[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 36, Volume 1]
[Revised as of July 1, 2003]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 36CFR73.9]

[Page 406-407]
 
              TITLE 36--PARKS, FORESTS, AND PUBLIC PROPERTY
 
      CHAPTER I--NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
 
PART 73--WORLD HERITAGE CONVENTION--Table of Contents
 
Sec. 73.9  World Heritage criteria.

    (a) What are the World Heritage criteria and how are they applied? 
The World Heritage Committee uses the following criteria to evaluate 
cultural and natural properties nominated to the World Heritage List. To 
qualify for addition to the World Heritage List, sites must meet one or 
more of the criteria. For information on how to apply the criteria, you 
should consult their annotated text in the Operational Guidelines for 
the World Heritage Convention. The Operational Guidelines are published 
periodically by the World Heritage Centre. You may obtain copies of the 
World Heritage Convention, the Operational Guidelines, and other program 
information upon request to the Office of International Affairs of the 
National Park Service, 1849 C Street, NW., Room 2242, Washington, DC 
20240. The World Heritage Convention and the Operational Guidelines are 
also posted on the World Heritage Centre's Web site at www.unesco.org/
whc.
    (b) What are the cultural criteria? The criteria for the inclusion 
of cultural properties in the World Heritage List should always be seen 
in relation to one another and should be considered in the context of 
the definition set out in Article 1 of the Convention. A monument, group 
of buildings or site--as defined in Article 1 of the Convention--which 
is nominated for inclusion in the World Heritage List will be considered 
to be of outstanding universal value for the purpose of the Convention 
when the Committee finds that it meets one or more of the following 
criteria and the test of authenticity:
    (1) Each property nominated should therefore:
    (i) Represent a masterpiece of human creative genius; or
    (ii) Exhibit an important interchange of human values, over a span 
of time or within a cultural area of the world, on developments in 
architecture or technology, monumental arts, town-planning or landscape 
design; or
    (iii) Bear a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural 
tradition or to a civilization which is living or which has disappeared; 
or
    (iv) Be an outstanding example of a type of building or 
architectural or technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates a 
significant stage(s) in human history; or

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    (v) Be an outstanding example of a traditional human settlement or 
land-use which is representative of a culture (or cultures), especially 
when it has become vulnerable under the impact of irreversible change; 
or
    (vi) Be directly or tangibly associated with events or living 
traditions, with ideas, or with beliefs, with artistic and literary 
works of outstanding universal significance (the Committee considers 
that this criterion should justify inclusion in the List only in 
exceptional circumstances and in conjunction with other criteria 
cultural or natural).
    (2) In addition to the criteria in paragraphs (b)(1)(i) through 
(b)(1)(vi) of this section, the sites should also meet the test of 
authenticity in design, material, workmanship or setting and in the case 
of cultural landscapes their distinctive character and components (the 
Committee stressed that reconstruction is only acceptable if it is 
carried out on the basis of complete and detailed documentation on the 
original and to no extent on conjecture) and have adequate legal and/or 
contractual and/or traditional protection and management mechanisms to 
ensure the conservation of the nominated cultural properties or cultural 
landscapes.
    (c) What are the natural criteria? A natural heritage property--as 
defined in Article 2 of the Convention--which is submitted for inclusion 
in the World Heritage List will be considered to be of outstanding 
universal value for the purposes of the Convention when the Committee 
finds that it meets one or more of the following criteria specified by 
the Operational Guidelines and fulfills the conditions of integrity:
    (1) Sites nominated should therefore:
    (i) Be outstanding examples representing major stages of earth's 
history, including the record of life, significant on-going geological 
processes in the development of landforms, or significant geomorphic or 
physiographic features; or
    (ii) Be outstanding examples representing significant on-going 
ecological and biological processes in the evolution and development of 
terrestrial, fresh water, coastal and marine ecosystems and communities 
of plants and animals; or
    (iii) Contain superlative natural phenomena or areas of exceptional 
natural beauty and aesthetic importance; or
    (iv) Contain the most important and significant natural habitats for 
in-situ conservation of biological diversity, including those containing 
threatened species of outstanding universal value from the point of view 
of science or conservation.
    (2) In addition to the criteria in paragraphs (c)(1)(i) through 
(c)(1)(iv) of this section, the sites should also fulfill the following 
conditions of integrity:
    (i) The sites described in paragraph (c)(1)(i) of this section 
should contain all or most of the key interrelated and interdependent 
elements in their natural relationships.
    (ii) The sites described in paragraph (c)(1)(ii) of this section 
should have sufficient size and contain the necessary elements to 
demonstrate the key aspects of processes that are essential for the 
long-term conservation of the ecosystems and the biological diversity 
they contain.
    (iii) The sites described in paragraph (c)(1)(iii) of this section 
should be of outstanding aesthetic value and include areas that are 
essential for maintaining the beauty of the site.
    (iv) The sites described in paragraph (c)(1)(iv) of this section 
should contain habitats for maintaining the most diverse fauna and flora 
characteristic of the biogeographic province and ecosystems under 
consideration.
    (3) The sites should have a management plan. When a site does not 
have a management plan at the time when it is nominated for the 
consideration of the World Heritage Committee, the State Party concerned 
should indicate when such a plan will become available and how it 
proposes to mobilize the resources required for the preparation and 
implementation of the plan. The State Party should also provide other 
document(s) (e.g. operational plans) which will guide the management of 
the site until such time when a management plan is finalized.

[66 FR 57881, Nov. 19, 2001]

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