The promotion and preservation of the World's Cultural and Natural Heritage has been an important feature of the volunteer projects of CCIVS' members over decades, involving young and adult volunteers in the protection and the valorisation of our common tangible and intangible heritage. In 2007, as a response to the growing interest of young people to undertake concrete actions and to play an active role in the promotion and preservation of World Heritage, the UNESCO World Heritage Centre and CCIVS initiated the World Heritage Volunteers. The project aims at raising awareness about the necessity to protect, preserve and promote cultural and natural heritage in general and the inscribed or potential World Heritage (WH) sites in particular. It furthermore aims at demonstrating the value of non-formal education as an approach to disseminate the values and expertise developed at the inter-governmental level to a large public and in particular to young people, based on a dynamic dialogue between the different stakeholders.