The Organization of World Heritage Cities

Go to the OWHC website.

The Organization of World Heritage Cities (OWHC) is made up of 208 cities in which are located sites included on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Of the member cities, 7 are located in Africa, 36 in Latin America, 20 in Asia and the Pacific, 123 in Europe and North America and 22 in the Arab States. At the moment there are also 4 Observer-members. These 208 World Heritage Cities have a combined population of 125 million. The OWHC’s headquarters are located in Québec City, Canada. The OWHC’s initiatives, which are geared to the implementation of the World Heritage Convention, include informing and the training municipal managers. The OWHC organizes symposia and seminars dealing with management and strategies pertaining to the development and preservation of historic sites. The OWHC also strives to heighten awareness among United Nations, UNESCO, World Bank and Council of Europe officials of the importance of better protecting historic cities in the event of armed conflicts. In the coming years, the Organization is to focus on the establishment of an electronic communications network linking member cities through the Internet and the creation of a data bank on historic cities.