Article 12. Protection of Properties Not Inscribed on the World Heritage List

Article 12 of the World Heritage Convention stresses that ‘[t]he fact that a property belonging to the cultural or natural heritage has not been included in either of the two lists mentioned in paragraphs 2 and 4 of Article 11 shall in no way be construed to mean that it does not have an outstanding universal value for purposes other than those resulting from inclusion in these lists’. The importance of such a provision in the context of the whole architecture of the Convention would be fundamental, as its correct implementation would broaden the scope of application of the Convention itself much beyond the limits of the World Heritage List. Unfortunately, in the practice of the World Heritage Committee Article 12 has remained virtually unapplied (with a very few exceptions in which it has been, at least, mentioned).