2388 news
Wednesday, 9 August 2017
This year, we celebrate the 10th anniversary of the landmark UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People. This is an opportunity to honour the rights of indigenous peoples and their unique contribution to achieving mutual understanding, peace and sustainable development. Indigenous peoples are custodians and practitioners of unique cultures and relationships with the natural ...
1 min read
Tuesday, 25 July 2017
The Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park (Philippines) has been officially designated as a Particularly Sensitive Sea Area (PSSA)—and an “area to be avoided”—by the International Maritime Organization. The endorsement is a major breakthrough, as it will require international vessels to avoid the World Heritage site, reducing the impact of noise and pollution, and decreasing the risk of future ship ...
3 min read
Thursday, 20 July 2017
Over the last several months, the World Heritage Centre has received numerous messages from citizens and NGOs expressing their concerns regarding logging activities within the Polish part of the transboundary World Heritage property “Białowieża Forest” (Belarus/Poland).
The competent authorities of the State Party of Poland as well as the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Body IUCN are ...
1 min read
Wednesday, 12 July 2017
Krakow, Poland, 12 July—The World Heritage Committee, meeting in Krakow since 2 July, closed its annual session today. During the session, the Committee inscribed 21 new sites on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. It also extended or modified the boundaries of five sites already on the List.
The new inscriptions bring to 1,073 the total number of sites on the World Heritage List. Angola and ...
2 min read
Wednesday, 12 July 2017
A World Heritage partners event and panel discussion, sponsored by the Korean National Commission for UNESCO, took place on the 7th of July in Krakow on the occasion of the 41st session of the World Heritage Committee.
The Partners' event, for the fourth consecutive year, provided a platform for discussing private sector partners’ contributions to World Heritage conservation and promotion ...
2 min read
Monday, 10 July 2017
Krakow, Poland, 10 July—The World Heritage Committee, meeting in Krakow since 2 July, has decided to remove Georgia’s Gelati Monastery from the List of World Heritage in Danger.
A decision adopted on Sunday, introduced a major reduction in the boundaries of the Georgian site of f Bagrati Cathedral and Gelati Monastery, inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1994 and on the List in Danger in ...
1 min read
Sunday, 9 July 2017
Krakow, Poland, 9 July—The World Heritage Committee, meeting in Krakow since 2 July, this afternoon ended the inscription of sites on UNESCO’s World Heritage List with the final addition of three cultural sites in Brazil, Turkey and the United Kingdom, and the approval of the extensions of Strasbourg: from Grande-île to Neustadt, a European urban scene (France) and The Bauhaus and its Sites ...
3 min read
Sunday, 9 July 2017
The World Heritage Committee meeting in Krakow since 2 July today inscribed cultural sites in Denmark, France, Germany, Iran, Poland, and the Russian Federation, along with one that spans Croatia, Italy and Montenegro.
The sites added, in order of inscription are:
Historic City of Yazd (Islamic Republic of Iran)
The City of Yazd is located in the middle of the Iranian plateau, 270 ...
5 min read
Sunday, 9 July 2017
On 7 July, the new donor platform Marketplace for World Heritage went live on the World Heritage Centre website. The webpage was launched at an event held during the 41st World Heritage Committee, which is currently taking place in Krakow, Poland.
Participants attending the World Heritage Committee were invited to explore this innovative new platform, which showcases global priority projects ...
1 min read
Saturday, 8 July 2017
Krakow, Poland, 8 July—The World Heritage Committee this afternoon inscribed three cultural sites in Cambodia, China and India.
The sites added, in order of inscription are:
Temple Zone of Sambor Prei Kuk, Archaeological Site of Ancient Ishanapura (Cambodia)
The archaeological site of Sambor Prei Kuk, “the temple in the richness of the forest” in the Khmer language, has been identified as ...
2 min read
Saturday, 8 July 2017
The World Heritage Committee this morning inscribed three cultural sites in Angola, Eritrea and South Africa. With these inscriptions, Angola and Eritrea make their first entries to the World Heritage List.
The sites added, in order of inscription are:
Mbanza Kongo, vestiges of the capital of the former Kingdom of Kongo (Angola)
The town of Mbanza Kongo, located on a plateau at an altitude ...
2 min read
Friday, 7 July 2017
Krakow, Poland, 7 July—The World Heritage Committee, in this afternoon’s session, inscribed natural sites in Argentina and China on UNESCO’s World Heritage List as well as a transboundary site in Mongolia and the Russian Federation. It also approved the extension of the World Heritage site of the Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and the Ancient Beech Forests of Germany, which now ...
3 min read
Friday, 7 July 2017
The World Heritage Committee meeting in Krakow has inscribed Hebron / Al Khalil Old town (Palestine) and W-Arly-Pendjari Complex (Benin, Burkina Faso) on the World Heritage List during its morning session. The Committee simultaneously added the site of Hebron / Al Khalil to the List of World Heritage in Danger.
The new sites in order of inscription are:
Hebron / Al Khalil Old ...
2 min read
Thursday, 6 July 2017
Krakow, Poland, 6 July—The World Heritage Committee has inscribed the Historic Centre of Vienna on List of World Heritage in Danger due to high-rise projects in the middle of the Austrian capital.
In its decision, the Committee regrets that the Vienna Ice-Skating Club—Intercontinental Hotel project fails to comply fully with previous Committee decisions, notably concerning the height of new ...
1 min read
Tuesday, 4 July 2017
Krakow, Poland, 4 July—The World Heritage Committee meeting in Krakow has decided to remove Simien National Park from the List of World Heritage in Danger in recognition of improvements in its management and of measures taken to reduce overgrazing and visitor impact.
The World Heritage Committee welcomed Ethiopia’s commitment in building an alternative road to alleviate the disturbance of ...
1 min read
Tuesday, 4 July 2017
Krakow, Poland, 4 July—The World Heritage Committee meeting in Krakow since 2 July has decided to take Comoé National Park, the Ivorian World Heritage site, off the List of World Heritage in Danger following improvements in the conservation of its fauna and habitat.
In its decision, the World Heritage Committee congratulated Côte d’Ivoire for its work to fight poaching. It noted that ...
1 min read
Monday, 3 July 2017
The opening ceremony of the 41st session of the World Heritage Committee took place on 2 July at the Royal Palace of Wawel in Krakow, Poland, in the presence of nearly 1,000 people, among them the President of Poland, Andrzej Duda, and other leading personalities. The Committee will be in session until 12 July.
Notable speakers at the opening included the Director-General of UNESCO, Irina ...
3 min read
Friday, 30 June 2017
The Central Asian Silk Roads sub-regional meeting “Reinforcement of Sub-Regional Management Coordination and Knowledge: Sustainable Tourism and Development Initiatives”, was held in Almaty on 24 May 2017 and fifty participants attended.
The participants came from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, and included experts, representatives and officers in the field of heritage ...
2 min read
Wednesday, 28 June 2017
“The application of the Recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape in Cuenca, Ecuador - A New Approach to Cultural and Natural heritage” collects the research project “Reassessment of the cultural and natural heritage of the city of Cuenca departing from sustainable development strategies supported by the Recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape” (PUH_C project). This project ...
1 min read
Monday, 26 June 2017
Under the theme <Memory: Lost and Recovered Heritage>, the World Heritage Young Professional Forum 2017 was launched in Royal Castle in Warsaw, Poland on 25 June. 32 selected participants from 32 different countries will take the opportunity to visit Warsaw and Krakow during 25 June to 4 July 2017, to exchange ideas, contribute to the discussions and immerse themselves in topics within ...
1 min read
Friday, 23 June 2017
The international workshop “Strengthening of the capacities of national and local teams in the preservation of the stone structures of Qhapaq Ñan” was held from 21 to 23 June 2017 in the municipality of Alausí, Ecuador. The workshop was the second activity conducted within the framework of the project “Support of the strengthening of the participatory management system of the Qhapaq Ñan, ...
1 min read
Friday, 23 June 2017
Today, UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre released the first global scientific assessment of climate change impacts on World Heritage coral reefs. Soaring ocean temperatures in the past three years have subjected 21 of 29 World Heritage reefs to severe and/or repeated heat stress, and caused some of the worst bleaching ever observed at iconic sites like the Great Barrier Reef (Australia), ...
3 min read
Thursday, 22 June 2017
The Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, deplores the destruction of the Al Nuree Mosque and Al Hadba Minaret in Mosul.
“The Al Hadba Minaret and Al Nuree Mosque in Mosul were among the most iconic sites in the city, and stood as a symbol of identity, resilience and belonging. When Daesh targeted the mosque and minaret a few month ago, the people of Mosul formed a human chain to protect ...
2 min read
Friday, 16 June 2017
The World Heritage Committee will assess the nomination of 34 sites for inscription on UNESCO’s World Heritage List during its 41st session, which will be chaired by Jacek Purchla, founder and director of the International Cultural Centre in Krakow, the Polish city that will host the session from 2 to 12 July.
This year’s nominations for inscription on the World Heritage List number seven ...
4 min read
Monday, 12 June 2017
At its 41st session to be held in Krakow, Poland, from 2 to 12 July 2017, the World Heritage Committee will examine the state of conservation of 154 World Heritage properties. The full reports on these properties are now publicly available through the World Heritage Centre’ State of conservation Information System at the following Web address: https://whc.unesco.org/en/soc
As part of the ...
1 min read
Friday, 9 June 2017
From 17 to 19 May 2017, thanks to the support of the Thai Government, the International Consultation Workshop on World Heritage of Religious Interest focused on Asia-Pacific Region was organized within the framework of the UNESCO Initiative on Heritage of Religious Interest.
The meeting was attended by the States Parties’ representatives from Kingdom of Bhutan, People’s Republic of China, ...
1 min read
Thursday, 8 June 2017
New York, NY – 8 June. HSH Prince Albert of Monaco II was the first to sign The Ocean Pledge launched by youth from UNESCO World Heritage Marine sites at the United Nations. He was joined by, Ms Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO as well as Adrian Grenier United Nations Goodwill Ambassador for the Environment.
The pledge, which reads ‘I pledge to protect the ocean for future ...
2 min read
Wednesday, 7 June 2017
The World Heritage Centre has taken due note of the concerns expressed by various stakeholders concerning the Western Sydney Airport project, located in the vicinity of the World Heritage property ‘Greater Blue Mountains Area (Australia) and appreciates their commitment to the safeguarding of World Heritage.
In the framework of the 1972 World Heritage Convention, and in line with its ...
2 min read
Monday, 5 June 2017
Connecting People with Nature
It may seem hard to believe now, but, fifty years ago, it was thought the best way to protect nature was to make it off-limits to the human population…
Today, we know better.
We now know that the closer the relationship between people and their natural environment the more likely people are to appreciate the importance of nature and its biodiversity, heritage ...
2 min read
Wednesday, 31 May 2017
From 29 to 31 May 2017, the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport (MCGES) of Jamaica, in cooperation with UNESCO Kingston and the Jamaica National Commission for UNESCO, hosted a three-day Symposium and workshop on the impacts of climate change on World Heritage in the Caribbean under the theme "Rallying for the protection of culture and heritage in SIDS under a sustainable ...
1 min read
Sunday, 28 May 2017
From April to May 2017, the World Heritage Centre carried out a Testing Phase of the revised format of the Periodic Reporting questionnaire. Over 40 State Parties volunteered to test the revised questionnaire for content and usability. Feedback collected during this exercise is being used in the finalization of the revised questionnaire, prior to the presentation of its format to the World ...
2 min read
Sunday, 28 May 2017
From 24 to 26 May 2017, in La Paz, Bolivia, in the framework of the project “Support to the reinforcement of the participative management structure of the Qhapaq Ñan, Andean Road System” and with the financial support of UNESCO/ Japanese Funds-in-Trust for the Preservation of the World Cultural Heritage, the Ministry of Cultures and Tourism of Bolivia, organized the international workshop for ...
2 min read
Monday, 22 May 2017
Biodiversity and Sustainable Tourism
For more than 70 years, UNESCO has been working to foster scientific knowledge and cooperation on biodiversity and ecosystems, such as tropical forests, oceans, mountains. In recent years, the effect of human activities -- magnified by population growth and global climate change -- has reduced deeply biodiversity in ecosystems around the world. We need to ...
2 min read
Sunday, 21 May 2017
Just as natural diversity is vital to sustain ecosystems, cultural diversity is the lifeblood of vibrant societies. Cultural diversity provides fresh ideas and perspectives that enrich our lives in countless ways, allowing us all to grow and thrive together. A culturally diverse classroom is not only more inclusive, it boosts student learning and achievement. A culturally diverse workplace is ...
2 min read
Thursday, 18 May 2017
Celebrated each May, this year’s International Museum Day theme, “Museums and contested histories: Saying the unspeakable in museums”, highlights the essential role of museums as promotors of the free flow of ideas and knowledge, contributing to a more informed society.
As part of its International Museum Day celebrations, UNESCO is hosting a roundtable on the Reproduction of Art and ...
2 min read
Thursday, 18 May 2017
In the framework of the implementation of Decision 40 COM 7A.1 adopted by the World Heritage Committee at its 40th session (Istanbul, 2016), a Technical Advisory Mission was conducted by UNESCO World Heritage Centre and ICOMOS International, in support of the Plurinational State of Bolivia, from the 8 to the 11 May 2017.
The World Heritage Committee inscribed the City of Potosí on the World ...
2 min read
Friday, 12 May 2017
In the framework of the “UNESCO Documentation and Advisory Services” (UDAS) project, UNESCO Beirut launched on 8 May 2017 a Third Consultation Workshop for “Baalbek and Tyre Archaeological Project” (BTAP). The workshop was organized under the patronage of the Ministry of Culture and in collaboration with the Directorate General of Antiquities (DGA) and the Council for Development and ...
2 min read
Tuesday, 9 May 2017
With the slogan “Their Future is Our Future – A Healthy Planet for Migratory Birds and People”, the World Migratory Bird Day 2017 on 10 May aims to highlight the interdependence of people and nature, and more specifically people and migratory birds, as they share the same planet and the same limited resources.
For more than ten years now, World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) has raised awareness ...
2 min read
Thursday, 4 May 2017
The CEO of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority, the environmentalist Andrew Zaloumis, has been awarded the prestigious 2017 KfW-Bernhard-Grzimek-Preis for his outstanding commitment and visionary management of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park World Heritage site in South Africa. The award is presented every two years to honour individuals and organizations for their commitment to protecting ...
2 min read
Tuesday, 2 May 2017
“On this International Day, I call upon all African stakeholders, States, civil society and local communities to assume the protection of the unparalleled richness of Africa’s heritage.”
“Supporting local communities – and especially young people – to promote and develop the abundant cultural and natural resources means paving the way for long-term, inclusive and socially cohesive ...
5 min read
Friday, 28 April 2017
Following several reports and discussions with the Iraqi authorities, UNESCO has confirmed the liberation of the archeological site of Hatra, located in the Governorate of Nineveh in Iraq. The Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, has reiterated her support to the government and people of Iraq and expressed the readiness of UNESCO to help protect and promote Iraqi heritage as a force for ...
3 min read
Tuesday, 25 April 2017
Over 80 young people from 65 countries have adopted an international Declaration affirming their desire to promote peaceful coexistence and sustainable development through recognition and celebration of the Silk Roads.
At an International Youth Forum held in Changsha and Quanzhou, China, from 17 to 22 April 2017, participants agreed to expand their engagement in protecting and preserving ...
2 min read
Friday, 21 April 2017
International Earth Day is celebrated every year on 22 April to remind each of us that the Earth and its ecosystems provide us with life and sustenance. It also recognizes a collective responsibility, as called for by the 1992 Rio Declaration, to promote harmony with nature and the Earth to achieve a just balance among the economic, social and environmental needs of present and future ...
2 min read
Tuesday, 18 April 2017
The 2017 International Day for Monuments and Sites is dedicated to the theme “Cultural Heritage & Sustainable Tourism”, chosen in relation to the United Nations International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development and in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals.
In designating 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable ...
3 min read
Monday, 10 April 2017
At their best, World Heritage marine sites are like time capsules that provide a glimpse into the oceans of our parents and grandparents. Thanks to the expert care of managers and support from the global community, we can still experience the prehistoric Komodo Dragon, the dugongs of Dungonab Bay, or the pristine volcanic island of Surtsey. Our partners at The Polynesian Voyaging Society ...
4 min read
Saturday, 8 April 2017
An Expert Meeting on ‘Outstanding Universal Value of Auschwitz – Historical Identity of Europe and Pars Pro Toto Borders’ was held at the House of the Wannsee Conference (Berlin) on 7 April 2017. Organized by the Polish National Commission, the National Heritage Board of Poland and the Auschwitz Birkenau State Museum, the meeting brought together some 30 experts from around the ...
Friday, 7 April 2017
The World Heritage Volunteers (WHV) 2017 campaign: Heritage in our hands will take stock of the progress made over the past ten years to mobilize youth to preserve and promote World Heritage by reaching out to their peers and their communities.
Over the past ten years, the World Heritage Volunteers (WHV) Initiative has tremendously grown due to the increasing interest and appreciation for ...
1 min read
Tuesday, 4 April 2017
4 April 2017, Monaco -- The Arctic Ocean urgently needs protection as melting sea ice is opening up previously inaccessible areas to activities such as shipping, bottom trawl fishing and oil exploration, according to a scientific report launched today by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), in partnership with the US-based Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and ...
3 min read
Wednesday, 29 March 2017
Sixth Iberian Meeting of Site Managers, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
The 6th Iberian Meeting of Site Managers took place in Santiago de Compostela (Spain) from 29 to 31 March 2017 at the Museo das Peregrinacións e de Santiago. The meeting was organized by the Spanish Secretariat of State for Culture, through its General Division for the Protection of Historic Heritage, with the Xunta de ...
1 min read
Friday, 24 March 2017
New York, 24 March 2017 - UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova addressed today’s public briefing of the United Nations Security Council on “Maintenance of international peace and security: destruction and trafficking of cultural heritage by terrorist groups and in situations of armed conflict,” where the UN Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 2347 for the protection of ...
2 min read
Wednesday, 22 March 2017
Water is one of the key resources required to sustain life. It has led to the development and generation of significant material culture in the form of objects, technology and places. How to obtain it, how to store it, how to harness its power and conserve it has motivated human endeavor in a myriad of ways. It has also been the catalyst for the development of significant cultural practices ...
2 min read
Wednesday, 22 March 2017
On 21 and 22 March 2017, the Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL Institute for Sustainable Heritage, under the patronage of UNESCO, organised the Historic Urban Landscape Forum (HUL Forum). "The HUL Forum is a networking initiative generously supported by the Bartlett Faculty for the Built Environment that aims to foster constructive dialogue between academic researchers and practitioners ...
1 min read
Tuesday, 21 March 2017
Post Title: Cultural Heritage Specialist
Organisation: Arab Regional Centre for World Heritage (ARC-WH)
Location: Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain
Closing Date: 18 April, 2017
Applications: All interested applicants should submit their CV to info@arcwh.org
Background of ARC-WH:The Arab Regional Centre for World Heritage was established as a Category 2 Centre under the auspices of UNESCO to ...
2 min read