On July 15, 2015, the Blue and John Crow Mountains became a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Jamaica's first.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) grants World Heritage status to natural and cultural sites across the globe that are considered to be of the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV), meaning the sites possess cultural and natural significance which is so exceptional as to transcend national boundaries and are of common importance for present and future generations of all humanity.
Other UNESCO World Heritage Sites include The Great Wall of China, the Taj Mahal, The Pyramids of Giza, the Acropolis and the Great Barrier Reef. However, of the 1,031 World Heritage Sites, only 32 are deemed mixed sites because of having both natural and cultural significance. The Blue and John Crow Mountains are such a site.