The most significant characteristic of the Convention on the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (UNESCO, 1972) is a joint connection between the concept of nature protection and preservation of cultural goods.

The Convention defines the type of natural or cultural assets that may be considered for inscription on the World Heritage List, and determines the responsibilities of the Member States in identifying potential resources and their role in the protection and preservation of sites. By signing the Convention, each country undertakes the obligation to preserve not only the world heritage property situated on its territory, but also to protect its own national heritage.

Bosnia and Herzegovina has three properties listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List:

1. Old Bridge Area of the Old City of Mostar
2. Mehmed Paša Sokolović - Bridge in Višegrad
3. Stećci Medieval Tombstone Graveyards 

Commission to Preserve National Monuments has adopted a decision on nomination of four monuments for the inscription on the World Heritage List:

• The Old Bridge with the Old Town of Mostar (inscribed to the World Heritage List in July 2005),
• The Mehmed Paša Sokolović Bridge in Višegrad (inscribed to the World Heritage List in July 2007),
• The Historic urban area of Jajce (Nomination file submitted to the World Heritage Centre in 2007. – withdraw later) ,
• Stećak – medieval tombstones (inscribed to the World Heritage List in July 2016).  
• The Commission to Preserve National Monuments was the bearer of the Nomination dossier and the Management plan for the Mehmed Paša Sokolović Bridge in Višegrad, the Historic urban area of Jajce, and Stećak– medieval tombstones.

A tentative or provisional list is a list of properties located in the territory of the country that considers them appropriate for inclusion on the World Heritage List. Member States includes in their Tentative List properties considered as cultural and/or natural heritage of outstanding universal value. Nominations to the World Heritage List will not be considered unless the nominated property has already been included on the State Party's Tentative List. Properties from Bosnia and Herzegovina inscribed on the Tentative List are:

• Sarajevo – a unique symbol of universal multiculturalism (1997),
• The Vjetrenica Cave (2004),
• The Historic-urban area of Jajce (2006),
• The Historic-urban area of Počitelj (2007),
• The Natural-historic area of Blagaj (2007),
• The Natural-historic area of Blidinje (2007),
• The Natural-historic area of Stolac (2007),
• Primeval forest Perućica (2017).
• Jewish cemetery in Sarajevo (2018)

The Commission to Preserve National Monuments prepared nominations for the inscription of seven properties on the Tentative List:

1.    The historic-urban area of Počitelj,

2.    The natural-historic area of Blagaj,

3.    The natural-historic area of Blidinje,

4.    The natural-historic area of Stolac,

5.    The natural and historic area of Zavala and Vjetrenica,

6.    The historic-urban area of Jajce,

7.    Stećak – medieval tombstones.

The List of 100 Most Endangered Monuments (World Monuments Watch – WMW)  

• Upon the proposal of the Commission to Preserve National Monuments, Mehmed Paša Sokolović Bridge in Višegrad was entered on the List of 100 Most Endangered for 2006.
• The Commission to Preserve National Monuments also proposed the City Hall in Sarajevo for the inscription on this list, which was accomplished in 2008.
• Počitelj was inscribed on World Monuments Watch List 1996 - 1998.