The decision comes after protests from Russia, which did not want to see the historic port city on the list.
Odessa - located about 500 kilometers from the capital Kyiv - has been the target of frequent Russian attacks during the war of aggression.
It has contributed to the city's historic center now being added to the list of World Heritage in Danger, something that could pave the way for more financial and technical assistance.
Symbolically and legally important
Audrey Azoulay, Director General of Unesco, highlights the symbolic aspect of placing Odessa on the World Heritage List.
- It engages everyone, and we can all see it.
We recognize its history and contribution to this heritage, she says.
The fact that Odessa is on the list also provides legal protection.
- 194 states have signed the World Heritage Convention and all states that have done so have an obligation not to intentionally damage this heritage, says Audrey Azoulay.
"Ukraine and the world provide protection"
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy last autumn called on the UN agency to give the city, sometimes called the "Pearl of the Black Sea", the status of a world heritage site.
- Ukraine and the world provide protection.
Russia can provide nothing but terror and attacks.
These are the facts, Zelenskyy said of the decision in a speech on Wednesday evening.
Ukraine has previously also demanded that Russia be excluded from Unesco.
The UN agency has said that Russian soldiers or other agents found guilty of deliberately destroying world heritage sites in Ukraine could be prosecuted under international law.
Odessa will become Ukraine's eighth World Heritage Site, among the previous ones are St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv and the old city center of Lviv.