This discussion paper attempts to find out why World Heritage plays a relatively marginal role only in the current nature conservation debate in Latin America and the Caribbean and what can be done to promote a more meaningful role. The underlying assumption is the conviction shared by many colleagues in the region that much of the potential of natural World Heritage remains to be realized. The overarching goal is to contribute to the realization of this potential by shedding light on the current situation and by identifying concrete options to promote natural World Heritage in the region.