What Is the UNESCO Tentative List, and How Do You Get on It?

What is the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List?

The Tentative List, as the name suggests, comprises natural and cultural properties that a country considers to have the potential to be recognized as World Heritage. It is not a confirmation that a site has been selected for inscription, only the first step towards a formal nomination, which is drawn up subsequently in the process. To qualify for World Heritage status, a property must demonstrate Outstanding Universal Value (OUV), meaning its cultural or natural significance ought to be considered exceptional from an international perspective. A site’s inclusion on the Tentative List places it in the position to be examined further for its potential OUV. This process enables a stronger foundation of vetting for the final nominations that a country draws up.

Even if a site included in a Tentative List is not nominated during one evaluatory round, there’s always a chance in the future that it may be added back to the list and considered for a nomination. The list is updated at any time per the country’s discretion, but each included site must undergo a separate nomination and evaluation process before qualifying for the World Heritage List. Once a site is inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage, it is removed from the Tentative List.

What criteria does UNESCO use to assess a site?

At the heart of UNESCO’s World Heritage process is the concept of Outstanding Universal Value (OUV). In simple terms, this means a place must be significant beyond its own country, and its cultural or natural importance must be exceptional enough to matter to people around the world, including future generations. A site must demonstrate this value against at least one of UNESCO’s 10 selection criteria, whether for its contribution to human history and culture, its geological features, its ecological processes or its biodiversity.

The cultural criteria include sites that represent exceptional examples of human creativity, demonstrate an important exchange of human values, bear testimony to cultural traditions or civilizations, or illustrate significant stages in human history. They also cover traditional settlements and landscapes, as well as properties associated with events, living traditions, beliefs, and works of outstanding universal significance.

The natural criteria consider exceptional natural beauty, significant stages in the Earth’s geological history, ongoing ecological and biological processes, and habitats important for conserving biodiversity.

Meeting one or more criteria is not enough on its own. A proposed property must also satisfy the relevant conditions of authenticity and integrity, alongside requirements for protection and management. Its inclusion must make a case for why its significance is exceptional in a global context, including through comparisons with similar properties.