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2373 news
Monday, 1 May 2023
In May 2023, Traditional Owners collected environmental DNA (eDNA) samples in the Ningaloo Coast World Heritage site (Australia), as part of the global eDNA expeditions UNESCO is currently piloting across 25 marine World Heritage sites to better understand ocean biodiversity and the effects of climate change. Water samples were collected from 5 locations across Ningaloo Coast World Heritage ...
access_time 2 min read
Thursday, 27 April 2023
The 5th edition of the World Heritage Site Managers’ Forum (WHSMF23) will be organised in conjunction with the extended 45th session of the World Heritage Committee, with the theme selected for the Forum “Managing World Heritage for the Next 50 Years.” It is hosted by the Ministry of Culture of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, represented by the National Committee and the Heritage Commission ...
access_time 2 min read
Monday, 24 April 2023
Call for nominations are open. Deadline for submission: extended until 31 May 2023. The Prize rewards outstanding examples of action to safeguard and enhance the world’s cultural landscapes. The Prize was established in 1995 by Greece and named after the actress and activist Melina Mercouri, a strong advocate of integrated heritage conservation and former Minister of Culture of Greece. The ...
access_time 1 min read
Friday, 21 April 2023
Today, Belize’s Ministry of Blue Economy and Civil Aviation launched the Strategy for Reef Resilience in Belize, paving the way for concerted action across government, businesses and civil society to help safeguard the future of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System from the impacts of climate change. The strategy was released alongside initial seed funding to ...
access_time 2 min read
Thursday, 20 April 2023
Bridges: UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe's biannual newsletter, issue 2 July - December 2022 is now available online. The issue illustrates World Heritage-related activity in the region. You can access and download the newsletter through the UNESCO Digital Library below:Bridges: UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe, issue 2, July - December 2022 - ...
Wednesday, 19 April 2023
High school children from rural villages travelled to iSimangaliso Wetland Park to sample South Africa’s unique World Heritage-listed marine area as part of the global eDNA expeditions UNESCO is currently piloting across 25 marine World Heritage sites to better understand ocean biodiversity and the effects of climate change. In the early morning of 19 April 2023, children from three high ...
access_time 2 min read
Tuesday, 18 April 2023
Blog post by Director of World Heritage at UNESCO - Lazare Eloundou AssomoIs there a place you have never been, but always felt a special connection to? From Peru’s Machu Picchu to Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, the Temple of Angkor Wat in Cambodia to the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks, these wonders of the world are as diverse as they come. But they have one thing in common – they are part of ...
access_time 3 min read
Tuesday, 18 April 2023
The World Heritage Volunteers Initiative, one of UNESCO’s flagship activities that involves young people in the active preservation of our World Heritage is celebrating the International Day of Monuments and Sites by kick-starting its 2023 Campaign with 3 projects in Madagascar, India and China, respectively. Young international and national volunteers will trek along the Khangchendzonga ...
access_time 1 min read
Sunday, 16 April 2023
Scientists and rangers from the National Commission of Protected Natural Areas (CONANP) undertook an expedition to the Archipiélago de Revillagigedo World Heritage site in Mexico to collect marine baseline information, including environmental DNA (eDNA) samples as part of the eDNA sampling campaigns currently piloted by UNESCO across 25 marine World Heritage sites. From 16 to 26 April 2023, ...
access_time 3 min read
Friday, 14 April 2023
From 2020 through 2022, Colombia has undertaken a project aimed at developing a dossier in view of a future nomination of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and Tayrona National Park for the UNESCO World Heritage List. Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta was declared a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1979. It is the world’s highest coastal mountain formation with two peaks at 5,775 metres above sea level ...
access_time 2 min read
Friday, 14 April 2023
Young Philippine volunteers journeyed overnight to Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park to take eDNA samples at the remote World Heritage site, located in the centre of the Sulu Sea. The sampling was part of the global eDNA expeditions initiative that UNESCO currently coordinates across 25 marine World Heritage sites to better understand ocean biodiversity and the effects of climate change. On 13 ...
access_time 2 min read
Thursday, 13 April 2023
On 14 January 2023, the Forum on the 50th Anniversary of the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage was held in Beijing in a hybrid format. Under the theme of "World Heritage for the Next 50 Years", the Forum was co-hosted by the National Commission of the People's Republic of China for UNESCO, the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, the ...
access_time 4 min read
Sunday, 9 April 2023
Students from villages near the Dungonab Bay and Mukkawar Island Marine National Park sampled Sudan’s unique World Heritage listed marine area as part of the global eDNA expeditions UNESCO is currently piloting across 25 marine World Heritage sites to better understand ocean biodiversity and the effects of climate change. On 9 and 10 April 2023, 8 students from primary and secondary schools ...
access_time 2 min read
Friday, 7 April 2023
Students from Senior High School in Miami, Florida joined scientists from Everglades National Park World Heritage site to participate in UNESCO's Environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling campaign, as part of a global effort to sample and record marine biodiversity across 25 marine World Heritage Sites. On 7 April 2023, under a warm Florida sun and a pleasant breeze, six students aged 15-17-year-old ...
access_time 2 min read
Wednesday, 5 April 2023
From 5 to 12 April 2023, fisheries officers and community researchers defied choppy seas while collecting environmental DNA (eDNA) samples across the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System. The local sampling is part of the global eDNA expeditions initiative that UNESCO currently conducts across 25 marine World Heritage sites to better understand ocean biodiversity and the effects of climate ...
access_time 2 min read
Tuesday, 4 April 2023
Eleven eco-school students travelled to the remote Aldabra Atoll for a week of intense educational activities, including the collection of environmental DNA samples as part of the global eDNA expeditions UNESCO is currently piloting across 25 marine World Heritage sites to better understand ocean biodiversity and the effects of climate change. From 31st March to 4th April 2023, four teachers ...
access_time 3 min read
Monday, 3 April 2023
The Arab Regional Centre for World Heritage (ARC-WH), in collaboration with the Heritage Commission in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, announces the open call for the second edition of the short film competition "My Heritage" as part of the "Arab Youth for Heritage" initiative. Get a chance to win a trip to Saudi Arabia to screen the winning films at the side events of the 45th World Heritage ...
Thursday, 30 March 2023
Earlier this month, Ningaloo Coast UNESCO World Heritage site in Australia released a pioneering resilient reefs strategy that is aimed at securing the long-term conservation of the coral reef and its communities in a rapidly changing climate. The strategy takes a uniquely holistic view of the threats facing Ningaloo Reef together with the needs of local communities and businesses and ...
access_time 2 min read
Wednesday, 29 March 2023
Deadline: 23 April 2023, midnight (Paris time) UNESCO launches a call to renew and expand the two existing Expert Facilities for the 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions (hereafter “the 2005 Convention”), and the UNESCO Culture|2030 Indicators under a new EU/UNESCO Expert Facility Programme for a 4-year mandate (2023-2026). The Expert ...
access_time 4 min read
Wednesday, 22 March 2023
UNESCO has launched a new guidance tool to enhance mutual understanding and achieve improved and constructive cooperation between the deployment of wind energy projects and the conservation of the world’s most precious heritage places. With climate change being a defining issue of our time, the transition to renewable energy sources and sustainable energy production to replace fossil fuels ...
access_time 2 min read
Monday, 20 March 2023
Forests are some of the most biodiversity-rich habitats on Earth and contain 60,000 different tree species and more than 70% of all animal terrestrial species. Forests also play a crucial role in climate regulation and their protection is among the most cost-effective ways to push climate action. Forests fuel our economies and provide invaluable ecosystem services, being vitally important for ...
access_time 3 min read
Friday, 17 March 2023
The Joint Research Centre through the BIOPAMA program launched a Massive Online Open Course (MOOC) focused on ‘Assessing tourism services in protected areas: value chain and economic analyses’. The course is based on Opportunity Study Guidelines produced by The International Trade Centre, and Visitors Count! published by UNESCO and the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation BfN, and written ...
access_time 1 min read
Friday, 17 March 2023
On 17 March 2023, schoolchildren aged 8-10 from the Gulf of Porto: Calanche of Piana, Gulf of Girolata, Scandola Reserve UNESCO World Heritage site took part in UNESCO's Environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling campaign, as part of a global effort to better understand how climate change affects marine biodiversity. Under the spring sun and in the company of dolphins, thirteen young students from ...
access_time 2 min read
Thursday, 16 March 2023
Are you a heritage expert interested in learning more about World Heritage management in Latin America and the Caribbean?  We are calling for applications to this online flagship foundational course. Participants will learn how effective management can give heritage places a dynamic and mutually beneficial role in society today and long into the future, reflecting the vast array of people ...
access_time 1 min read
Wednesday, 15 March 2023
A dynamic team of Bangladeshi primary school and university students, along with local experts, joined UNESCO’s environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling campaign at the Sundarbans to help increase scientific understanding of the unparalleled biodiversity of the world’s largest unbroken mangrove forest. Embracing the heavy chill of January, the eDNA expedition team from Bangladesh set foot on the ...
access_time 3 min read
Monday, 13 March 2023
From 11 to 17 March 2023, UNESCO is organising the First Workshop on Digital Documentation for World Heritage in the Arab region for 'Dive into Heritage.' 'Dive into Heritage' is a project supported by the Ministry of Culture in Saudi Arabia that aims at creating an innovative online platform to present digital data of UNESCO World Heritage sites in the Arab region and its related intangible ...
access_time 2 min read
Wednesday, 8 March 2023
On International Women’s Day, we celebrate girls and women across the globe – and we remember that women’s rights must never be taken for granted. Indeed, the path towards a gender-equal world is an uncertain one: gradual progress, made over generations, can be wiped out in one fell swoop. The women and girls of Afghanistan know this well. In a few short months, they have lost their most ...
access_time 3 min read
Wednesday, 1 March 2023
Throughout March 2023, members of New Caledonia's World Heritage site associations and management committees joined the French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD) and the New Caledonian Biodiversity Agency (ANCB) to take part in UNESCO's environmental DNA sampling campaign, as part of a global effort to sample and reference marine biodiversity in 25 marine World ...
access_time 3 min read
Tuesday, 28 February 2023
Within the framework of the UNESCO/Netherlands Funds-in-Trust project "Implementation of World Heritage Committee Decisions in relation to Boundaries and Strategic Conservation at Gebel Barkal and the Sites of the Napatan Region, Sudan," the UNESCO World Heritage Centre and the UNESCO Khartoum Office organized, on 27 February 2023, a key meeting of partners and stakeholders. In a significant ...
access_time 1 min read
Tuesday, 28 February 2023
Over time, rainforest communities in Africa have developed a close relationship with their neighbours, the so-called 'umbrella species' such as great apes and elephants. Umbrella species are often either iconic or threatened, or both. These species are called 'umbrella species' because their protection also entails the protection of a wide range of fauna and flora that share their habitat. ...
access_time 5 min read
Friday, 17 February 2023
In line with UNESCO’s efforts since 1988 to encourage research on the Silk Roads as routes of interchange and dialogue of cultures, the UNESCO/Republic of Korea Funds-in-Trust (FiT) project “Support for the Asian Silk Roads World Heritage Serial and Transnational Nomination(s) (Phase II)” was launched in November 2018 and completed in November 2022. Upon completion of this project, the final ...
access_time 1 min read
Thursday, 16 February 2023
Through innovative national debt restructuring and blue bond arrangements, both Aldabra Atoll in the Seychelles and the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System in Belize are securing sustainable finance to help conserve their marine World Heritage sites over the next decades. On 19 January 2022, global marine protected area practitioners met online with World Heritage managers from the Seychelles ...
access_time 3 min read
Thursday, 16 February 2023
The UNESCO World Heritage Centre held two workshops with World Heritage site managers and national Focal Points in Latin America and the Caribbean to prepare a Regional Action Plan for the Third Cycle of Periodic Reporting. Periodic Reporting is one of the core conservation and monitoring mechanisms of the Lazare Eloundou Assomo, Director of UNESCO World Heritage, praised the commitment of ...
access_time 2 min read
Tuesday, 14 February 2023
On 14 February 2023, the UNESCO World Heritage Centre organized the second Coordination Group meeting on ‘Post COVID-19 World Heritage Site Management: Integration of Conservation, Tourism and Local Livelihood Strategies at World Heritage Sites’, a project funded by the government of Japan through the UNESCO/Japanese Funds-in-Trust. Subsequent to the project’s launch in June 2022 (see Post ...
access_time 2 min read
Tuesday, 14 February 2023
On 14 February 2023, 20 students aged 8 to 11 years old from Lord Howe Island Group became marine scientists for the day. In doing so, they joined UNESCO’s global environmental DNA research initiative that is being rolled out across 25 marine World Heritage sites to better understand ocean biodiversity and the impacts of climate change. The day commenced with classroom activities, where ...
access_time 2 min read
Monday, 13 February 2023
UNESCO is delighted to announce that submissions are now being accepted for the 2023 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation. The UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation (‘Awards’) recognizes exemplary efforts by individuals and organizations to restore or conserve structures, places and properties of heritage value in the region. It encourages ...
access_time 3 min read
Thursday, 9 February 2023
World Heritage Volunteers 2023 - Working on the Future  The UNESCO World Heritage Centre is pleased to announce the selected projects of the World Heritage Volunteers 2023 Campaign. Under the theme World Heritage Volunteers 2023 - Working on the Future, and on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, 76 action camp projects will be implemented from April ...
access_time 1 min read
Tuesday, 7 February 2023
UNESCO on Monday expressed its support for Syria and Türkiye following the devastating earthquakes that struck the two countries. “My condolences go out to the families and loved ones of those who died. My thoughts are also with the injured and all those affected. Our Organization will provide assistance within its mandate,” said Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO. The Organization ...
access_time 1 min read
Tuesday, 7 February 2023
Panamanian children from Santa Catalina and nearby communities ventured out to Coiba National Park to sample the World Heritage area’s rich marine waters as part of the global eDNA expeditions that UNESCO is currently piloting across 25 marine World Heritage sites to better understand ocean biodiversity and the effects of climate change thereupon. On 7 February 2023, amidst a beautiful sunny ...
access_time 3 min read
Monday, 6 February 2023
On 24 January 2023, UNESCO and the Foundation for the Safeguarding of the Cultural Heritage of Rabat signed a five-year agreement to jointly develop actions for the protection of World Heritage and intangible cultural heritage in Morocco and throughout the African continent. It marks the beginning of a long-term strategic and operational collaboration. UNESCO and the Foundation for the ...
access_time 1 min read
Friday, 3 February 2023
Celebrated annually on 2 February, World Wetlands Day aims to raise global awareness about the vital role of wetlands for people and the planet. This year’s theme: ‘It is time for Wetland Restoration’ - is in alignment with the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. Ecosystems support all life on earth. The healthier our ecosystems are, the healthier the planet - and its people. Taking this ...
access_time 3 min read
Wednesday, 25 January 2023
The World Heritage Committee on Wednesday decided to inscribe the Historic Centre of Odesa (Ukraine) on the World Heritage List. This decision recognizes the outstanding universal value of the site and the duty of all humanity to protect it. "Odesa, a free city, a world city, a legendary port that has left its mark on cinema, literature and the arts, is thus placed under the reinforced ...
access_time 2 min read
Wednesday, 25 January 2023
The World Heritage Committee meeting in an extraordinary session decided on Thursday to inscribe the Rachid Karameh International Fair of Tripoli (Lebanon) on the List of World Heritage in Danger. Located in northern Lebanon, the Rachid Karameh International Fair of Tripoli was designed in 1962 by the Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer on a 70-hectare site located between the historic centre ...
access_time 1 min read
Wednesday, 25 January 2023
The World Heritage Committee meeting in an extraordinary session on Thursday inscribed the Landmarks of the Ancient Kingdom of Saba, Marib (Yemen) on the List of World Heritage in Danger. The Landmarks of the Ancient Kingdom of Saba, Marib, is a serial property comprising seven archaeological sites that bear witness to the rich Kingdom of Saba and its architectural, aesthetic and ...
access_time 1 min read
Monday, 23 January 2023
The State Party of Djibouti ratified the World Heritage Convention in 2007 and established its first Tentative List in 2015 with 10 sites. However, Djibouti remains one of the twelve African countries without property inscribed on the World Heritage List. In the framework of Priority Africa and under the “Capacity-building programme for the nomination of World Heritage sites in the Africa ...
access_time 1 min read
Monday, 23 January 2023
The Kingdom of Eswatini ratified the World Heritage Convention in 2005 and established its first Tentative List in 2008. However, Eswatini remains one of the 12 African countries without property inscribed on the World Heritage List. In line with UNESCO’s Priority Africa, Eswatini has been benefiting from the “Capacity-building programme for the nomination of World Heritage sites in the ...
access_time 1 min read
Sunday, 22 January 2023
[in French only] Le 19 mai 1982, l’État partie du Burundi a ratifié la Convention de 1972, ou Convention concernant la protection du patrimoine mondial, culturel et naturel. Cependant, à ce jour, le Burundi fait partie de 10 pays en Afrique qui n’ont pasencore de biens inscrit sur la Liste du patrimoine mondial, en dépit des richesses culturelles et naturelles du pays. Dans le cadre de la ...
Friday, 20 January 2023
South Sudan ratified the World Heritage Convention in 2016 and established its first Tentative List in 2017 with three sites (one natural site, one cultural site and one mixed site). Since 2017, several capacity-building initiatives have been organized by UNESCO to support the State Party in developing its first World Heritage nomination despite the unstable political situation and security ...
access_time 1 min read
Friday, 20 January 2023
Sao Tome and Principe remains one of the three African countries without any sites on its Tentative List. In the framework of Priority Africa, UNESCO supports Sao Tome and Principles through the “Capacity-building programme for the nomination of World Heritage sites in the Africa Region”, funded by the Government of Japan, targeting 10 African countries without inscribed World Heritage ...
access_time 1 min read
Wednesday, 18 January 2023
The UNESCO World Heritage Centre has learned with great sadness of the passing of Vivian Ramnarace, the National Focal Point for the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System World Heritage site (Belize). A marine scientist, Ms Ramnarace was the Fisheries Officer at the Belize Fisheries Department for the last 15 years. The passing of Vivian Ramnarace is a significant loss for the conservation ...
access_time 1 min read
Tuesday, 17 January 2023
In the Framework of Priority Africa, UNESCO intends to empower African institutions and professionals to safeguard better and promote UNESCO World Heritage properties on the Continent. Capacity development is, therefore, one of the hallmarks of the new Strategy for World Heritage in Africa. For that, the World Heritage Centre (WHC), in close collaboration with the African World Heritage Fund ...
access_time 2 min read
Tuesday, 3 January 2023
On 18 October 2022, schoolchildren aged 10 to 15 years old and Traditional Owners* at the Shark Bay, Western Australia World Heritage site joined the UNESCO environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling campaign as part of a global effort to better understand ocean biodiversity and the effects of climate change thereupon. Amidst clear blue waters teeming with marine life, schoolchildren and Traditional ...
access_time 3 min read
Tuesday, 20 December 2022
Inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1978, the Island of Gorée (Senegal) bears exceptional testimony to one of the greatest tragedies in the history of human societies: the slave trade. Today, however, the site faces major conservation challenges. UNESCO is working with the Senegalese authorities to meet these challenges. The island of Gorée has been facing a worrying situation in recent ...
access_time 3 min read
Friday, 16 December 2022
UNESCO has piloted an online training course on climate change adaptation and resilience in two natural World Heritage sites in Africa, with site managers from Mosi-oa-Tunya / Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe / Zambia) and Salonga National Park (Democratic Republic of Congo) joining. The outcome reveals the vulnerability of sites to climate change but offers options to reduce risks. Climate change ...
access_time 2 min read
Thursday, 15 December 2022
In 2018, the region of Gävleborg, Sweden, created the international World Heritage Residence Scholarship at the World Heritage site “Decorated Farmhouses of Hälsingland”. The 5th call for applications is now open until 15 February 2023.  One aim of UNESCO’s World Heritage Convention is to create links between people and promote international cooperation. Peace is a central concept. This ...
access_time 2 min read
Thursday, 15 December 2022
In December 2022, young scientists from the French Polar Institute Paul-Émile Victor (Institut polaire Paul-Émile Victor; IPEV) and the French Southern and Antarctic Lands (Terres australes et antarctiques françaises; TAAF) participated in the UNESCO environmental DNA (eDNA) campaign on the Kerguelen Archipelago. This global campaign aims to improve knowledge and measure the effects of ...
access_time 3 min read
Wednesday, 14 December 2022
After launching the Patrimonito Storyboard Competition this summer, the World Heritage Centre received over 700 submissions from young people featuring solutions to the impacts of climate change on World Heritage sites. Climate change is the defining issue of our time and amongst the greatest threats facing cultural and natural heritage today. Involving the youth is essential to finding ...
access_time 2 min read
Monday, 12 December 2022
While countries start their last sprint for this decade’s UN biodiversity targets (COP15), UNESCO and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs sign a new four-year (2022-2025) Programme Cooperation Agreement. Norway’s support of NOK 25 million to the World Heritage Fund makes a significant contribution to safeguarding of the unique biodiversity and rich cultural heritage of ...
access_time 2 min read
Thursday, 8 December 2022
On the Occasion of the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15), UNESCO has issued new guidance for the corporate sector to ensure that their operations do not put World Heritage at risk.  play_arrow “This guidance is based on over two decades of collaboration with the corporate sector. During this time, companies have really stepped up their support to UNESCO World Heritage sites ...
access_time 2 min read
Thursday, 8 December 2022
Artist Mikaela Steby Stenfalk won Gävleborg, Sweden's fourth World Heritage Scholarship and residence with her project "Dialogue between two interiors". Fifty-two applications from 20 countried were received. The World Heritage Scholarship is intended for professional cultural creators and people who work with, research or have another connection to World Heritage. The scholarship is linked ...
access_time 2 min read
Tuesday, 6 December 2022
On 9 and 10 November 2022, local youth aged 6 to 12 years at Brazilian Atlantic Islands: Fernando de Noronha and Atol das Rocas Reserves World Heritage site joined the UNESCO environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling campaign as part of a global effort to better understand how climate change is affecting marine biodiversity.Amidst sea turtle and dolphin sightings, local children collected water ...
access_time 2 min read
Tuesday, 6 December 2022
Early morning of 6 December 2022, Costa Rican Park rangers & volunteers sailed out to Cocos Island National Park to filter environmental DNA (eDNA) from the water. The local sampling is part of the global eDNA expeditions initiative that UNESCO currently conducts across 25 marine World Heritage sites to better understand ocean biodiversity and the effects of climate change ...
access_time 3 min read
Wednesday, 30 November 2022
On 29 November 2022, the Kingdom of Morocco, represented by H.E. Mohammed Mehdi Bensaid, Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication, and Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, signed a framework agreement for the protection of African heritage, which will contribute to the implementation of activities for fostering cultural heritage safeguarding and capacity building, in the framework ...
access_time 1 min read
Tuesday, 29 November 2022
In collaboration with UNESCO and supported by BMZ and GIZ, a ‘cash for work’ scheme has been launched by the Agency for Protected Areas in Georgia and the Development Fund of Protected Areas of Georgia (DFPA) in the Colchic Rainforests and Wetlands World Heritage property. 20 youth have been recruited as part of the project, and are receiving on the job training in visitor management and ...
access_time 1 min read
Tuesday, 29 November 2022
After fifteen years of grassroots youth activities and international cooperation, and on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, the World Heritage Volunteers (WHV) Initiative meet the challenge of ‘The Next 50’ years to involve young people, communities and site managers in building together new, inclusive societies where World Heritage is a source of ...
access_time 2 min read
Monday, 28 November 2022
From 21 to 26 September 2022, nearly 100 youth from local schools collected environmental DNA (eDNA) samples across the Wadden Sea World Heritage area as part of a global UNESCO initiative to better understand how climate change is affecting marine biodiversity. Ocean species shed DNA into the water around them in the form of genetic material from waste, mucus or cells. Just one liter of ...
access_time 2 min read
Wednesday, 23 November 2022
“The Global Research and Action Agenda on Culture, Heritage, and Climate Change: Scientific Outcome of the International Co-Sponsored Meeting on Culture, Heritage, and Climate Change”, the result of collaboration between UNESCO and the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), co-sponsored by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), is now available online. This ...
access_time 4 min read
Wednesday, 23 November 2022
In order to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the adoption of the UNESCO Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, known as the 1972 Convention, the UNESCO Cluster Office in San José collaborated with the National Museum of Costa Rica in the framework of a World Heritage Festival, which took place on Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 November at the headquarters ...
access_time 1 min read
Tuesday, 15 November 2022
The Third Cycle of Periodic Reporting started in Europe and North America with a two-day online event (20-21 October) that brought together the national focal points for the implementation of the World Heritage Convention in the region. In this year of the 50th anniversary of the World Heritage Convention that UNESCO has chosen to celebrate under the theme ‘World Heritage as a source of ...
access_time 2 min read
Friday, 4 November 2022
UNESCO World Heritage sites demonstrate the impacts of climate change on cultural heritage and are important resources for traditional knowledge and practices and lead the way for heritage-based solutions and strategies. UNESCO is at the forefront of collecting data and evidence concerning climate change's impact on culture. Through the World Heritage Canopy platform, heritage-based solutions ...
access_time 4 min read
Friday, 4 November 2022
This expert mission is part of the collaboration offered by the Director-General of UNESCO during her official visit to the World Heritage site "Historic District of the Port City of Valparaíso", which took place in May 2022. The objective is to provide the Chilean Government and the Municipal Corporation for the Administration of the World Heritage Site with technical advice to help guide ...
access_time 2 min read
Thursday, 3 November 2022
New UNESCO data highlight the accelerated melting of glaciers in World Heritage sites, with glaciers in a third of sites set to disappear by 2050. But it is still possible to save the other two thirds, if the rise in global temperatures does not exceed 1.5°C compared to the pre-industrial period. This will be a major challenge for COP27. play_arrow play_arrow Watch 50 UNESCO World ...
access_time 4 min read
Tuesday, 1 November 2022
From 19 to 25 October 2022, the Monaco Explorations mission conducted a series of scientific operations around Aldabra Atoll (Seychelles) with the aim of better understanding and protecting the coral reefs of this UNESCO World Marine Heritage site and promoting youth involvement. On this occasion, H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco visited Aldabra Atoll on 24 and 25 October. The site was one ...
access_time 3 min read
Monday, 31 October 2022
The 2011 Recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape (HUL Recommendation) is a perfect herald for the theme of the 2022 World Cities Day, “Act local to go global”. The HUL Recommendation provides a global approach based on shared principles and tools that supports historic cities in developing sustainable urban models adapted to local conditions. In line with this vision, the World ...
access_time 1 min read
Wednesday, 26 October 2022
Gathered in Yaoundé (Cameroon) at the invitation of the Government of Cameroon, the ministers and experts in charge of World Heritage from eight countries in Central Africa (Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon and Sao Tomé and Principe) called on UNESCO and its partners, including the African World Heritage Fund, to support them in ...
access_time 3 min read
Monday, 24 October 2022
Following the visit of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr Antonio Guterres to the World Heritage site of Moenjodaro on 8 September 2022, two experts designated by UNESCO jointly with the national authorities will start their emergency missions to Archaeological Ruins of Moenjodaro and to Historical Monuments at Makli, Thatta, two World Heritage properties in Pakistan which have ...
access_time 1 min read
Friday, 21 October 2022
UNESCO and the Development Fund of Protected Areas (DFPA) of Georgia have signed an agreement to support sustainable tourism and heritage conservation activities in Colchic Rainforests and Wetlands (Georgia) World Heritage site. The partnership between UNESCO and DFPA, worth around US$ 150 000, will support Georgia’s sustainable tourism recovery through enhancing visitor management and ...
access_time 2 min read
Tuesday, 11 October 2022
President Zelensky made official the candidacy of the historic centre of Odesa for inscription on UNESCO’s World Heritage List in a speech to the Organization’s Executive Board on Tuesday afternoon. Receiving the application, Audrey Azoulay, the Organization’s Director-General, stressed that “this initiative marks confidence in UNESCO's protection mechanisms.” President Zelensky made the ...
access_time 3 min read
Thursday, 29 September 2022
On 29 and 30 September 2022, UNESCO organised the second online meeting for UNESCO’s Dive into Heritage project, with the support of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. UNESCO is currently developing the “Dive into Heritage” platform, an online tool to make World Heritage and its related intangible heritage more accessible to the general public through digital data. During its pilot phase the ...
access_time 1 min read
Tuesday, 27 September 2022
On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of 1972 World Heritage Convention, UNESCO is exhibiting a collection of images of World Heritage sites. More than one hundred outstanding photographs are displayed around the UNESCO gates, offering a unique panorama of the diversity of the World Heritage sites. A selection of works by the photographer Yan Bighetti de Flogny, retracing his journey of ...
access_time 1 min read
Friday, 23 September 2022
World Heritage City Lab: concluding the 10th Anniversary of the UNESCO HUL Recommendation in Córdoba On 12, 13 and 14 September 2022, the World Heritage City Lab concluded the 10th Anniversary of the UNESCO Recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape (HUL Recommendation) celebrations in Córdoba, Spain. This concluding event was organised by the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, World ...
access_time 1 min read
Wednesday, 21 September 2022
50 Years of UNESCO World Heritage in partnership with National Geographic For 50 years now, UNESCO World Heritage has been a source of resilience, humanity and innovation. Through 30 splendid photographs, accompany us on a virtual world tour, focused on the future and youth.  Temporal Illusion, Pyramids of Giza, UNESCO World Heritage, Cairo, Egypt, 2018​ Memphis and its ...
access_time 7 min read
Wednesday, 21 September 2022
As foreseen by the World Heritage Convention in its Article 29, Periodic Reporting is a global conservation monitoring mechanism that aims to give the key stakeholders of World Heritage properties, i.e. World Heritage site managers and focal points responsible for the implementation of the Convention at national level, an opportunity to reflect on the implementation of the World Heritage ...
access_time 2 min read
Wednesday, 7 September 2022
From 19-20 July 2022, a two-day workshop on “Sustainable Tourism Strategy for World Heritage Properties in Suriname” was organized which brought together representatives of government institutions, World Heritage site managers, and representatives of local communities to identify current challenges and opportunities for the development of sustainable tourism at UNESCO-designated sites. The ...
access_time 3 min read
Thursday, 1 September 2022
UNESCO expresses its deep regret at the passing of Ms. Corinne Forest, who passed away in France on Wednesday, August 24, 2022. Ms. Forest was the Head of the Technical Unit at the Aapravasi Ghat, Mauritius (World Heritage property, inscribed in 2006), a museologist by training and an ardent defender of World Heritage. "Corinne Forest was a remarkable professional, with a sharp mind and ...
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Wednesday, 24 August 2022
A training workshop was organized in Cairo, Egypt, to strengthen the capacities of heritage site managers and for those developing projects in and around heritage sites to train them in applying Impact Assessments in a World Heritage context. Impact assessments is an important tool to find the best possible solutions to meet both conservation priorities and development needs in the framework ...
access_time 1 min read
Tuesday, 23 August 2022
In January 2005, Sierra Leone became a State party to the 1972 Convention and identified, in 2012, in its first Tentative List the sites that could potentially be proposed for inscription on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. This year, in January 2022, this Tentative List was updated to include Gola-Tiwai complex as the potential site for the country’s first nomination dossier. Being among the ...
access_time 3 min read
Tuesday, 23 August 2022
On the night of 22 to 23 August 1791, in Saint Domingue, today the Republic of Haiti, saw the beginning of the uprising that would play a crucial role in the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade. It is against this background that the International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition is commemorated on 23 August each year. It was first celebrated in a number of ...
access_time 1 min read
Friday, 12 August 2022
The Historic Cairo was Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1979. Tucked away amid the modern urban area of Cairo lies one of the world's oldest Islamic cities, with its famous mosques, madrasas, hammams and fountains. It is also the place of origin for many expressions of craftsmanship, showing the synergies between the 1972 World Heritage Convention and the 2003 Convention for the ...
access_time 2 min read
Thursday, 11 August 2022
On 13 July 2022, experts in coral bleaching preparedness and local management teams from UNESCO World Heritage coral reefs met online to share best practices to recognize bleaching alerts and rapidly deploy monitoring and evaluation measures during such events. Coral reefs have been increasingly exposed to heat stress in recent years due to rising temperatures that result from climate ...
access_time 2 min read
Tuesday, 9 August 2022
By resolution 49/214 of 23 December 1994, the United Nations General Assembly decided that the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples shall be observed on 9 August every year. The date marks the day of the first meeting, in 1982, of the UN Working Group on Indigenous Populations of the Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights. In 1990, the UN General ...
access_time 2 min read
Tuesday, 2 August 2022
WHITRAP Secretariat General launches the 2nd edition of the Awards for World Heritage Education Innovative Cases on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the World Heritage Convention. The objective is to build an international exchange platform focusing on innovative World Heritage Education case studies, and to provide action guidelines and references for practitioners of World Heritage ...
Friday, 29 July 2022
UNESCO and the Advisory Bodies to the World Heritage Committee have issued new guidance for assessing impacts from projects that could potentially affect the planet’s most precious heritage places. Designed specifically for heritage management institutions, governments and project developers, it aims to help find the best possible solutions to meet both conservation priorities and development ...
access_time 4 min read
Friday, 29 July 2022
The UNESCO World Heritage Centre is pleased to launch the 2022 edition of the Patrimonito Storyboard Competition. This competition aims to provide young people with an opportunity to use their creative and problem-solving skills to raise awareness about World Heritage sites. The World Heritage Education Programme is welcoming secondary school pupils and youth to create storyboards on the ...
access_time 1 min read
Tuesday, 26 July 2022
From the intertwining roots to the tips of the branches, in a complex habitat, many species come to feed and reproduce, forming together one of the most flourishing ecosystems in existence. And we humans depend on these environments that slow down coastal erosion and are a source of food for many. This is probably why the Colombian poet Tomas Gonzalez made it the symbol of his poetry ...
access_time 2 min read
Tuesday, 19 July 2022
In June 2022, the Resilient Reefs Initiative was launched in Palau with the appointment of its first Chief Resilience Officer and Resilience Advisor. The Chief Resilience Officer will be tasked with bringing local communities, businesses, NGOs, and tourism operators together in an effort to build an inclusive resilience strategy for this globally outstanding World Heritage coral reef. The ...
access_time 2 min read
Monday, 18 July 2022
Dr Michael Jansen was a scholar and professor in conservation engineering, and the Managing Director of the German University of Technology | GUtech · Urban Planning and Architectural Design in Oman. "We pay tribute to the memory of Michael Jansen and for the immense contribution he made to safeguarding heritage of many countries. He has been involved for decades as expert in heritage ...
access_time 1 min read
Monday, 18 July 2022
With the support of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia a first online workshop on the future UNESCO’s Dive into Heritage platform entitled “Expert Workshop on the Dive into Heritage platform’s scientific content” was organised by UNESCO on the 12th and 13th of July 2022. UNESCO is working on the creation of a new web tool “Dive into Heritage,” a comprehensive platform that will host digital data of ...
access_time 2 min read
Friday, 15 July 2022
On 27 -28 June 2022, UNESCO's World Heritage Centre organized an experts meeting on Modern Heritage of Africa and the 1972 World Heritage Convention, with the aim to integrate the modern heritage concept into World Heritage in the African context and provide a new conceptual understanding from an African perspective. It builds upon the work already done in the Centre regarding Modern Heritage ...
access_time 3 min read
Wednesday, 6 July 2022
With support from the UNESCO/Netherlands Funds-in-Trust, a hybrid-format Stakeholder Consultation Dialogue “Towards Developing Sustainable Livelihoods in the East Rennell World Heritage Site” was co-organised by the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development and UNESCO in Honiara on 31 May 2022. Building on community meetings organised in East Rennell between 28 April and 1 May ...
access_time 2 min read
Monday, 4 July 2022
On 4 July 2022, the Scientific Advisory Board of the environmental DNA initiative convened for the first time, sharing crucial recommendations as UNESCO prepares the global roll-out of the citizen science initiative. The project “Environmental DNA Expeditions in UNESCO World Heritage Marine Sites” is guided by an international Scientific Advisory Board that brings together some of the ...
access_time 2 min read
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