What Is the UNESCO Tentative List, and How Do You Get on It?

With a total of 27 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the United States is peppered full of sites of wonder. There's the Statue of Liberty, the patinated icon that has served as the first face millions of immigrants saw once they reached the country's shores and the San Antonio Missions in Texas which were first constructed the 18th century. Beyond manmade wonders, UNESCO has also recognized natural sites such as the Florida Everglades and the Grand Canyon. There's no shortage of modern marvels and breathtaking landscapes to behold in the US, which leads us to ask, how does a destination gain recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage Site? The process begins with the UNESCO Tentative List, which puts the best of the best up for consideration.What is the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List?The Tentative List, as the name suggests, comprises natural and cultural properties that a country considers to have the potential to be recognized as World Heritage. It is not a confirmation that a site has been selected for inscription, only the first step towards a formal nomination, which is drawn up subsequently in the process. To qualify for World Heritage status, a property must demonstrate Outstanding Universal Value (OUV), meaning its cultural or natural significance ought to be considered exceptional from an international perspective. A site’s inclusion on the Tentative List places it in the position to be examined further for its potential OUV. This process enables a stronger foundation of vetting for the final nominations that a country draws up.Even if a site included in a Tentative List is not nominated during one evaluatory round, there’s always a chance in the future that it may be added back to the list and considered for a nomination. The list is updated at any time per the country’s discretion, but each included site must undergo a separate nomination and evaluation process before qualifying for the World Heritage List. Once a site is inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage, it is removed from the Tentative List.What criteria does UNESCO use to assess a site?At the heart of UNESCO’s World Heritage process is the concept of Outstanding Universal Value (OUV). In simple terms, this means a place must be significant beyond its own country, and its cultural or natural importance must be exceptional enough to matter to people around the world, including future generations. A site must demonstrate this value against at least one of UNESCO’s 10 selection criteria, whether for its contribution to human history and culture, its geological features, its ecological processes or its biodiversity.The cultural criteria include sites that represent exceptional examples of human creativity, demonstrate an important exchange of human values, bear testimony to cultural traditions or civilizations, or illustrate significant stages in human history. They also cover traditional settlements and landscapes, as well as properties associated with events, living traditions, beliefs, and works of outstanding universal significance.The natural criteria consider exceptional natural beauty, significant stages in the Earth’s geological history, ongoing ecological and biological processes, and habitats important for conserving biodiversity.Meeting one or more criteria is not enough on its own. A proposed property must also satisfy the relevant conditions of authenticity and integrity, alongside requirements for protection and management. Its inclusion must make a case for why its significance is exceptional in a global context, including through comparisons with similar properties.It’s important to note that UNESCO’s 10 criteria are regularly revised to reflect the evolving understanding of World Heritage.How does a site make it to the Tentative List?Countries identify properties they consider to have potential OUV and may eventually nominate for World Heritage status. UNESCO encourages them to involve a broad range of stakeholders in preparing their Tentative Lists, including site managers, local communities, government bodies, and non-governmental organizations. The process is led by each country, so the extent and nature of consultation can vary.Which US sites are on the Tentative List?Currently, the US has 17 sites on their Tentative List, with nominations dating from 2008 and 2017. The US has submitted both cultural and natural sites for consideration with locales raning from the country's Pacific territories to Alabama. Below are the current contenders on the Tentative List, according to the National Park Service.Cultural sitesBrooklyn Bridge, New YorkCentral Park, New YorkChicago Early Skyscrapers, Illinois (which includes but may be expanded: The Rookery, the Auditorium Building, the Monadnock Building, the Ludington Building, the Marquette Building, the Old Colony Building, the Schlesinger & Mayer (Carson, Pirie Scott) Department Store, the Second Leiter Building, the Fisher Building)Civil Rights Movement Sites, Alabama (which includes but may be expanded: Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church, Montgomery; Bethel Baptist Church, Birmingham; 16th Street Baptist Church, Birmingham)Dayton Aviation Sites, Ohio (Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park)Ellis Island, New Jersey and New YorkJefferson (Thomas) Buildings, Virginia (an extension to the Monticello and the University of Virginia Historic District which includes Poplar Forest and the Virginia State Capitol)Mount Vernon, VirginiaSerpent Mound, OhioNatural sitesBig Bend National Park, TexasCentral California Current, California (which includes Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary, Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary, Farallon Islands National Wildlife Refuge, Point Reyes National Seashore, and Golden Gate National Recreation Area)Marianas Trench National Monument, US Territory, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, GuamNational Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa/Rose Atoll National Marine Monument (Formerly Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary)Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, GeorgiaPacific Remote Islands National Monument, US Territorial WatersPetrified Forest National Park, ArizonaWhite Sands National Monument, New MexicoWhat happens after inclusion on the Tentative List?The country must still decide whether to proceed with a formal nomination and prepare the documentation required to demonstrate the property’s OUV. This includes establishing how the site meets the relevant selection criteria, documenting its authenticity and integrity, outlining the measures in place to protect it, and presenting a management framework. The nomination must also explain how the property compares with other sites of similar significance.The country, not UNESCO, decides which properties to nominate for World Heritage status. Once a site on the Tentative List is formally nominated, independent advisory bodies assess its significance and conservation measures. The UNESCO World Heritage Committee then makes the final decision on whether to inscribe it on the World Heritage List.A version of this article was originally published on Condé Nast Traveller India.