News

A side event dedicated to the ‘Making of’ the draft Policy Compendium was held during the 42nd session of the World Heritage Committee in Manama, Bahrain (24 June – 4 July 2018). During the event, a panel composed of experts from the Policy Compendium Working Group and representatives of the World Heritage Centre presented their work to date on the draft Policy Compendium. The presentation ...

The Arab Regional Centre for World Heritage (ARC-WH) and ICOMOS International in collaboration with ICCROM and IUCN, are organizing a Capacity Building programme for World Heritage Professionals in the Arab Region. This programme aims to build a strong network of experts from the Arab Region that will assist the Arab States, the Advisory Bodies, and all World Heritage stakeholders in the ...

The 43rd session of the World Heritage Committee will be held in Baku, Azerbaijan from 30 June to 10 July 2019, further to the kind invitation of the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan. On 3 July 2018, during its 42nd session in Manama, Bahrain, the Committee elected H.E. Mr. Abulfaz Garayev, Azerbaijani Minister of Culture as the new Chair of the Committee, with Brazil, Burkina Faso, ...

The managers of the French properties inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List and their institutional partners met on 30, 31 May and 1 June last in the Mining Basin for their 16th Annual Meeting, following an invitation by the Mining Basin Mission. Over 100 people were present to attend the General Assembly of the association, to participate in the afternoon debate devoted to the various ...

The UNESCO World Heritage Centre was saddened to learn of the death of Dr Janice Lindsay, Principal Director, Culture and Creative Industries Policy Division in the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport (MCGES) in Jamaica. Dr Lindsay was a Cultural Heritage Development Specialist focusing on the economic development of tangible and intangible heritage assets. She was also ...

The World Heritage Committee, meeting in Manama since 24 June under the chair of Shaikha Haya Bint Rashed al-Khalifa of Bahrain, ended today. The next session of the World Heritage Committee will be in Baku, Azerbaijan. During the session, the Committee inscribed 19 sites on the World Heritage List (13 cultural sites, three natural and three mixed sites, i.e. both natural and cultural). It ...

UN Environment’s Principles for Sustainable Insurance Initiative partner with WWF and the UNESCO World Heritage Centre to launch global insurance industry commitment to protect World Heritage sites UN Environment’s Principles for Sustainable Insurance Initiative (PSI)—the largest collaborative initiative between the United Nations and the insurance industry—in partnership with WWF and the UN ...

The 14th episode of the Patrimonito cartoon series on the theme of World Heritage and Sustainable Tourism is now available. The episode takes place at the natural World Heritage site of the Dja Faunal Reserve in Cameroon, which is one of the largest in Africa and is especially known for being home to many animal and plant species. Several of them are globally threatened today such as the ...

The World Heritage Committee, meeting in Manama since 24 June under the chair of Shaikha Haya Bint Rashed al-Khalifa of Bahrain, today inscribed one mixed, i.e. cultural and natural, site in Mexico, and three natural sites in China, France and South Africa. The Committee also approved the extension of a World Heritage site in the Russian Federation. The examination of nominations will ...

The ‘Revive the Spirit of Mosul’ Initiative was presented on 30 June 2018 during the 42nd session of the World Heritage Committee. Launched by UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay in February 2018, the Mosul Initiative is conceived in partnership with the Iraqi Government to integrate the human dimension in the reconstruction and recovery of the city, particularly through culture and ...

The World Heritage Committee, meeting in Manama since 24 June under the chair of Shaikha Haya Bint Rashed al-Khalifa of Bahrain, inscribed two cultural sites in Italy and Spain, on the World Heritage List this morning. The inscription of sites will continue this afternoon. The new World Heritage sites, in order of inscription, are: Ivrea, industrial city of the 20th century (Italy) – The ...

The World Heritage Committee, meeting in Manama since 24 June under the chair of Shaikha Haya Bint Rashed al-Khalifa of Bahrain, inscribed two cultural sites in Germany and Turkey as well as two mixed (i.e. both cultural and natural) sites in Canada and Colombia, on the World Heritage List this afternoon. The inscription of sites will continue on 2 July. The new World Heritage sites, in ...

The World Heritage Committee, meeting in Manama since 24 June under the chair of Shaikha Haya Bint Rashed al-Khalifa of Bahrain, inscribed four cultural sites on the World Heritage List this morning. The inscription of sites will continue through 1 July. The new World Heritage sites, in order of inscription, are: Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensemble of Mumbai (India) – Having become a ...

The World Heritage Committee, meeting in Manama since 24 June under the chair of Shaikha Haya Bint Rashed al-Khalifa of Bahrain, inscribed cultural sites in Denmark and Germany on the World Heritage List this afternoon. Inscriptions will continue through 1 July. The new World Heritage sites, in order of inscription, are: Aasivissuit-Nipisat, Inuit Hunting Ground between Ice and Sea ...

The World Heritage Committee, meeting in Manama since 24 June under the chair of Shaikha Haya Bint Rashed al-Khalifa of Bahrain, inscribed three cultural sites on the World Heritage List this afternoon. The inscription of sites will continue through 1 July. The new World Heritage sites, in order of inscription, are: Thimlich Ohinga archeological site (Kenya) – Situated north-west of the ...

A benefit concert and fundraising event was held last night during the 42nd session of the World Heritage Committee to support the widows and families of the fallen rangers of Virunga National Park. The reception and concert, featuring a performance by Musicians Without Borders at the Arcapita building in Manama (Bahrain), launched the crowdfunding campaign #HelpVirunga, created to support ...

The World Heritage Committee, meeting in Manama since 24 June, decided today to inscribe the Lake Turkana National Parks on the List of World Heritage in Danger, notably because of the impact of a dam on the site. The Committee expressed concern about the changes affecting the hydrology of the Lake Turkana Basin, notably the disruptive effect of Ethiopia’s Gibe III dam on the flow and ...

World Heritage faces threats and challenges which raise the question: how can we contribute to a sustainable protection, preservation and conservation for heritage in an ever-changing world?  Youth are the most affected by the key development changes. Now more than ever is the time to actively involve them in the management and protection of World ...

The World Heritage Committee, meeting in Manama since 24 June, decided Tuesday to remove the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System from the List of World Heritage in Danger. The Committee considered that safeguarding measures taken by the country, notably the introduction of a moratorium on oil exploration in the entire maritime zone of Belize and the strengthening of forestry regulations ...

Today, the 42nd session of the World Heritage Committee decided to remove the world’s second largest coral reef, Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System, from the UNESCO List of World Heritage in Danger. The decision follows an intensive period of landmark conservation action over the past year, led by the Government of Belize in close collaboration with UNESCO, IUCN and civil society. The Belize ...