The conservation of historic buildings refers to all measures to protect their heritage value, including restoration, maintenance and revitalisation. Historic buildings naturally deteriorate through the years; they often show damage, in some cases from improper use and human intervention. Therefore, it is vital to carry out appropriate maintenance and restoration to protect their heritage value. A number of restoration projects of Hong Kong’s historic buildings have won the "UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation", showing that Hong Kong’s heritage-conservation achievements are well recognised by relevant international organisations.