World Heritage Volunteers 2020-21

The UNESCO World Heritage Centre is pleased to announce the selected projects of the World Heritage Volunteers (WHV) 2020 – 2021 Campaign, under the theme of Fostering Youth Commitment towards World Heritage.

WHV 2020-2021 is a joint campaign, a first in the history of the Initiative, as the implementation of the projects under the WHV 2020 campaign was postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 global pandemic.

As such, 55 action camp projects will be implemented from February to December 2021 at 55 World Heritage properties and sites on the Tentative Lists, by 49 organizations in 32 countries around the globe. 

The WHV 2020-2021 projects will provide empowering and enriching opportunities to young people and enable them to go beyond borders to some of the most outstanding places in the world. National and international volunteers will work together with the local communities to preserve our common cultural and natural heritage, through concrete hands-on and awareness-raising activities.

Volunteering for World Heritage preservation is a unique experience! Come join us in the WHV 2020-2021 Campaign.

What is the WHV Initiative?

The WHV Initiative was launched in 2008 to encourage young people to undertake concrete actions and play an active role in the protection, preservation and promotion of World Heritage. It consists of action camp projects organized by organizations or institutions, involving national and international volunteers in awareness-raising and hands on activities. These projects are implemented in cooperation with multiple stakeholders and partners, including the local communities, who work together towards the preservation of our common cultural and natural heritage.

The World Heritage Volunteers Initiative is led by the UNESCO World Heritage Centre in collaboration with the Coordinating Committee for International Voluntary Service- CCIVS (WHV global coordinator, regional coordinator for Africa, Arab States and Latin America) and European Heritage Volunteers – as a branch of Open Houses (regional coordinator for Europe) and Better World (regional coordinator for Asia).

How to become a Volunteer?

To become a volunteer, please refer to the list of selected projects of the World Heritage Volunteers 2020-2021 campaign, along with the brief descriptions of the selected projects, below. You may choose a project of your interest, based on the activities, duration and timeline of the project. 

Please note that the UNESCO World Heritage Centre and the regional coordinators are not responsible for the selection of individual volunteers. As such, you will need to contact the organizations implementing the chosen projects directly, so that they may be able to provide you with details regarding the application procedure, and other necessary information. The contact details are available in the brief descriptions below.

Official Website