The City of Philadelphia, With Support from the Global Philadelphia Association, Becomes an Observer Member of the Organization of World Heritage Cities

 PHILADELPHIA – On September 16, Mayor Michael Nutter publicly announced that Philadelphia was joining the Organization of World Heritage Cities (OWHC) as an Observer Member. This is the first time that a city in the United States has been granted this status. More detailed information about the Organization of World Heritage Cities can be found at www.ovpm.org.

The OWHC is an umbrella organization of cities from across the globe whose heritage is regarded as being of worldwide importance. Based in Québec City, Québec, Canada, the OWHC is composed of over 200 member cities. Until now, none of those cities were U.S. cities. The announcement came during the Opening Ceremony for GlobalPhilly™ 2013, a 47day, 106event international exposition presented by the Global Philadelphia Association across the Greater Philadelphia Region. The Global Philadelphia Association has been a longterm partner of the City in this effort. The Association led the way in coordinating the City’s membership effort, providing research and support to the City and communicating with OWHC officials in Québec on the City’s behalf. Philadelphia was helped in its effort by the fact that Independence Hall, a World Heritage Site, is located in the City.