State of Conservation Information System (SOC)
Conserve and transmit to future generations
Created with the support of Seema Alaam UN Volunteers Programme
The Information System offers you a trove of reliable data on the state of conservation of World Heritage properties since 1979 and the threats they have faced in the past, or are currently facing. Through this tool, you can get access to thousands of reports and decisions adopted by the World Heritage Committee, as part of one of the most comprehensive monitoring systems of any international convention.
Statistics
Get a statistical insight of the conservation
of World Heritage since 1979
Number of properties examined each year
Distribution of the properties examined since 1979,
per region
Distribution of the properties examined since 1979,
per category of heritage
Numbers
Statistical analysis
1979-2013
Analysis of the factors having
a negative impact on World Heritage properties
States Parties and Regions
Search by Region
Africa Arab States Asia and the Pacific Europe and North America Latin America and the CaribbeanSearch by State Party
Afghanistan Albania Algeria Andorra Angola Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bhutan Bolivia (Plurinational State of) Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cabo Verde Cambodia Cameroon Canada Central African Republic Chad Chile China Colombia Comoros Congo Cook Islands Costa Rica Côte d'Ivoire Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czechia Democratic People's Republic of Korea Democratic Republic of the Congo Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Fiji Finland France Gabon Gambia (the) Georgia Germany Ghana Greece Grenada Guatemala Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Holy See Honduras Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran (Islamic Republic of) Iraq Ireland Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Lithuania Luxembourg Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Mauritania Mauritius Mexico Micronesia (Federated States of) Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nepal Netherlands New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Niue Norway Oman Pakistan Palau Palestine Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Poland Portugal Qatar Republic of Korea Republic of Moldova Romania Russian Federation Rwanda Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands South Africa South Sudan Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Swaziland Sweden Switzerland Syrian Arab Republic Tajikistan Thailand the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia Timor-Leste Togo Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland United Republic of Tanzania United States of America Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) Viet Nam Yemen Zambia ZimbabweMaps
Get geographical visualization
of the conservation of World Heritage since 1979
Reactive Monitoring process
What is Reactive Monitoring?
It is the reporting by the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies to the World Heritage Committee on the state of conservation of specific World Heritage properties that are under threat.
Which properties are reported upon?
The properties to be reported upon are selected, among all those inscribed on the World Heritage List, according to the following considerations...
How are the state of conservation reports elaborated?
The World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies review all information available on the state of conservation of the properties foreseen for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its next session...
What are the decisions of the World Heritage Committee?
Subsequently to the examination of the SOC report during its ordinary session, the World Heritage Committee adopts a decision, which may take one or more of the following steps...
Why were some properties examined by the Bureau of the World Heritage Committee?
Since the early years of the World Heritage Convention (1979) until 2002, the Bureau had a substantial role in the coordination of the work of the Committee to the extent of examining all the reports on the state of conservation...
Don’t confuse Reactive Monitoring with the Periodic Reporting exercise
World Heritage properties are also reported on through the Periodic reporting exercise. Indeed...
Threats
The standard list of threats/factors affecting the Outstanding Universal Value of World Heritage properties consists of a series of 14 primary factors, encompassing each a number of secondary factors.
Useful tools and Guidance
Guidance and Advice notes
Resource Manuals
World Heritage Paper Series
Some useful Recommendations / Policies /
Strategies and Statements
Policy Document for the Integration of a Sustainable Development Perspective into the Processes of the World Heritage Convention (2015)
Policy Document on Impacts of Climate Change and World Heritage (2007)
Strategy for Reducing Risks from Disasters at World Heritage properties (2007)
Recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape, including a glossary of definitions (2011)
Reporting formats
Format for the submission of State of conservation reports
by the States Parties
Other useful online tools
InforMEA (United Nations Information Portal on Multilateral Environmental Agreements)
Arches : Heritage Inventory & Management System
IUCN World Heritage Outlook
UNEP & IUCN World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA)
Ramsar Sites Information Service
Partners
Advisory Bodies to the World Heritage Committee
ICCROM (International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property)
ICOMOS (International Council on Monuments and Sites)
IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature)
Other UNESCO Conventions and Programmes
Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict (1954) and its Second Protocol (1999)
Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property (1970)
Intergovernmental Committee for Promoting the Return of Cultural Property to its Countries of Origin or its Restitution in case of Illicit Appropriation (1978)
Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage (2001)
Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage (2003)
UNESCO Global Geoparks
Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB)
Other conventions and agreements
UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme)
CBD (Convention on Biological Diversity)
CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora)
CMS (Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals)
Ramsar (Convention on Wetlands)
AEWA (Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds)
International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture
UNCDD (United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification)
UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change)
ICMM (International Council on Mining & Metals) - Mining and Protected Areas
News (14)
- State of conservation of Historical Monuments of Mtskheta Thursday, 8 February 2018
- State of Conservation of Pirin National Park Wednesday, 24 January 2018
- Inter-Convention synergy in action Wednesday, 6 December 2017
- The World Heritage State of Conservation Information System – 5 Successful Years ! Tuesday, 5 December 2017
- 2017 State of conservation reports now publicly accessible online Monday, 12 June 2017
- World Heritage Centre Statement on the Greater Blue Mountains Area Wednesday, 7 June 2017
- Reactive Monitoring Mission to take place at Wood Buffalo National Park World Heritage property (Canada) Friday, 16 September 2016
- 2016 State of conservation reports now available online Monday, 13 June 2016
- UNESCO World Heritage Centre calls for united action to protect vulnerable sites Wednesday, 6 April 2016
- UNESCO and IUCN welcome new no-go pledge for World Heritage sites by Tullow Oil Thursday, 12 November 2015
- Shell’s departure ends oil threat to Arctic gem Tuesday, 6 October 2015
- State of conservation of Venice and its lagoon (Italy) Sunday, 4 October 2015
- Corps established to strengthen security in DRC National Parks Tuesday, 8 September 2015
- Director-General of UNESCO Irina Bokova firmly condemns the destruction of Palmyra's ancient temple of Baalshamin, Syria Monday, 24 August 2015
Events (3)
- Site Managers Forum 30-Jun-2017-06-Jul-2017
- 19th International Course on Stone Conservation 15-Apr-2015-03-Jul-2015
- Expert meeting on the global state of conservation challenges for World Heritage properties 13-Apr-2011-15-Apr-2011
Activities (5)
- Analytical summary of the state of conservation of World Heritage properties (2008)
- Improving the Effectiveness of the World Heritage Reactive Monitoring Process
- State of conservation Information System
- Support for the establishment of an on-line State of Conservation Information System (SOC) database on the state of conservation reports for World Heritage Properties
- World Heritage and Extractive Industries
Decisions
- Decision 41COM 7
- Decision 40COM 7
- Decision 39COM 7
- Decision 38COM 7
- Decision 37COM 7C
- Decision 36COM 7C
- Decision 35COM 7C
- Decision 35COM 12E
- Decision 34COM 7C
- Decision 33COM 7C
- Decision 32COM 7B.129
- Decision 31COM 7B.131
- Decision 30COM 7B.100
- Decision 27COM 7B.106
- Decision 27COM 7B.107
- Decision 26COM 21
- Decision 26COM 21.3