraph 3 on the increase of ceiling for Preparatory assistance (US$ 40,000 instead of US$ 30,000), and the increase of ceiling for approval by the Chairperson of the World Heritage Committee (US$ 40,000 instead of US$ 30,000) and by the Director of the World Heritage Centre (US$ 10,000 instead of US$ 5,000).