World Heritage capacity building initiatives

Norway is committed to working towards the full and effective implementation of the World Heritage Convention both nationally and internationally. Nationally, the Ministry of Climate and Environment, together with the Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage and the Norwegian Environment Agency, organizes annual meetings with World Heritage coordinators, with the aim of creating dialogue and disseminating information necessary for a positive development of the World Heritage properties.

Internationally, Norway is a driver and donor behind the ICCROM/IUCN World Heritage Leadership Programme which is a global capacity building programme on the management of nature and culture at world heritage properties. Norwegian stakeholders are able to participate in the activities under the World Heritage Leadership Programme and several programme activities are held in Norway.

Capacity building in relation to World Heritage is included in the Report to the Storting (white paper) no.35 (2012-2013) Cultural Heritage Policy (Chapter 4.8 World Heritage) and the Report to the Storting (white paper) no.16 (2019-2020). Within the framework of the World Heritage Leadership Programme, the planning and implementation of capacity building activities is done by the Advisory Bodies (ICCROM, IUCN, ICOMOS) in cooperation with the Ministry of Climate and Environment. Other international partners are involved, such as the UNESCO World Heritage Centre.

  • Capacity building is a key element for the planning and implementation of the World Heritage Convention and it is also one of its five strategic objectives of the World Heritage Convention. Building capacities is at the heart of effective management and conservation of world heritage properties.
  • It is important that representatives from Norwegian World Heritage properties participate in international cooperation, thus contributing to raise the local World Heritage property's competence and capacity on its own type of World Heritage.
  • Capacity building is deeply rooted into experience sharing and learning from each other’s experiences.