Cultural Heritage comprises both tangible and intangible heritages. UNESCO plays an important role to protect these heritages. The most outstanding sites are nominated by UNESCO as World Heritage that has unique universal values. As of date, 1052 World Heritage Sites have been nominated, of which 814 sites are Cultural Heritage, 203 sites are Natural Heritage and 35 sites are of Mixed Heritage, comprising both cultural and natural heritage.

To be included on the World Heritage List, sites must be of outstanding universal value and meet at least one out of ten selection criteria.

1. To represent a masterpiece of human creative genius;
2. To exhibit an important interchange of human values, over a span of time or within a cultural area of the world, on developments in architecture or technology, monumental arts, town-planning or landscape design;
3. To bear a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization which is living or which has disappeared;
4. To be an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural or technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates (a) significant stage(s) in human history;
5. To be an outstanding example' of a traditional human settlement, land-use, or sea-use which is representative of a culture (or cultures), or human interaction with the environment especially when it has become vulnerable under the impact of irreversible change;
6. To be directly or tangibly associated with events or living traditions, with ideas, or with beliefs, with artistic and literary works of outstanding universal significance. (The Committee considers that this criterion should preferably be used in conjunction with other criteria);
7. To contain superlative natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance;
8. To be outstanding examples representing major stages of earth's history, including the record of life, significant ongoing geological processes in the development of landforms, or significant geomorphic or physiographic features;
9. To be outstanding examples representing significant ongoing ecological and biological processes in the evolution and development of terrestrial, fresh water, coastal and marine ecosystems and communities of plants and animals;
10. To contain the most important and significant natural habitats for in-situ conservation of biological diversity, including those containing threatened species of outstanding universal value from the point of view of science or conservation.

Among these, eight Sites of Sri Lanka have been inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage, namely,

The Central Highlands and Sinharaja Forest are the only Natural World Heritage sites in Sri Lanka and others are Cultural Heritage.

As Sri Lankans, we should be proud of our heritage and we must protect them.