The World Heritage Convention (WHC) is the most comprehensive and widely ratified among UNESCO treaties on the protection of cultural and natural heritage. This work provides insight into the differences and commonalities between the tort law systems of various European jurisdictions.

New links, with the World Bank and the United Nations, have developed to take into account the economic and political dimension of world heritage conservation and management. However, many legal issues remain to be clarified. For example, what is the meaning of "outstanding universal value" in the context of cultural and natural heritage? How far can we construe "universal value" in terms of representivity between the concept of "World Heritage" and the sovereignty of the territorial state? Should World Heritage reflect a reasonable balance between cultural properties and natural sites? Is consent of the territorial state required for the inscription of a World Heritage property in the List of World Heritage in Danger? What is the role of the World Heritage Centre in the management of the WHC? No comprehensive work has been produced so far to deal with these and many other issues that have arisen in the interpretation and application of the WHC.This Commentary is intended to fill this gap by providing article by article analysis, in the light of the practice of the World Heritage Committee, other relevant treaty bodies, as well as of State parties and in the hope that it may be of use to academics, lawyers, diplomats and officials involved in the management and conservation of cultural and natural heritage of international significance.

Preamble
Definition of Cultural Heritage
Article I Cultural Landscape
Article 2 Definition of Natural Heritage
Article 3 Identification and Deliniation of World Heritage
Articles 4-7 National and International Protection of the ultural and Natural Heritage
Articles 8-11 World Heritage Committee and World Heritage List
Article 11 List of World Heritage in Danger
Article 12 Protection of Properties not Inscribed on the World Heritage List
Article 13 World Heritage Committee and International Assistance
Article 14 The Secretariat and Support of the World Heritage Committee
Articles 15-16 World Heritage Fund
Articles 17-18 Activities to Supprt of the World Heritage Fund
VI EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMES
Articles 19-20 International Assistance
Article 27-28 Educational Programmes
VIII FINAL CLAUSES
Articles 29 Reports
Articles 30-22 and 35-38 Final Clauses
Article 34 The Federal Clause