IUCN World Heritage Outlook 4

The IUCN World Heritage Outlook 4 assesses 271 natural and mixed World Heritage sites. Complementing the official monitoring processes under the World Heritage Convention, the World Heritage Outlook offers the most in-depth analyses of threats facing natural World Heritage around the world and their protection and management status. It is based on the knowledge of hundreds of experts, site managers and partners and presents the main results for 2025, but also some longer-term trends based on the four data sets now available.

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2025

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World Heritage in Norway: national policy for an inclusive and participatory implementation of the World Heritage Convention

The solution focuses on the national-level policy and set up in place in Norway to implement the World Heritage Convention. It showcases Norway;s high ambition in implementing the Convention and in ensuring the best possible management and conservation at World Heritage properties. The solution refers to the policy set out in detail in the Report to the Storting (white paper) no.35 (2012-2013) (Chapter 4.8 World Heritage) which is continued in the Report to the Storting (white paper) no.16 (2019-2020) as well as to the 1978 Cultural Heritage Act.

The solution addresses the mandate of the Ministry of Climate and Environment which is responsible for both cultural and natural heritage and as well as the creation of national and local means to ensure enhanced dialogue and communication among multiple stakeholders on world heritage. This includes an interministerial forum, local advisory boards, the designation of World Heritage coordinators and the implementation of capacity building activities.

World Heritage (WH) Criteria for Selection

To be included on the World Heritage List, sites must be of outstanding universal value and meet at least one out of ten selection criteria.

These criteria are explained in the Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention which, besides the text of the Convention, is the main working tool on World Heritage. The criteria are regularly revised by the Committee to reflect the evolution of the World Heritage concept itself.

Until the end of 2004, World Heritage sites were selected on the basis of six cultural and four natural criteria. With the adoption of the revised Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention, only one set of ten criteria exists.