Sunday, June 24, 2012
36th session of World Heritage Committee opens with focus on sustainable development
The challenges facing heritage preservation as UNESCO celebrates the 40th anniversary of the World Heritage Convention were the focus of the opening ...

Sunday, June 24, 2012
36th Session of World Heritage Committee Youth Forum: Kazan (Republic of Tatarstan) 1 - 9 July, 2012
The Youth Model of the World Heritage Committee, to be held in Kazan from 1 to 9 July, is designed to attract the attention of young people of the ...

Wednesday, June 20, 2012
UNESCO and NOUH sign agreement for preservation of Historic Cairo
On 11 June, a protocol agreement for a preservation and management project for Historic Cairo (Egypt) was signed by Mr. Samir Gharib, Head of the ...

Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Successful World Heritage Candidates for the 2012 Business Planning Programme
Participants to the 4th annual World Heritage Centre / Earthwatch / Shell "Business Planning for natural World Heritage site managers" year long ...

Friday, June 15, 2012
10 Years of Dutch Support to World Heritage “From Astronomy to Zanzibar” published
Since its inception in 2001, the Netherlands Funds-in-Trust (NFiT) at the World Heritage Centre has served the international heritage community as ...

Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Preliminary findings of UNESCO mission sent to assess earthquake damage to sites in northern Italy
Following the earthquakes that struck the region of Emilia in northern Italy, notably since May 20, the UNESCO Director General Irina ...

Saturday, June 9, 2012
Consultative Meeting on World Heritage and Sustainable Development discusses principles and policy
The Consultative Meeting on World Heritage and Sustainable Development, held in Ouro Preto, Brazil from 5 to 8 February, was a ...

Friday, June 8, 2012
World Heritage celebrates World Oceans Day with new iPhone app
In celebration of World Oceans Day, the World Heritage Centre is launching an iPhone app. This years’ Oceans Day theme “Youth: the Next ...

Friday, June 8, 2012
In Memoriam: Professor Philip Tobias
The UNESCO World Heritage Centre would like to express its sincere condolences to the friends and family of Professor Philip Vallentine Tobias, who ...

Thursday, June 7, 2012
UNESCO mission assesses earthquake damage to sites in northern Italy
As requested by Director-General Irina Bokova, a team of experts has traveled to northern Italy to assess damage to World Heritage sites following ...

Friday, June 1, 2012
World Heritage Committee to consider inscription of 36 sites on UNESCO’s World Heritage List at forthcoming session (St Petersburg 22 June – 6 July)
The World Heritage Committee will consider the inscription of 36 sites on the World Heritage List during its next meeting from 24 June to 6 July, in ...

Wednesday, May 30, 2012
World Heritage Inventory of Earthen Architecture available online
The World Heritage Inventory of Earthen Architecture  is now available in English and French online: ...

Thursday, May 24, 2012
Government of Mali and UNESCO move to protect Timbuktu and other heritage sites in the north of Mali
The Government of Mali and UNESCO have defined measures to safeguard World Heritage Properties in the north of Mali, including the fabled city of ...

Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Launching Of The Rivers And Heritage Website
The Rivers and Heritage website was officially launched on 15 March 2012 at the World Water Forum in Marseille (France), during the session ...

Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Director-General concerned about attacks on World Heritage site of Ghadamès (Libya)
The Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, today called for the protection of Libya’s Old City of Ghadamès inscribed on UNESCO’s ...

Tuesday, May 22, 2012
UNESCO monitors damage to heritage in northern Italy following powerful earthquake
The Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, today extended her condolences to the inhabitants of northern Italy for the loss of human life and ...

Thursday, May 17, 2012
Living with World Heritage Conference examines sustainability and local involvement
The conference Living with World Heritage, held in Røros, Norway from 13 to 16 May 2012, was part of Norway`s official ...

Wednesday, May 9, 2012
New Recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape
On 7 May 2012, UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova and H.E. Ms Katalin Bogyay, Ambassador of Hungary and President of UNESCO's General Conference, ...

Friday, May 4, 2012
Irina Bokova concerned about growing threats to cultural heritage in Mali
UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova expressed her great concern following the desecration of the graves of Sidi Mahmoud in Mali by the Ansar Dine ...

Friday, April 20, 2012
Frontiers of the Roman Empire World Heritage site receives funding to restore portions of Hadrian’s Wall
The World Heritage property “Frontiers of the Roman Empire” has received £537,185 (US$ 850,406) in funding from SITA Trust to ...

Friday, April 20, 2012
Recommendations for transnational heritage corridors of Silk Roads site nomination
Members of the Coordinating Committee on the Serial World Heritage Nomination of the Silk Roads release recommendations for two priority transnational ...

Monday, April 2, 2012
UNESCO Director-General expresses concern about the situation in Mali
In reaction to recent events in Northern Mali, UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova expresses her deep concern about the possible consequences of the ...

Monday, April 2, 2012
Sydney Opera House, other sites participate in Earth Hour 2012
Sydney Opera House was among the World Heritage sites around the globe participating in Earth Hour 2012, the environmental campaign to draw ...

Friday, March 30, 2012
Director-General of UNESCO appeals for protection of Syria’s cultural heritage
The Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, today called for the protection of the cultural heritage of Syria. ‘Following a number of ...

Friday, March 30, 2012
Archaeological discoveries
In the sacred place of Tenochtitlan, archaeologists from INAH-Conaculta (The Mexican National Institute of Anthropology and History and the Mexican ...

Friday, March 30, 2012
International World Heritage Expert Meeting on criterion (vi)
The International World Heritage Expert Meeting on Criterion (vi)  and associative values which took place in Warsaw, Poland, 28-30 March 2012, ...

Wednesday, March 28, 2012
World Heritage sites participate in Earth Hour
UNESCO will partner with World Wildlife Fund (WWF) for Earth Hour, one of the world's largest and most well-known environmental campaigns in the ...

Wednesday, March 28, 2012
UNESCO committed to stronger links between World Heritage and Tourism
UNESCO Director-General, Irina Bokova underlined the importance of better integrating cultural heritage preservation and sustainable tourism during ...

Wednesday, March 28, 2012
From World Heritage to Literacy, Philadelphia Embraces UNESCO
World Heritage and literacy were bookends to a day where Philadelphia opened its arms to UNESCO, during the second day of Director-General Irina ...

Wednesday, March 28, 2012
World Heritage and Sustainable Tourism Top Agenda in Miami Leg of Director-General’s Mission to the U.S.
With a stunning visit to the Everglades the day before serving as a strong reminder, Director-General Irina Bokova turned her attention to a ...

Thursday, March 22, 2012
Jaeger-LeCoultre auction benefits Puerto-Princesa Subterranean River National Park
From 12-15 March 2012, the Swiss luxury watch manufacturer Jaeger-LeCoultre, partner of UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre since 2008, organized its ...

Thursday, March 22, 2012
GIS boundaries of natural and mixed World Heritage sites available
IUCN and UNEP-WCMC have compiled a KML layer with key information on the natural and mixed World Heritage sites inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage ...

Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Rapid Response Facility helping combat Mt. Kenya fires
On January 15th, forest fires were spotted on the slopes of Mount Kenya, the highest mountain in Africa.  Inscribed onto the World Heritage list ...

Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Venice Declaration adopted at international Conference on "Building Cities Resilience to Disasters in Europe: Protecting Cultural Heritage and Adapting to Climate Change"
The World Heritage Centre took part in a Conference organized by the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UN-ISDR) and the Municipality ...

Friday, March 16, 2012
UNESCO World Heritage Youth Storyboard Korean Competition (2012)
To contribute to the 2012 celebration of the 40th Anniversary of the World Heritage Convention, the Cultural Heritage Administration of ...

Thursday, March 15, 2012
In Memoriam: Professor Herb Stovel, conservationist
Professor Herb Stovel, one of the world’s most renowned experts in heritage conservation, recently passed away in Ottawa, Canada. During his ...

Thursday, March 15, 2012
American National Park Service (NPS) celebrates 40th anniversary of the World Heritage Convention
The National Park Service of the United States of America is celebrating the World Heritage Convention with events throughout the year. For more ...

Tuesday, March 13, 2012
World Heritage Centre expresses concern regarding aeromagnetic and aerogravimetric explorations at Virunga National Park (DRC)
The World Heritage Centre has just been informed that a Ministerial Order, signed on 1 September 2011, delivers to SOCO (South Africa Congo Oil) ...

Monday, March 12, 2012
International World Heritage Expert Meeting on Integrity for Cultural Heritage
Dr. Sami El-Masri, Deputy Director General for Arts, Culture and Heritage, Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority, with the Director of the UNESCO ...

Thursday, March 8, 2012
Aztec Ruins hosts World Heritage celebration
Aztec Ruins, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1987 as part of the Chaco Culture designation,  celebrated  the 25th anniversary of its ...

Thursday, March 8, 2012
City council grants planning permission for development scheme at World Heritage site “Liverpool – Maritime Mercantile City”
On 6 March 2012, Liverpool City Council’s Planning Committee granted outline planning permission for the Peel Holdings £5.5bn Liverpool ...

Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Construction of a women’s dyeing factory in Bamako
Women in Mali have developed over the last decades specific skills in terms of textile dyeing. This activity provides many employment opportunities ...

Saturday, March 3, 2012
Patrimonito Korean National Storyboard Competition 2012 - Winners
In March 2012, the Cultural Heritage Administration of the Republic of Korea (CHA) and the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (WHC)  launched ...

Friday, March 2, 2012
Exploration of hydrocarbons has been suspended on the Coffee Cultural Landscape, Colombia.
Thanks to Quindío being declared as part of the UNESCO World Heritage property, Coffee Cultural Landscape (Colombia), the exploration of ...

Friday, March 2, 2012
Reactive Monitoring Mission to the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage property (Australia)
A joint international expert mission to the World Heritage property of Great Barrier Reef by the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (WHC), and the ...

Friday, March 2, 2012
Nominations open for the 2012 MIDORI Prize for Biodiversity
Takuya Okada, Chairman of the AEON Environmental Foundation and Honorary Chairman of AEON Co., Ltd., announced today the opening of nominations for ...

Friday, March 2, 2012
3-month trip to India's 28 World Heritage sites
To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, two young Indian men, Aniketh MJ and Sulesh Kumar, are planning ...

Thursday, March 1, 2012
The World's Heritage co-published by UNESCO and Collins
UNESCO and Collins are delighted to announce the publication of The World’s Heritage (2nd Edition) – the definitive, best-selling ...

Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Patrimonito and Docomodake bring World Heritage sites to young people
To mark the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the UNESCOWorld Heritage Convention, Dentsu, EVERGREEN Digital Contents and NTT DOCOMO, in ...

Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Expert Working Group releases recommendations for Bamiyan Valley, Afghanistan
Expert Working Group meeting held in Tokyo, releases recommendations for Safeguarding World Heritage property of the Bamiyan Valley, ...

Monday, February 13, 2012
Heritage Heals in Hiraizumi
It is rare for a Director-General to present a certificate of World Heritage in person, but the temples, gardens and archaeological site of Hiraizumi, ...

Thursday, February 9, 2012
Panasonic Eco Picture Diary Global Contest Ceremony held at UNESCO Headquarters
Panasonic Corporation held yesterday, 8 February, the award ceremony of "Eco Picture Diary Global Contest" which the company has been promoting with ...

Friday, February 3, 2012
The Rapid Response Facility Contributes to avoiding the ecological isolation of Romania's Retezat Massif
The Retezat Massif has received a Rapid Response Facility (RRF) grant to undertake urgent snow-tracking surveys in response to a road-building threat ...

Wednesday, February 1, 2012
UNESCO and Goodwill Ambassador Herbie Hancock launch 40th anniversary of the World Heritage Convention
The Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, launched the 40th anniversary celebration of the World Heritage Convention in a ceremony at UNESCO ...

Monday, January 30, 2012
World Heritage Convention turns forty
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the World Heritage Convention, one of UNESCO's most successful programmes and one of the most powerful tools ...

Monday, January 30, 2012
Statement of the United Nations Foundation in Support of the World Heritage Convention’s 40th Anniversary
On November 16, 1972, the international community took a historic step towards safeguarding core, irreplaceable elements of our global heritage when ...

Tuesday, January 17, 2012
ICOMOS advisory mission to the World Heritage site of Seville
From 7 to 9 November 2011, experts from the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) undertook an advisory mission to examine development ...

Friday, January 13, 2012
Rapid Response Facility awards grant to Côte d'Ivoire component of Mount Nimba
The Côte d’Ivoire component of the transboundary Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve, inscribed onto the list of World Heritage in Danger, ...

Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Panasonic 2012 World Heritage calendar released in online version
The UNESCO World Heritage Centre and Panasonic have released an online version of the 2012 World Heritage Calendar in five languages. It is available ...

Friday, December 23, 2011
Marine Programme - Newsletter January 2012
Read our newsletter to learn about our major accomplishments, including new services that will help improve marine protection efforts around the ...

Friday, December 23, 2011
Best Wishes 2012
40 years of protection, 188 States Parties, 936 World Heritage Sites. Join us for the 40th Anniversary of the World Heritage Convention as we ...

Tuesday, December 20, 2011
World Heritage Volunteers 2012
Call for Projectsconcrete actions for the 40th Anniversary of the World Heritage Convention The UNESCO World Heritage Education Programme in ...

Thursday, December 15, 2011
Kernavė Archaeological site in Lithuania granted “enhanced protection” in the event of armed conflict
Kernavė Archaeological Site (Cultural Reserve of Kernavė) World Heritage site has been given "enhanced protection" status by the Committee for the ...

Wednesday, December 14, 2011
London 2012 Torch Relay to pass through Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage site
While exact details of the route are still under cover, it has been announced that the Olympic Torch will be carried through Ironbridge Gorge World ...

Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Italy announces support to UNESCO for Safeguarding Cultural Heritage in Myanmar
The Government of Italy has granted 400,000€ to support a new UNESCO project to build capacity for safeguarding cultural heritage in ...

Monday, December 12, 2011
Palestine and the World Heritage Convention
Since Palestine was admitted to UNESCO on 31 October, there have been several misleading media reports about the status of Palestinian cultural ...

Friday, December 2, 2011
Panasonic sponsors The World Heritage Special on National Geographic Channel in 183 countries
The two-year partnership signed between Panasonic and the World Heritage Centre in June 2011 aims to promote sustainable development and increase ...

Tuesday, November 29, 2011
3rd annual Business Skills for Natural World Heritage Site manager training event held
Midway through a discussion on risk analysis, someone jumps to their feet and shouts “ELEPHANTS!!” and within a matter of seconds the ...

Tuesday, November 29, 2011
UNESCO and Italy agree to cooperate on the restoration of Pompeii
UNESCO and Italy have agreed to collaborate on the restoration of the Archaeological Areas of Pompeii, Herculaneum and Torre Annunziata, inscribed on ...

Thursday, November 24, 2011
Scotland hosts global conference on remote access to World Heritage sites
Leading lights in science, technology, conservation and heritage interpretation descended upon Edinburgh on 23 November 2011 for a unique ...

Friday, November 18, 2011
Presentation ceremony held to recognize tri-national World Heritage site
On 16 November 2011, Kishore Rao, Director of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, presented a certificate to German Minister for Environment Norbert ...

Friday, November 18, 2011
UNESCO World Heritage app downloaded over 13,000 times
To launch the 40th anniversary celebrations of the World Heritage Convention, UNESCO offered the World Heritage iPhone/iPad application (app) free for ...

Thursday, November 10, 2011
State of Conservation of World Heritage Forests report launched
The World Heritage Centre is pleased to announce the publication of the World Heritage Paper #30:  “Adapting to Change – The State of ...

Tuesday, November 8, 2011
World Heritage Centre and Turismo de Portugal cooperate on Tourism Management at World Heritage sites
In June 2011 UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre and Turismo de Portugal, the Portuguese Tourism Authority, signed an agreement engaging in a ...

Monday, November 7, 2011
The G-77 & China at UNESCO celebrates the 40th Anniversary of the World Heritage Convention
A contribution of the G-77 & China in honor of the 40th Anniversary of the World Heritage Convention, in collaboration with UNESCO, the photo ...

Monday, November 7, 2011
2011-2012 World Heritage Map Available
The latest version of the World Heritage map, produced by the UNESCO World Heritage Centre and National Geographic Maps with the generous support of ...

Monday, November 7, 2011
UNESCO kicks off 40th anniversary celebration of World Heritage Convention
The Director-General of UNESCO Irina Bokova today launched the 40th anniversary celebrations for the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World ...

Monday, November 7, 2011
Nine members elected to World Heritage Committee
Nine new members were elected to the World Heritage Committee on the first day of the 18th General Assembly of States Parties to the World Heritage ...

Thursday, November 3, 2011
Elwha River Restoration project underway at Olympic National Park, USA
One of the largest restoration projects in the history of the United States is underway at Olympic National Park World Heritage site in Washington. ...

Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Fires at the World Heritage site of Pitons, cirques and remparts of Reunion Island (Réunion, France)
UNESCO is monitoring with concern the situation in the Pitons, cirques and remparts of Reunion Island, World Heritage site where fires have been ...

Tuesday, November 1, 2011
SIDS Capacity-Building Programme established
On 10 August 2011 the Japanese Government approved the programme proposal "Capacity Building to Support the Conservation of World Heritage Sites and ...

Monday, October 31, 2011
Floods at Cinque Terre World Heritage site
The UNESCO World Heritage Centre would like to express its condolences for the lives lost in northern Italy last week in the floods and mudslides ...

Friday, October 21, 2011
UNESCO convenes Libyan and international experts meeting for the safeguard of Libya’s cultural heritage
UNESCO has invited experts from both inside and outside of Libya to urgently examine the preservation of cultural heritage in the country, notably ...