A report published by the UNESCO Chair team in Cultural Property and Protection and Peace at Newcastle University, UK, highlights that World Heritage Sites could increase the range of activities they carry out that formally reference UNESCO’s founding objective of contributing to world peace through education, science, and culture, rather than focusing solely on their history or archaeology.
The research, which took place between 2019-2024, was carried out through a desk-top analysis of World Heritage Sites globally and then focussing on all 35 World Heritage Sites in the UK. It found that while a minority acknowledged UNESCO’s founding principle in their management policies and other official documents this did not pull through into site objectives, management plans, or on-site interpretation.
This was then followed by interviews with representatives from 16 Sites. This revealed that while most were aware of UNESCO’s founding principle, few were making any public reference to it or carrying out activities in support of it. However, many did express interest in exploring examples of best practice from other World Heritage Sites.
Professor Peter Stone, lead researcher and UNESCO Chair for Cultural Property Protection and Peace at Newcastle University, said: “UNESCO was established in 1945 to build peace in the minds of men and women. While this concept still survives in UNESCO’s strategic thinking it rarely percolates down to concrete actions. There are currently 1,223 World Heritage Sites across the Globe. All could and should be ‘ambassadors for peace”.
Among the recommendations made in the report is that an international project be set up to improve awareness and understanding of how World Heritage Sites can act as ‘ambassadors for peace’. As part of this, resources developed to assist UK sites would be tested in a wide variety of situations and, if necessary, modified for local audiences to help them understand what UNESCO is and does, what World Heritage Sites are, and issues such as how World Heritage relates to UNESCO’s primary objective of promoting peace.
Alongside this, a travelling exhibition could be used by World Heritage Sites within their own countries to improve understanding of World Heritage Sites as ‘ambassadors for peace’.
This would build on the work that many UK World Heritage Sites are now taking forward to improve the ways they reference the link to UNESCO’s raison d’être, as a result of the research being carried out.
UNESCO was established by the United Nations in 1945, with the primary objective to foster peace through the promotion of greater international and intercultural dialogue through education, science, and culture. In 1972, UNESCO launched the World Heritage List, comprising sites of global significance that represent the shared and collective culture and heritage of the world.
In 2016, Newcastle University was invited by UNESCO to establish the first ever UNESCO Chair for Cultural Property Protection and Peace, a position held by Professor Stone since its inception.
The UNESCO Chair Report ‘World Heritage Sites as ‘Ambassadors for Peace’ is jointly published by the UNESCO Chair at Newcastle University together with the UK National Commission for UNESCO (UKNC) and World Heritage UK (WHUK).
Professor Chris Day, Vice-Chancellor and President, Newcastle University, said: “Given the long running, and new, conflicts that threaten world peace, a discussion of the contribution that World Heritage Sites can make to bringing about peaceful societies is perhaps more relevant today than ever. I am particularly pleased that the University’s UNESCO Chair in Cultural Property Protection & Peace team have led this project while working closely with the UK National Commission for UNESCO and World Heritage UK.”
Anne Anderson, Chair, UK National Commission for UNESCO, said:
“We are delighted with the release of this important report as it shines a spotlight on the UK as thought leaders on peace within the UNESCO framework. Its publication is especially timely as the UN has declared 2025 as the 'International Year of Peace and Trust' and UNESCO itself moves into its 80th anniversary year."

Chris Blandford OBE FLI, President WHUK, said: “WHUK is delighted to have supported the ‘Ambassador for Peace’ project which is particularly important at a time when peace is so desperately needed in different parts of the world. The Project publication will greatly assist UK World Heritage Sites in their local missions to raise the awareness of the crucial role that each and every Site can play in promoting peace for society and all nations. It will also provide a firm foundation for our Sites to play their part in encouraging other World Heritage Sites across the globe to adopt the idea of ‘Ambassadors for Peace ‘. WHUK looks forward to working further with the Partnership to promoting the Project at the international level.”
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