Privacy Policy

Last updated: October 2026

This Privacy Policy explains how the International Heritage Council (IHC) collects, uses and protects information you share through ihc.earth. We keep data collection to the minimum needed to respond to you and run our awards and mentoring programmes.

1. Information we collect

• Contact form details — name, phone number, email address (optional), the interest you select and the message you write.
• Nomination material — biographical information, photographs and documents you choose to send about a nominee.
• Technical data — basic browser and device information that the hosting provider records automatically for security and reliability.

We do not ask for sensitive personal data such as financial, health or government identification numbers through this website.

2. How your message reaches us

When you submit the contact form, your details are prepared as a message and opened in WhatsApp, addressed to the Council's number +91 94253 32208. The message is delivered through WhatsApp's own service once you press Send, and is then stored in our WhatsApp business records so we can reply to you. Nothing is sent until you confirm it in WhatsApp.

3. How we use the information

• To respond to enquiries, membership requests and partnership proposals.
• To evaluate nominations and communicate shortlisting and award decisions.
• To publish winner, mentor and jury profiles where you have given permission for that content to appear.
• To send occasional updates about awards and events, which you can ask us to stop at any time.

4. Sharing

We do not sell or rent your personal information. We share it only with IHC jury members and organisers who need it to review an entry, with service providers who help operate the website or messaging, or where disclosure is required by law.

5. Cookies and local storage

This website does not use advertising or tracking cookies. It stores a single preference in your browser (session storage) to remember that you dismissed the WhatsApp chat popup, and nothing else. You can clear it at any time through your browser settings.

6. Retention and security

Enquiry and nomination records are kept only as long as needed for the purpose they were collected and for legitimate record-keeping, then deleted or anonymised. We take reasonable steps to protect the information we hold, though no method of transmission over the internet is completely secure.

7. Your rights

• Ask what personal data we hold about you and request a copy.
• Ask us to correct information that is inaccurate or out of date.
• Ask us to delete your information, subject to legal record-keeping obligations.
• Withdraw consent for promotional communication at any time.

8. Children

Our programmes may include young leaders, but this website is not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect their personal data. A parent or guardian should submit enquiries on their behalf.

9. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy to reflect changes in how we work. The current version and revision date are always published on this page.

10. Contact

For any privacy question, write to ihc.earth@outlook.com, message +91 94253 32208 on WhatsApp, or post to Innov 8, Harsha Bhawan, 4th Floor, 13/29 E-Block, Connaught Place, New Delhi - 110001. See also our Terms and Conditions.