Within the framework of the UNESCO World Heritage Education Programme, the World Heritage Volunteers (WHV) Initiative was launched in 2008 in collaboration with the Coordinating Committee for International Voluntary Service (CCIVS) to mobilize and involve young people and youth organizations in World Heritage preservation and promotion.

CCIVS was responsible for the global coordination of the Initiative from 2008 – 2022. In 2021 a decision was taken by the CCIVS General Assembly to hand over coordination to the Asia Coordination, Better World who since January 2023 is responsible for the global coordination.