Technical notes (a) Derivation of terms

particularly in view of the implementation of the
Convention. The OWHC thus facilitates an
exchange of knowledge, management techniques and financial
resources for the purpose of protecting monuments and sites.
The OWHC is based on the idea that sites within
populated cities endure pressures of a different nature and
therefore may require a more dynamic style of management.
There are over one hundred World Heritage cities to
date.


Outstanding universal value


Outstanding universal value is referred to in several
places in the Convention and the Operational
Guidelines without specific definition. Parts of the
cultural and natural heritage, "because
of their exceptional qualities, can be considered to be of
outstanding universal value, and as such worthy of
special protection against the dangers which increasingly
threaten them" (UNESCO February 1996: 1, Paragraph 1).
Outstanding universal value is sometimes simply
referred to as World Heritage value.
At the "Expert Meeting on Evaluation of general principles
and criteria for nominations of natural World Heritage sites"
held at the Parc national de la Vanoise, France on 22 to 24
March 1996,
The expert group recalled that different interpretations
have been made of the term "outstanding universal
value" which is a key to the establishment of a
selective World Heritage List. In a number of cases the
term has been also interpreted as implying "best of
its kind". The expert group stressed that the
notion of outstanding universal value has been
constructed over time and may be interpreted as a
concept incorporating both uniqueness and
representativeness (UNESCO 15 April 1996: 1).

The World Heritage Bureau and Committee will

consider the substance of the report of the Expert Meeting at
their twentieth sessions in 1996.