THE National Trust is one of the UK's best-loved charities - looking after the heritage and environment of England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The National Trust for Scotland does the same in that country.

But did you know that across the globe, 40 national trusts, now bound together by the launch of the International National Trusts Organisation (INTO), work along the same lines as the UK trusts? There is a strong bond between them all and a wish to look toward the "mother trust" where the movement began in the UK in 1895.

Since the launch of INTO in India in December 2007, the INTO secretariat has been established within the London headquarters of the National Trust.

INTO was formally launched in New Delhi at the 12th International Conference of National Trusts hosted by the Indian National Trust for Arts & Cultural Heritage.From across the world the conference welcomed delegates, of which 48 national trusts or similar organisations signed the INTO charter.

One of the most active INTO members is the Indian National Trust for Art & Cultural Heritage (Intach). In June 2009, Intach signed a memorandum of understanding with the Delhi government's tourism department.

Intach's chairman said: "This is a very significant step in the beginning of a partnership with the Delhi government in the field of heritage. The first step is that we will be working towards the long-term plan for getting Delhi declared as a World Heritage City."

In China, the Ruanyisan Heritage Foundation was founded in 2006 by Professor Ruan Yisan to promote and support urban heritage conservation. It is the first private foundation working on heritage conservation in China and aims to raise the awareness of people and government of its goals.

Towards the end of the 19th century, organisations were beginning to be formed across the globe with the aim of conserving fast-disappearing natural and cultural heritage.

The National Trust movement has grown to include a range of countries from Australia, Barbados and Canada through to Korea, Malta, the Netherlands, Taiwan, the United States and Zimbabwe.

Each national trust is different but each one shares similar goals, legal constitutions and structures, and today dozens of such trusts and similar heritage conservation organisations exist throughout the world.

Beginning in the 1970s, many of these trusts came together at three-year and then two-year intervals to exchange best practice within the heritage conservation sector, to develop professional expertise among staff and volunteers from newly formed national trusts and to stimulate the formation of yet more trusts.

Furthermore, these meetings consider specific conservation issues that transcend national boundaries and that may need a collective approach to advocacy, such as tackling climate change.

INTO brings together organisations from across the world, united by their common interest in the conservation and enjoyment of our intangible and tangible heritage - both cultural and natural.

Through cooperation, coordination and comradeship, INTO enables people to exchange information, develop and promote best practice, and work to effect change.

The 21st century is a time when heritage all over the planet is under increasing threat from environmental decay, neglect and conflict. Against this background is a growing awareness and recognition of the value of collaborative international action.

INTO can assist national trusts with campaigning techniques at national level and is developing an international advocacy programme that will aim to put heritage - both cultural and natural - at the heart of global policy making.INTO also seeks funding to support programmes from which its members can benefit.

INTO can help groups seeking transition to national trust status, give guidance and advice on the legal and fiscal incentives that are beneficial to national trusts, and provide documentation to assist with drafting new legislation and/or constitutions.

An INTO spokesman said: "Our ‘Heritage Horizons' project aims to identify model national trust legislation, heritage protection laws, planning policies and best-practice guidelines from across the globe."