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Sunday, 9 June 2013
“UNESCO saved the temples of Egypt and rebuilt the Mostar Bridge. UNESCO will rebuild the mausoleums of Mali,“ said UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova during the ceremony on 5 June to award French President Francois Hollande the UNESCO-Felix Houphouet-Boigny Peace Prize. The first steps towards this project were taken this week when a  UNESCO team of experts visited ...
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Friday, 7 June 2013
Over 1,000 new species have been discovered at marine sites since their inscription on the World Heritage List. This data has been compiled in UNESCO’s global marine biodiversity data portal Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS). The 1972 World Heritage Convention protects 46 marine sites in recognition of their exceptional natural phenomena, their geological processes, ...
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Friday, 7 June 2013
The UNESCO World Heritage Centre has published a brochure reporting the events and activities carried out in 2012 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the World Heritage Convention. This colorful, illustrated publication provides a record of the various initiatives that the World Heritage community undertook at the international, national and local levels-- more than 120 events in 48 ...
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Friday, 7 June 2013
The World Heritage Committee will consider the inscription of 32 sites on UNESCO’s World Heritage List during its next session, from 16 to 27 June in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap (Cambodia).  Media wishing to attend the meeting must register online. The Committee’s debates, chaired by Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sok An, will also be webcast. A press conference with the ...
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Wednesday, 5 June 2013
With almost a thousand sites inscribed on the World Heritage List, the reach of the World Heritage Convention is vast. To better present one important issue and the work that’s being done to make a difference, UNESCO has produced an infographic on rhinoceros conservation. This attractive, easy to follow poster describes the plight of several rhinoceros species in Africa and Asia, and how ...
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Monday, 3 June 2013
The Tubbataha Reef sprawls across 100,000 hectares and supports over 350 species of coral and almost 500 species of fish.  Earlier this year, two vessels grounded in Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park – a jewel in the middle of Philippines' Sulu Sea. First a U.S. Navy ship grounded on the reef in January. A couple of months later, a Chinese fishing ...
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Sunday, 2 June 2013
In the wake of alarming media reports on damage to several historic and religious sites in various regions of Syria, I wish to express my grave concern for the safety of Syria’s cultural heritage. I call upon the perpetrators to cease the destruction immediately and demonstrate respect for the beliefs and traditions of all Syrians. I also strongly urge all the parties to the conflict ...
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Wednesday, 29 May 2013
Most people know Bamiyan as the site where giant statutes of the Buddha were destroyed by the Taliban in 2001.  But it is the location of other important archaeological sites too, such as Shahr-i-Zohak (Red City), an impressive mass of ruins that was once the fortress protecting the entrance to Bamiyan in the 12th and 13th centuries.  Now this site will be restored and conserved as part of a ...
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Monday, 27 May 2013
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is hosting a World Heritage Fellow, Mr. Anoop K.R., Director of Keoladeo National Park in India and Deputy Conservator of Forests in the Bharatpur District of Rajasthan.  As a recognized World Heritage site, the Park is participating in this fellowship program which allows professionals from other heritage sites a unique opportunity to temporarily ...
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Monday, 27 May 2013
The Nordic World Heritage Fund (NWHF) and the World Heritage Institute of Training and Research in the Asia and the Pacific Region (WHITR-AP), have signed a cooperation agreement as an extension of a Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2009. Ms Anne-Kristin Endresen, Director of NWHF, and Mr Jian Zhou, Director of WHITR-AP, represented their organizations. NWHF and WHITR-AP are centres that ...
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Tuesday, 21 May 2013
Following certain media announcements reporting on the cancellation of the UNESCO Mission to the Old City of Jerusalem, Director-General Irina Bokova wishes to underscore that contrary to such information, consultations are being pursued by the Government of Israel, and the Palestinian and Jordanian authorities with a view to finalizing the terms of the mission and determining its date.
Friday, 17 May 2013
On the 3rd of May, the Rapid Response Facility (RRF) received a request for emergency support in confronting a surge of rosewood poaching in Dong Phayayen Kao Yai Forest Complex World Heritage site.  The petitioners/advocates explained that poaching was becoming more organized and had for the first time turned deadly.  On March 14th, 33 year-old Thaweesak Chomyong, a park ranger, ...
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Tuesday, 7 May 2013
World Heritage Education Programme is pleased to announce the release  of "Patrimonito’s World Heritage Adventures" cartoon series. The mentioned episodes are dedicated to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the World Heritage Convention. Episode 10thLebanon (Sustainable Development for the Site of Ouaid Qadisha and the Forest of the Cedars of ...
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Friday, 3 May 2013
On 30 April 2013, UNESCO and the International Astronomical Union (IAU) renewed their Memorandum of Understanding at the Organization’s Headquarters. The agreement has been concluded in the framework of the thematic initiative “Astronomy and World Heritage”, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary. The purpose of the initiative is to reinforce the links between science and ...
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Friday, 3 May 2013
The Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, has expressed deep concern over the rise of armed violence, poaching and destruction in the Dzanga-Sanga National Park, in Central African Republic. The site is part of Sangha Trinational, inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 2012 and located in the north-western Congo Basin, at the meeting point between Cameroon, Congo and the ...
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Friday, 3 May 2013
Demonstrating an excellent example of cooperation between managers and staff of two of the globe’s most iconic World Heritage volcano sites, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park in the USA and New Zealand’s Tongariro National Park worked together to assess risk to visitors in what can be inherently dangerous places. At the request of the Conservator, Tongariro Whanganui Taranaki ...
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Monday, 29 April 2013
After three successful programme cycles of 4 years each, during the period from 2001 to 2012, the Dutch Government decided to extend the Netherlands Funds-in-Trust for another 4-year cycle during the period 2013-2016, for a total amount of 1.5 million Euros. The implementation report “From Astronomy to Zanzibar – 10 Years of Dutch Support to World Heritage”, published by the World Heritage ...
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Friday, 26 April 2013
From 15-16 April 2013, 25 experts from 4 European marine World Heritage Sites were brought together in Tönning (Germany) with the aim to strengthen their cooperation.  Participants included managers from High Coast (Sweden), Kvarken Archipelago (Finland), St Kilda (Scotland) as well as from the Wadden Sea (The Netherlands/Germany). Participants engaged in an intensive exchange on ...
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Thursday, 25 April 2013
The 2nd South East European (SEE) World Heritage Youth Forum for peace and sustainable development was held from 6 to 11 April 2013 in Zajecar, eastern Serbia, home of the Gamzigrad – Felix Romuliana / Palace of Galerius World Heritage site. At the opening ceremony on 7 April, the message delivered on behalf of Irina Bokova, Director General of UNESCO, stated: "Our theme today is forward ...
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Wednesday, 24 April 2013
UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova expressed her deep distress over reports of the continuing destruction which has severely damaged the ancient city of Aleppo, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1986. Today, the minaret of one of Syria's most famous mosques was destroyed during clashes in the northern city of Aleppo. The mosque, which is located within the UNESCO World Heritage site, has ...
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