Category 2 Centres or Institutes are institutions created in collaboration by UNESCO and one or more countries so that these organizations can contribute globally or regionally to UNESCO's programs and priorities in specific areas.
The IRPMZ is a Category 2 Centre created by UNESCO and the Government of Mexico, in conjunction with the Government of Zacatecas, in 2009, specifically to contribute to the implementation of the 1972 Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage in Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean.
Actively assist the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, the States Parties of the Subregion of Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, Focal Points, Site Managers, Advisory Bodies to the World Heritage Committee (ICCROM, ICOMOS, IUCN), Educational Institutions, Communities, as well as the Category 2 Centres under the auspices of UNESCO, for the implementation of the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage of 1972, in accordance with the strategic objectives of the Budapest Declaration (2002), summarized in Credibility, Conservation, Capacities, Communication and Communities.
The Regional World Heritage Institute in Zacatecas, a Category 2 Institute under the auspices of UNESCO, is internationally recognized for its leadership in promoting capacity building, regional collaboration and effective monitoring for the best implementation of the Convention on the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage of 1972, in Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, actively contributing to the integral development of the nations in its area of competence.