Call for Projects: UNESCO World Heritage Volunteers Initiative 2023 Program

The World Heritage Volunteers (WHV) Initiative was started in 2008 in partnership with the Coordinating Committee for International Voluntary Service (CCIVS) as part of the World Heritage Education Programme at the UNESCO World Heritage Centre to mobilize and involve young people and youth organizations in World Heritage preservation and promotion. Today, Better World and the UNESCO World Heritage Centre are working together to coordinate the Initiative.

The World Heritage Volunteers (WHV) Initiative rises to the challenge of “The Next 50” years by involving young people, communities, and site managers in creating new, inclusive societies where World Heritage serves as a source of resilience, humanity, and innovation, beyond the confines of geography and culture. This is done in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the UNESCO World Heritage Convention.

inclusive societies where World Heritage is a source of resilience, humanity and innovation, beyond the constraints of geography and cultures.

It is in this context of celebration and regeneration of youth and community volunteer efforts for heritage that the UNESCO World Heritage Centre is pleased to launch the Call for Projects for the ‘World Heritage Volunteers 2023 – Working on the Future’.

The WHV Initiative was launched in 2008 to encourage young people to undertake concrete actions and to play an active role in the protection, preservation, and promotion of World Heritage sites. It consists of action camps organized by youth organizations or institutions in cooperation with multiple stakeholders and partners, who work together for the state of conservation of World Heritage sites. The initiative mobilizes national and international volunteers through hands-on and awareness-raising activities for the conservation of our common cultural and natural heritage

UNESCO World Heritage Volunteers Initiative 2023 Program Timeline:

• 31 December 2022: Deadline for the submission of project applications
• 1-22 January 2023 Additional information may be requested from the organisations
• 1 February 2023: Announcement of selected WHV projects.
• Confirmations will be sent to the selected organisations.
• Applications for the Mobility Fund will be open.
• February/March 2023: Official communication will be sent to the National Commissions for UNESCO, Permanent Delegations to
  UNESCO, UNESCO Field Offices and site management authorities.
• 1 April 2023 –15 October 2023: Project implementation, project visits and photo/video documentation.
• By 31 October 2023: Submission of the evaluation form and questionnaires including pictures, videos and a signed copyright agreement by
  the implementing organisations.
• October/November 2023 WHV Call for Projects 2024 will be launched

Apply here

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the UNESCO World Heritage Volunteers Initiative 2023 Program