Britannica
Sources used in this answer
When did UNESCO adopt the World Heritage Convention?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
World Heritage site
Reclining Buddha statue, Ajanta Caves, north-central Maharashtra state, India.
UNESCO adopted the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage on November 16, 1972. The convention, which provides a framework for international cooperation in preserving cultural and natural sites of outstanding universal value, formally took effect in 1975 after being ratified by 20 countries.12