Context

Created in 1993, the Organization of World Heritage Cities (OWHC) is headquartered in Quebec City, Canada. The OWHC is an international, non-profit, non-governmental organization of mayors of cities inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List.

The OWHC is governed by the General Assembly, made up of member cities in good standing, and by the Board of Directors, made up of eight (8) mayors. The General Secretariat administers the Organization and implements its activities with the support of five (5) Regional Secretariats.

OWHC’s mission

For the OWHC, World Heritage cities, which have the privilege of defending the universal values of humanity, owe it to themselves to be models in the protection and enhancing of cultural heritage; they must propose a bold vision of the future in response to the changes underway.

The combined effects of climatic, economic and social crises are exerting considerable pressure on urban environments, which are particularly vulnerable in terms of their historical and heritage dimensions. Faced with the scale of the changes underway, other ways of acting and new urban practices need to be considered.

The member cities of the OWHC have therefore decided to act together. A major initiative was launched following the Organization’s 16^th World Congress (Quebec City, 2022) to strengthen its political nature and enhance its operational capabilities. The “Quebec Roadmap” is an experiment in participative cooperation, unprecedented for the Organization, which actively involves multiple actors from member cities. At the 17^th World Congress of the OWHC (Cordoba, September 2024), a new step was taken, involving member cities in the design and adoption of a “New Urban Project” that will contribute to the emergence of a new generation of urban development policies, strategies and projects, nourished by a heritage approach to sustainable development that reconciles the urban, the human and the environment.

With this in mind, the OWHC is taking specific action to:

• Help individual member cities to better understand the complexity of today’s challenges.
• Support member cities in expressing their legitimate aspirations regarding their future and their contribution to the United Nations’ sustainable development goals.

The 2025-2026 Action Plan

To achieve this mission, the Action Plan mainly proposes:

• Cooperation and technical assistance programs for cities and between cities
• Pursuit of thematics within the framework of the “Quebec Roadmap”.
• Development of the “Cordoba Path” to design the “New Urban Project”.
• Communication and education programs for cities, young professionals and citizens.