World Heritage Watch – About us
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World Heritage Watch is an independent association registered in Berlin that works worldwide to protect cultural and natural World Heritage sites. We are also a network of civil society groups, experts and committed local people who are dedicated to safeguarding their World Heritage sites.
Our association
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World Heritage Watch – the NGO
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On our first conference in Bonn, the participants decided that the NGO based in Berlin should organize the communication, coordination and cooperation of the civil society network, but while the NGO was a legal body – a non-profit organization -, the membership of the network should remain informal. This model has proven to be very practical, reducing bureaucracy and yet allowing a vast variety of members, each participating according to its own means and needs, and without any hierarchy by which an executive body could tell anyone what to do.
As a result, there is a formal membership only for the German NGO, and we are keeping it limited to a small group of people in Berlin with a strong expert background in World Heritage. Our independence is of utmost importance. Officials of state or international bodies who participate in decision-making about World Heritage properties cannot be members of World Heritage Watch.
The NGO manages the network by organizing the dialogue for a with UNESCO, publishing the annual WHW Report, issuing press releases, coordinating discussions and exchange, keeping the list of network members, maintaining relations with UNESCO and its Advisory Bodies, and operating the website and facebook site.
On the website we inform about WHW and its activities, and keep documents for download. On the facebook site we post information of public interest and share all posts which we receive which are related to World Heritage. We encourage all network members to follow our facebook site because it is an important day-to-day communication tool for the network.
For more information click image
Dr. Dr. hc. Maritta von
Bieberstein Koch-Weser
President
Stephan
Doempke
Chair
Uli F.
Gräbener…
Vice-Chair
Martin
Lenk
Member of Board
Hiltrud
Breyer
Member of Board
Henning
Frase
Member of Board
Hanaé Damour
Intern
Sumin Bajracharya
Intern
World Heritage Watch – the Network
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Members of the international World Heritage Watch Network can be local groups, UNESCO Clubs, academic and informal initiatives which are based in or near World Heritage Sites; national and international NGOs working for World Heritage; indigenous groups and committed individuals.
175 Non-Governmental Organizations
350.org, multiple countries, www.350.org
Academy for Training and Technical Assistance, Kosovo, www.atta-ks.org
Acropolis SOS, Greece, www.facebook.com/…
African Wildlife Foundation, multiple countries, www.awf.org
Agent Green, Romania, www.saveparadiseforests.eu/en/
Alliance for Nature, Austria, www.alliancefornature.at
An Taisce Advocacy, Ireland, www.antaisce.org/advocacy
Anadolu Kültür, Turkey, www.anadolukultur.org
Archeology Southwest, United States, www.archeologysouthwest.org
ARGUS Potsdam, Germany, www.argus-potsdam.de
Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment, India, www.atree.org
ASK Schwerin, Germany, https://aktionstadtundkulturschutz.com/
Association pour la Sauvegarde de l’île de Djerba, Tunisia, https://www.assidje.tn/djerba-patrimoine-mondial
Assessment Centre ECOM, Russia, www.ecom.su
Association for the Protection of Cultural Heritage, Turkey, www.kmkd.org
Athar Lina, Egypt, www.atharlina.com
Australian Marine Conservation Society, Australia, www.marineconservation. org.au
Bahrain Historical and Archaeological Society, Bahrain
Avoid, Reduce, Restore and Conserve Task Force multiple info@arrctaskforce
Belovezhskaya Pushcha -21 century, Belarus, bp21.org.by/en
Berliner Komitee für UNESCO-Arbeit, Germany, www.unesco-berlin.de
Birdlife International Africa, multiple countries, www.birdlife.org/africa
Blue Shield Georgia, Georgia, www.blueshield.ge
Bürgerinitiative Rettet Lübeck, Germany, www.birl.de
Bürgerinitiative Rheinpassagen, Germany, www.rheinpassagen.de
Bund für Heimat und Umwelt, Germany, www.bhu.de
Campaign to Protect Old Woodstock, United Kingdom, www.c-pow.org.uk
Center for German and European Studies, Russia, www.zdes.spbu.ru
Client Earth, multiple countries, www.clientearth.org
Colectivo Kitu Milenario, Ecuador, www.facebook.com/groups/478076632202629
Committee of the Civic Movement Against the TID Durrës Project, Albania
Conservación Humana, Mexico, www.chac.org.mx
Dacica Foundation, Romania, www.fundatia.dacica.ro
Defensa Ambiental del Noroeste, Mexico, www.dan.org.mx
Denkmal Brühl, Germany, www.denkmal-bruehl.de
Deutsche Umwelthilfe, Germany, www.duh.de
Diazoma, Greece, www.diazoma.gr
Diyarbakir Association for the Protection of Cultural, Türkiye, www.dkvd.org
Earthjustice, multiple countries, www.earthjustice.org
Ecodefense, Russia
EkoSfera Sosial-Ekoloji Merkezi, Azerbaijan
Emek Shaveh, Israel, www.alt-arch.org
Environmental Defenders Office, Australia, www.edoqld.org.au
Environmental Justice Australia, Australia, www.envirojustice.org.au
Environmental Watch Northern Caucasus, Russia, www.ewnc.org
Egyptian Cultural Heritage Organization, Egypt, www.e-c-h-o.org
Engage Liverpool, United Kingdom, www.engageliverpool.com
Equations, India, www.equitabletourism.org
Euronatur, multiple countries, www.euronatur.org
Expeditio, Montenegro, www.expeditio.org
Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar, Malta, www.faa.org.mt
Forest Peoples Programme, multiple countries, www.forestpeoples.org
Forests Alive, multiple countries, www.forestsalive.com
For the Nature Coalition, Bulgaria, www.forthenature.org
Forum for the Protection of the Values of Gjirokastra, Albania
Freunde der Altstadt von Aleppo, Germany / Syria, www.aleppofreunde.de
Friends of the Earth, multiple countries, www.foe.org
Fund for 21st Century Altai, Russia
Fundação Vitória Amazônica, Brazil https://www.fva.org.br/pt
Fundacja Dzika Polska, Poland, www.dzikapolska.org
Fndacja Greenmind, Poland, www.greenmind.pl
Gesellschaft Historisches Berlin, Germany, www.ghb-online.de
Global Heritage Fund, multiple countries, www.globalheritagefund.org
Global Nature Fund, multiple countries, www.globalnature.org
GOB Menorca, Spain, www.gobmenorca.com
Grand Canyon Trust, USA, www.grandcanyontrust.org
Greenpeace Poland, Poland, www.greenpeace.org/poland
Greenpeace Russia, Russia, www.greenpeace.org/russia
Green Salvation, Kazakhstan, www.esgrs.org
Grupo Ambientalista da Bahia, Brazil www.gamba.org.br
Gülevi Safranbolu, Turkey, www.canbulat.com.tr
Hasankeyf Matters, Turkey, www.hasankeyfmatters.com
Heritage for Peace, Syria, www.heritageforpeace.org
HimalAsia Foundation, Nepal, www.himalasia.org
Hutan, Alam dan Lingkungan Aceh, Indonesia, www.haka.or.id
ICOMOS Armenia, Armenia, www.facebook.com/IcomosArmenia
ICOMOS Belarus, Belarus, www.facebook.com/icomosby
ICOMOS Georgia, Georgia, www.icomos.org.ge/en
Idlib Antiquities Center, Syria, www.facebook.com/…
Initiative for the St.Andrew’s Paysage, Ukraine
Initiative Stadtbildschutz, Austria, www.stadtbildschutz.at
Institut für Ökologie und Aktions-Ethnologie, multiple countries, www.infoe.de
Instituto Brasileiro de Conservação da Natureza, Brazil, https://ibracon.webnode.com
Instituto-E, Brazil, https://institutoe.org.br
Instituto Homem Pantaneiro, Brazil, https://institutohomempantaneiro.org.br
International Campaign for Tibet, Germany / Tibet, www.savetibet.org
International Rivers, multiple countries, www.internationalrivers.org
International Tibet Network, USA / Tibet, www.tibetnetwork.org
Iraqi Civil Society Solidarity Initiative, Iraq, www.iraqicivilsociety.org
Ka Lahui Hawai’i, Hawai’i (USA), www.kalahuihawaii.org
Lahore Conservation Society, Pakistan, www.lcs.org.pk
Malta-ARCH, Malta, www.malta-arch.com
Michael Succow Stiftung, Germany, www.succow-stiftung.de
Mongolian Bird Conservation Center, Mongolia, www.mbcc.mn
Na Maka o ka Aina, Hawai’i (USA), www.namaka.com
National Committee for Saving the Sundarbans, Bangladesh, www.ncssbd.org
NOAH Friends of the Earth Denmark Uranium Group, Denmark, www.noah.dk/urangruppe
No Go Gondola, United Kingdom, www.nogogondola.org
Nurarq Menorca Arqueologica y Cultura, Spain, www.nurarq.com
Oecumene Studio, Ireland, www.oecumene-studio.org
Ohrid SOS Northern, Macedonia, www.ohridsos.org
Orangutan Information Centre, Indonesia, www.orangutancentre.org
Origi Nations, multiple countries, www.originations.org
Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, Pakistan www.pide.org.pk
Patrimoine Sans Frontières, multiple countries, www.patrimoinesansfrontieres.org
Pesticide Action Network Italy, Italy, www.pan-italia.it
Platform “No to the Destruction of Sur”, Turkey
Pracownia Na Rzecz Wszystkich Istot, Poland, www.pracownia.org.pl
Protection and Preservation of Natural Environment in Albania, Albania, www.ppnea.org
Queensland Conservation Council, Australia, www.queenslandconservation.org.au
Rede Nacional Pró Unidades de Conservação, Brazil, http://redeprouc.org.br
Rivers Without Boundaries Coalition, multiple countries, www.transrivers.org
Rukor, Australia / Tibet, www.rukor.org
Russian National Heritage Preservation Society, Russia
Safeguard of Cairo’s Historic Cemeteries, Egypt, https://www.facebook.com/Guardian1443/
Sauvegarde et Valorisation des Manuscrits pour la Défense de la Culture Islamique, Mali, www.savamadci.net
Save Fertö Lake, Hungary, www.savefertolake.yolasite.com
Save Lamu, Kenya, www.savelamu.org
Save Our Saltaire, United Kingdom
Save the Himalayas Foundation, India, www.savethehimalayas.org
Saving Okavango’s Unique Life, multiple, www.saveokavango.com
Save the Lake District Campaign, United Kingdom, www.savethelakedistrict.com
Save the Nullarbor Inc., Australia, https://www.savethenullarbor.org
Save the Tigris and Iraqi Marshes Campaign, Iraq, www.savethetigris.org
Save Waterloo Dock Neighbourhood Association, United Kingdom
Serengeti Watch, Tanzania, www.serengetiwatch.org
Sociedade de Pesquisa em Vida Selvagem, Brazil, https://www.spvs.org.br
Society for the Protection of Monuments in Torun, Poland, www.tonz-torun.blogspot.com
Society for Threatened Peoples, multiple countries, www.gfbv.de/en
SOS Amazonia, Brazil, https://sosamazonia.org.br
Sunspirit for Justice and Peace, Indonesia, www.sunspiritforjusticeandpeace.org
SOS Orinoco, Venezuela, www.sosorinoco.org
SOS Pantanal, Brazil, www.sospantanal.org.br
Stonehenge Alliance, United Kingdom, www.stonehengealliance.org.uk
Sustainable Preservation Initiative, multiple countries, www.sustainablepreservation.org
Tautes Heim, Germany, www.tautes-heim.de
The Australia Institute, Australia, ww.australiainstitute.org.au
The Gorilla Organization, multiple countries, www.gorillas.org
The Wilderness Society, Australia, www.wilderness.org.au
Tourism Watch, Germany, www.tourism-watch.de
Transformative Tourism, multiple countries, www.transformativetourism.com
Tripolitanian Society, Libya, www.facebook.com/tripolitanian.society
Tropical Institute of Ecological Sciences, India, www.ties.org.in
Turkish Chamber of Architects Istanbul Branch, Turkey, www.mimarist.org
Tutta la Città Insieme!, Italy, www.tuttalacittainsieme.it
Union of Concerned Scientists, USA, www.ucsusa.org
Universitas Udayana Subak Research Center, Indonesia, www.unud.ac.id
Uranium Network, multiple countries, www.uranium-network.org
Village Earth, multiple countries, www.villageearth.org
Voluntariado “Vale un Potosí”, Bolivia, http://cerrodepotosi.blogspot.com/p/principal.html
Waddenvereniging, Netherlands, www.waddenvereniging.nl
Wahana Lingkungan Hidup Indonesia, Indonesia, www.walhi.or.id
Wildland Research Institute, Hungary, www.wildlandresearch.org
We Are Here Venice, Italy, www.weareherevenice.org
Wildlife Conservation Society, multiple countries, www.wcs.org
Wolf, Slovakia, www.wolf.sk
World Association for the Protection of Tangibleand Intangible Cultural Heritage in Times of Armed Conflict, multiple countries, www.eyeonculture.net
World Monuments Fund, multiple countries, www.wmf.org
Worldwide Fund for Nature, multiple countries, www.wwf.org
Zip Off, United Kingdom, www.zipoff.org
Zoological Society of London, multiple countries, www.zsl.org
21 Indigenous Peoples Organizations
Affected Citizens of Teesta, India, www.actsikkim.com
All Ladakh Gonpa Association, India
Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation, Canada, https://acfn.com/
Center for Support of Indigenous Peoples of the North, Russia, www.csipn.ru
Comunidad Indigena Ma’u Henua, Rapa Nui (Chile), www.mauhenua.com
Corps des Volontaires Béninois, Benin, www.cvbeninois.blogspot.com/
Endorois Welfare Council, Kenya, www.iwgia.org/en/iwgia-partners/37-endorois-welfare-council-kenya
Fort Chipewyan Métis Association, Canada, www.3ne.ca/about-3ne/fort-chipewyan-metis-association/
Indigenous Environmental Network, multiple, www.ienearth.org
Indigenous Peoples of Africa Co-ordinating Committee, multiple, www.ipacc.org
Mikisew Cree First Nation, Canada, www.mikisewcree.ca
Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities, Nepal, www.nefin.org.np/en/
Papahānaumokuākea Native Hawaiian Cultural Working Group, Hawai’i (USA), www.alohacwg.com
Pastoralists Indigenous Non-Governmental Organization’s Forum, Kenya, www.pingosforum.or.tz
Preservamb, Mexico, www.preservamb.org.mx
Save the Ifugao Terraces Movement, Philippines, www.facebook.com/SITMo1/
Vereniging van Inheemse Dorpshoofden in Suriname, Suriname, www.vids.sr
63 Individuals
contact can be made through World Heritage Watch
Abdurrahim Ahmadi, Afghanistan/Germany / Soulaiman Mefrej Al-Mhanna, Syria / Ali Bashash Alanagh, Iran / Diana Al-Djumaili, Germany / Elisa Argenziano, Italy / Allan Kenneth Birabi, Uganda / Nicole Bolomey, Switzerland / Louay Dakhel, Syria / Aishwarya Deshmukh, India / Iuliia Eremenko, Russia / Aminata Balla Fall, Senegal / Maria Isabel da Trindade Ferro, Portugal / Edna G. Franco Vargas, Mexico / Henning Frase, Germany / Induja Gandhiprasad, India / Oumaïma Gannouni, Tunisia / Eléonore Gaudry, France / John D. Grainger, United Kingdom / Musa O. Hambolu, Nigeria / Saad Hanif, Bahrain / Courtney Hotchkiss, USA / Marcela Jaramillo Contreras, Colombia / Archana Jayaraman, India / Pratiti Joshi, India / Alexander Kalauokalani Peʻa, Hawai’i / Electra Kalodimidou, Greece / Vadim Kirilyuk, Russia / Entela Koja, Albania / Evelina Kravchenko, Ukraine / Maqi Kvitsiani, Georgia / Nora Lafi, Algeria/Germany / Amelia Lara Tamburrino, Mexico / Alessandro Leonardi, Italy / Francisco J. López Morales, Mexico / Andrea Martinez Fernández, Spain / Katie Mastriano, USA / Shayne McGrath, New Zealand / Sofia Cristina Mendonça Gaspar, Portugal / Vanesa Menéndez Montero, Spain / Eleni Methodiou, Greece / Hartmut Müller, Germany / Aghash Natarajan, India / Karla Nunes Penna, Brazil / Ghazal Nouri, Iran / Mohamed Obidallah, Palestine / Jerry Otero, USA / Norbert Panek, Germany / Dana Phelps, USA / Konstantina Pehlivanova, Bulgaria / Vithal Rajan, India / Kimberly Reczek, United Kingdom / Jennifer Rowan, USA / Tatiana Saraseko, Russia / Eman Shokry Hesham, Egypt / Kuili Suganya, India / George Tauika Vaipoki, Solomon Islands / Vicky Tauli-Corpuz, Philippines / Louise Tournillon, France / Richard Ariihau Tuheiava, French Polynesia / Shweta Wagh, India / Hiyab Gebretsadik Weldearegay, Ethiopia / Myint Zaw, Myanmar / Mahmud Zeyin El Abidin, Syria/Turkey
Each network member is free to make use of the NGO office in Berlin to the degree they decide, and each one, no matter how big or small, is treated with the same dignity and respect. The Berlin office is always available for advice and support as much as its limited capacities allow, and increasing these capacities is one of its top priorities.
Learn more about us
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In 2012 an International NGO Forum preceded a meeting of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee for the first time.
From 22-24 June 2012, representatives of international non-governmental organizations met international civil society activists in Saint Petersburg to discuss issues related to the protection of World Heritage properties. The main objective of the three-day event was to draw the attention of the world community to various problems of great concern.
The NGO Forum included two separate programs with common plenary sessions.
The first program was devoted to the natural heritage, the second one to the cultural heritage. Sharing experience of successful problem-solving in preserving the World Heritage, and building a system of effective interaction between NGOs and the UNESCO World Heritage Committee have been one of the main aims of the Forum on the Neva.
Among the participants of the event were members of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee and the World Heritage Center, international experts of IUCN and ICOMOS, representatives of international, national and regional NGOs, and other civil society activists.
The resolutions of the Forum were presented to the UNESCO World Heritage Committee and to the general public.
Upon suggestion by Stephan Doempke in his keynote speech, the NGO Forum adopted a resolution to create a global network of non-governmental actors who reside in or in the vicinity of, are concerned about, or focus their work on the protection of World Heritage Properties.
The persons who took the task to establish World Heritage Watch were (in alphabetical order)
Elena Belokurova (St. Petersburg State University)
Ivan Blokov (Greenpeace Russia, Moscow)
Stephan Doempke (People and Nature, Berlin)
Alec Marr (Strategic Interventions, Australia)
Sneshka Quaedvlieg-Mihailovic (Europa Nostra, Brussels)
Prof. Dr. Michael Turner (Bezalel Academy, Jerusalem)
World Heritage Watch (WHW) was eventually founded as an NGO under German law in Berlin on 14 January 2014.
WHW then organized the next NGO Forum which was held in Bonn, Germany, on 26-27 June 2015, again immediately prior to the session of the World Heritage Committee. The participants of the Bonn Conference decided that World Heritage Watch as a formal NGO should remain as small Berlin-based body acting as a coordinating office for the informal global network of non-governmental actors.
The organizers of the forum were: