The General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, at its 17th meeting held in Paris from October 17 to November 21, 1972, arose from the need to identify part of the priceless and irreplaceable of the nations, noting that cultural heritage and natural heritage are increasingly threatened with destruction, not only because of the traditional causes of deterioration but also because of the evolution of social and economic life that aggravates them with phenomena of alteration or destruction even more fearsome.
According to a statement published on the UNESCO page, the UNESCO World Heritage List is a legacy of monuments and sites of great natural and cultural wealth that belongs to all of humanity. The Sites inscribed on the World Heritage List fulfill a function of milestones on the planet, of symbols of the awareness of States and peoples about the meaning of those places and emblems of their attachment to collective property, as well as the transmission of that heritage to future generations.
At the time of publishing this article, the World Heritage List has 1073 registered sites, of which 832 are cultural property, 206 natural assets and 35 mixed assets, located in 167 States Parties. Since November 2016, 192 States Parties have ratified the World Heritage Convention. 139 sites of them are located in Latin America and the Caribbean of which Mexico has 34 registered sites, of which 6 of them are natural, 27 are cultural and 1 mixed; occupying the first place in the American continent with 34 registered sites and the seventh place in the world.
