UNESCO World Heritage Centre

The UNESCO World Heritage Centre administers the World Heritage Convention adopted in 1972 and is the principal international body responsible for the inscription, monitoring, and protection of cultural and natural heritage sites of outstanding universal value.

UNESCO is the principal international institutional actor in the Saharan-Maghreb earthen heritage landscape. Its inscriptions include Aït Ben Haddou (Morocco, 1987), the M'Zab Valley (Algeria, 1982), the Ancient Ksour of Ouadane, Chinguetti, Tichitt, and Oualata (Mauritania, 1996), the Medina of Marrakech (1985), the Old City of Ghadamès (Libya, 1986), and several other sites within the broader region.

The Centre's role is principally inscription and monitoring rather than direct conservation. Implementation is delegated to national heritage agencies — CERKAS in Morocco, the relevant Mauritanian and Algerian state bodies elsewhere — with UNESCO providing institutional framework, periodic reporting requirements, and occasional emergency assistance.