UNESCO hands over strategic tools to strengthen the protection of World Heritage in Ukraine

On 25 June 2026, UNESCO formally handed over a comprehensive suite of strategic tools to support the protection and management of World Heritage in Ukraine. The hand over took place in Gdańsk during the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC), marking a significant milestone in the Organisation’s sustained efforts to safeguard cultural heritage in crisis contexts.

This achievement is the result of more than three years of close collaboration between UNESCO, the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine, and two of the Advisory Bodies to the World Heritage Committee – the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) and the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM). It also reflects the contributions of a national network of over 150 heritage professionals actively engaged in the conservation and management of World Heritage properties and sites on Ukraine’s Tentative List.

Developed with the generous support of the Government of Japan, these tools offer practical, field-oriented and immediately operational guidance to address the complex challenges faced by cultural heritage in wartime and disaster contexts.

‘This initiative demonstrates the value of sustained international cooperation. Thanks to the support of Japan and collaboration of all partners, including ICOMOS and ICCROM, UNESCO has been able to develop tools that not only support Ukraine, but also provide valuable reference models for other countries facing crisis situations worldwide.’  

Krista Pikkat, Director, Culture and Emergencies, UNESCO.

© UNESCO/Zhanna Sirkovych

A comprehensive and operational framework

The package of guidelines form a coherent and complementary framework designed to support Ukrainian authorities and site managers in safeguarding and protection measures across World Heritage properties and sites on Ukraine’s Tentative List. It encompasses a comprehensive approach to risk reduction, emergency preparedness and first aid, ensuring continuity from immediate crisis response to early recovery and long-term reconstruction.

The tools include tailored guidance for the development of Emergency Response Preparedness plans for key properties such as Kyiv: Saint-Sophia Cathedral and Related Monastic Buildings, Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra and Wooden Tserkvas of the Carpathian Region in Poland and Ukraine. These frameworks provide structured methodologies for risk analysis, documentation and operational planning, addressing threats including missile strikes, fires and other conflict-related hazards, while strengthening coordination among stakeholders.

In parallel, dedicated recommendations support the revision of the Management Plan for the World Heritage property The Historic Centre of Odesa, integrating governance, conservation and risk management in a wartime context. A strategic roadmap has also been developed to define the Desired State of Conservation for the Removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger, identifying priorities, indicators and timelines for recovery and long-term safeguarding.

© UNESCO/Juliette Viguerard

Supporting recovery, resilience and international coordination

Aligned with UNESCO’s Culture in Emergencies (CURE) Framework, these tools reinforce a continuum from emergency response, recovery and sustainable reconstruction. They aim to strengthen national capacities while ensuring full alignment with the principles of the World Heritage Convention, and to facilitate effective coordination among national institutions and international partners. In doing so, they also provide a robust basis for mobilising resources to protect cultural heritage in crisis situations.

UNESCO calls upon Member States, international partners and donors to support the implementation and scaling up of these tools. Sustained technical and financial assistance remains essential to ensure that these operational frameworks translate into concrete action on the ground, reinforcing resilience, supporting recovery and preserving heritage as a vital pillar of identity and continuity.

By investing in the protection of World Heritage in Ukraine today, the international community affirms its collective commitment to solidarity, to the values underpinning the World Heritage Convention, and to the role of culture as a driver of recovery, peace and sustainable development.