UNESCO-World Heritage e.V.   The UNESCO-Welterbestätten Deutschland e.V. is the union of the German UNESCO world heritage sites and the corresponding touristic organisations. The association has been founded in September 2001 at Quedlinburg. The office of the association is located at the historical Palais Salfeld at the centre of Quedlinburg old town, which has become a world heritage site in 1994.   Main objectives increase awareness of Germany's world heritage sites promote low-impact, specialised tourism to heritage sites better coordination between protection of historical sites and tourism guarantee the conservation of the sites through the income generated by tourism consulting service for the World Heritage Site management   Members Members of the UNESCO-Welterbestätten Deutschland e.V. are: touristic organisations of the cities, regions and the states responsible local maintenances of the sites (partly) the German Commission for UNESCO German National Tourist Board Deutsche Stiftung Denkmalschutz sponsoring members   The World Heritage Convention The "Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage" was adopted by the UNESCO General Conference in 1972. It places the conservation of a cultural or natural heritage site "of outstanding universal value" into the care of the whole of mankind. By signing the Convention, each country undertakes to protect the sites on its own territory and to conserve them for future generations. In return, UNESCO member states receive expert advice on how to preserve their sites; developing countries also receive financial assistance. It is the Convention's aim to encourage cooperation between the peoples of the international community and to encourage and intensify the conservation of cultural and natural heritage. Tourism too has a contribution to make to the conservation of world heritage sites. The German association UNESCO-Welterbestätten Deutschland e.V. wishes to increase awareness of Germany's world heritage sites and promote low-impact, specialised tourism to heritage sites on a sustainable scale. This involves an opportunity to extend the appeal and accessibility of world heritage and also to guarantee the conservation of the world heritage sites on a lasting basis through the income generated by tourism.