(a) Requirements. (1) Article 5 of the Convention mandates that each participating nation shall take, insofar as possible, the appropriate legal, scientific, technical, administrative, and financial measures necessary for the identification, protection, conservation, preservation, and rehabilitation of properties of outstanding universal value; and

Ask a legal question, get an answer ASAP!
Click here to chat with a lawyer about your rights.

(2) Title IV of Pub. L. 96-515 requires that no non-Federal property may be nominated to the World Heritage List unless its owner concurs in writing to such nomination. The nomination document for each property must include evidence of such legal protections as may be necessary to ensure preservation of the property and its environment, including, for example, restrictive covenants, easements, and other forms of protection (16 U.S.C. §§ 470a-1).

(b) Protection Measures for Public Properties. For properties owned or controlled by Federal, State, and/or local governments, the following items satisfy the protection requirements outlined in paragraph (a) of this section:

(1) Written concurrence by the owner prior to nomination;

(2) The nomination document must include reference to:

(i) All legislation establishing or preserving the area; and

(ii) All existing and proposed administrative measures, including management plans, that would ensure continued satisfactory maintenance of the property and its environment; and

(3) A written statement by the owner(s) that such protection measures satisfy the requirements outlined in (a) above.

(c) Protection Measures for Private Properties. For properties owned or controlled by private organizations or individuals, the following items satisfy the protection requirements outlined in (a) of this section.

(1) A written covenant executed by the owner(s) prohibiting, in perpetuity, any use that is not consistent with, or which threatens or damages the property’s universally significant values, or other trust or legal arrangement that has that effect; and

(2) The opinion of counsel on the legal status and enforcement of such a prohibition, including, but not limited to, enforceability by the Federal government or by interested third parties.

In addition, if the owner(s) is willing, a right of first refusal may be given for acquisition of the property, along with a guaranteed source of funding and appropriate management framework, in the event of any proposed sale, succession, voluntary or involuntary transfer, or in the unlikely event that the requirements outlined above prove to be inadequate to ensure the preservation of the property’s outstanding universal value. The protection measures for each private property being considered for possible nomination to the World Heritage List will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis to ensure that the requirements set forth above fulfill the mandate of Pub. L. 96-515.