World Heritage Sites (Natural Heritage)

Description According to the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO, a World Heritage Site must have outstanding universal value. It will represent the major stages of the earth's evolutionary history, significant self- perpetuating geological processes, biological evolution or man's interaction with his natural environment. It will contain a superlative natural phenomenon, formations or features or areas of exceptional natural beauty or natural habitats where threatened species of animals or plants of outstanding universal value can survive. Criteria A World Heritage Site must be an outstanding example of universal value in terms of such criteria as the World Heritage Committee shall establish and publish in a "World Heritage List" of properties. The Committee may reject nominations for definitive listing if is not satisfied that a site will be adequately protected and may remove from the List sites which have become so damaged they have lost the qualities justifying their original listing. Designating Authority The World Heritage Committee of UNESCO (the Intergovernmental Committee for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage). Role of SNH SNH advises the Secretary of State for Scotland on sites considered to merit designation. Legislative Context Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, adopted in 1972 by the General Conference of UNESCO and ratified by the UK Government in 1984. In the UK World Heritage Sites are protected under existing conservation legislation eg planning control and the protection afforded under SSSI and NSA Designation.