The World Heritage Committee (World Heritage Centre) is an intergovernmental organization under UNESCO. The Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage was adopted at the General Conference of UNESCO in 1972, and the Intergovernmental Committee for Cultural Heritage and Natural Heritage, the World Heritage Committee, was established within the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

The World Heritage Committee is composed of 21 member states The World Heritage Committee is responsible for the implementation of the Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, mainly by deciding which properties can be inscribed on the World Heritage List and by overseeing the protection of the World Heritage properties already inscribed on the List. The Convention defines cultural and natural heritage, as well as national and international safeguarding measures for cultural and natural heritage. The Convention provides that each State Party may identify its own cultural and natural heritage within its territory and submit its list to the World Heritage Committee for examination by the World Heritage General Assembly. All sites inscribed on the World Cultural and Natural Heritage List are strictly protected by the State in which they are located in accordance with the law.

The members of the World Heritage Committee are elected for a term of six years, with one-third of them re-elected every two years. The seven members of the Committee constitute the World Heritage Committee Presidency, which meets twice a year to study the work of the World Heritage Committee. The Committee holds a World Heritage Assembly in a different country each year.

The World Heritage Committee has also established the World Heritage Fund, which provides for funding from "voluntary contributions from States Parties and voluntary contributions"; "donations, gifts or bequests from other States, UNESCO, other organizations of the United Nations system, other intergovernmental organizations, public or private institutions or individuals"; "interest earned on the basic sums"; "funds raised and donations made for the benefit of the Fund"; and funds and income from activities organized for the Fund"; "other funds recognized by the Fund's regulations". "Contributions to the Fund shall not be subject to political conditions", and the States Parties shall regularly pay contributions to the World Heritage Fund every two years, etc.

UNESCO also has a dedicated World Heritage Centre, also known as the "Executive Secretariat of the Convention". The Center assists States Parties in the practical implementation of the Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, makes recommendations to the World Heritage Committee, and implements the decisions of the World Heritage Committee.