
Best Wishes 2013 from the UNESCO World Heritage Centre
Friday, 21 December 2012

First Expert/Stakeholder Meeting for Management Plan of Pompei, Herculaneum and Torre Annunziata
Tuesday, 18 December 2012

Successful Completion of Climate Change Adaptation Project in the Peruvian Andes
Tuesday, 18 December 2012

Nairobi Convention calls for cooperation on marine World Heritage in Indian Ocean
Monday, 17 December 2012
The Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, laid out a vision for the World Heritage Convention in the 21st century stunning some 200 people from the cultural preservation community attending the ICOMOS Gala celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Convention in Washington on 12 December.
"We have come together to celebrate one of the most positive and visionary ideas that emerged in the ...

International experts meeting on earthen architecture: its preservation and potential for the future
Friday, 14 December 2012

UNESCO pays tribute to the memory of Oscar Niemeyer, a great humanist and an engaged architect
Thursday, 6 December 2012

Panasonic World Heritage 2013 Calendar released in paper, online and tablet PC app formats
Thursday, 6 December 2012

New World Heritage state of conservation information system accessible to public
Wednesday, 5 December 2012

2012-2013 World Heritage Map Available
Friday, 30 November 2012

Representatives from 30 Latin American Countries to prepare World Heritage Action Plan
Monday, 26 November 2012

The Colmar Forum: enhanced collaboration between Council of Europe, EU, UNESCO, UNWTO and OECD
Saturday, 24 November 2012

Expert Working Group releases final Recommendation for Safeguarding Herat and Jam
Wednesday, 21 November 2012

World Heritage Convention turns 40
Friday, 16 November 2012

"Passport" booklet highlighting United States’ World Heritage sites published
Friday, 16 November 2012

World Heritage Convention’s 40th anniversary celebration concludes and launches Kyoto Vision
Thursday, 8 November 2012

Final Meeting of the Second Cycle of the Periodic Reporting Exercise for Latin America and the Caribbean
Thursday, 8 November 2012
Preparations are being completed in Chile, where almost everything is ready, for the final meeting of the Second Cycle of the Periodic Reporting Exercise for Latin America and the Caribbean that will take place in Santiago de Chile from 2 to 5 December 2012.
The primary objectives of this meeting will be the development of the 2013-2020 Regional Action Plan and also the preparation of a ...
The Cuban National Cultural Heritage Council (CNPC) and the Cuban National Ballet (BNC) offered last October 30 a gala performance on the 40th anniversary of the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, parallel to the 33rd International Havana Ballet Festival. This major cultural event was attended by BNC director Alicia Alonso, His Excellency Mr. ...
The opening ceremony of the Closing Event taking place in Kyoto from 6 to 8 November featured a performance by UNESCO Artist for Peace Sarah Brightman, and a traditional drum performance by the Japanese group Hi Ryu (Flying Dragon).
The Chairperson of the event, Ambassador Masuo Nishibayashi, and UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova opened the celebration, along with Kazuyuki Hamada, ...

Closing celebration of World Heritage Convention’s 40th anniversary
Monday, 5 November 2012

The Africa region celebrates 40th anniversary of the World Heritage Convention
Wednesday, 31 October 2012

Vigan, Philippines recognized for best practice in World Heritage site management
Thursday, 25 October 2012

International Youth Forum Go4BioDiv at Sundarbans National Park
Friday, 19 October 2012
Director-General condemns renewed destruction of mausoleums in Timbuktu
Friday, 19 October 2012
UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova today expressed utmost concern over the escalation of violence in Syria, in particular in the vicinity of several World Heritage sites. The Director-General reiterates her appeal of 30 March 2012 to the parties involved in the conflict to protect all Syrian cultural heritage.
The Director-General’s comments follow reports about damage to the Umayyad ...

UNESCO launches Africa Nature programme
Monday, 8 October 2012
This year, two Marine World Heritage sites won the Future Policy Award, which celebrates policies that create better living conditions for current and future generations. Both Rock Islands Southern Lagoon (Palau) and Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park (Philippines) won a Future Policy Award 2012 in recognition of their marine policies.
Palau was given the Gold Award 2012 for its Protected ...

UNESCO Director-General deplores destruction of ancient Aleppo markets, a World Heritage site
Sunday, 30 September 2012

The International Protection of Landscapes conference results in Declaration on Landscape
Friday, 21 September 2012

Singapore becomes 190th State Party to the World Heritage Convention
Wednesday, 19 September 2012
It was with great sadness that the Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, learned of the passing of Russell E. Train, former President of the World Wildlife Fund, who died on 17 September at the age of 92.
Russell E. Train was a renowned US conservationist who played a central role in creating groundbreaking laws in response to rising concerns about environmental protection in America and ...

10.5 billion tonnes of carbon stored in World Heritage forest sites
Tuesday, 18 September 2012
On Saturday 15 September, the IUCN World Conservation Congress ended on the Island of Jeju, Republic of Korea, which harbors the “Jeju Volcanos Island and Lava Tubes” World Heritage site. Held every four years, the congress is the world’s largest and most important conservation event and the current edition was attended by 10,000 people, including 5,000 conservation experts ...

UNESCO and National Geographic partner with Intercontinental Hotels for Responsible Business Week 2012
Monday, 17 September 2012
The Director-General visits the Historic Quarter of the City of Colonia del Sacramento in Uruguay
Saturday, 15 September 2012
The Jurassic Coast celebrates the Earth in 2012
Saturday, 15 September 2012

IUCN World Conservation Congress begins in Jeju, Republic of Korea
Friday, 7 September 2012
Job opening: Cultural Heritage Specialist for Arab Regional Centre for World Heritage in Manama, Bahrain
Thursday, 6 September 2012

2013 UNESCO World Heritage Desk Diary published
Wednesday, 5 September 2012
During her visit to Naples on the occasion of the World Urban Forum organized by UN-HABITAT, the Director-General, Irina Bokova, commended the Italian authorities, and in particular the Municipal authorities and Superintendency of Region for the positive emergency conservation achievements at the World Heritage archaeological complex of Pompei, following the collapse of walls in 2010 and ...

Argentina names World Heritage site to the Ramsar List
Thursday, 23 August 2012

Patrimonito Chinese Storyboard Competition 2012 Results
Tuesday, 21 August 2012

Director-General deeply concerned by wildfires in Southern Europe
Friday, 17 August 2012

Launch of ICOMOS-ICORP website
Friday, 17 August 2012
Panasonic Vietnam, in cooperation with UNESCO’s Office in Hanoi, organized the Eco Learning program on UNESCO World Heritage for students of secondary schools in Hanoi, on 9 and 10 August at the Central Sector of the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long – Hanoi (Thang Long Imperial Citadel). Representatives from the Ministry of Education and Training participated in the ...

Aleppo must be saved: Call by the Chairman of the World Heritage Committee
Friday, 10 August 2012

Director-General Visits the Buddhist Monuments of Bagan
Wednesday, 8 August 2012
At its tenth session, the UN Permanent Forum on indigenous issues (UNPFII) made several recommendations relating to UNESCO, its World Heritage Committee and the advisory bodies ICOMOS, ICCROM and IUCN.
At the 34th (Brasilia, 2010), 35th (UNESCO, 2011) and 36th (St Petersburg, 2012) sessions of the World Heritage Committee, representatives of the UN Permanent Forum were present as observers ...
The project ‘Protection, Preservation and Prosperity: Stories of World Heritage,’ is being launched today by UNESCO and the Smithsonian Institution to celebrate the World Heritage Convention. Using mobile phone technology to reach the wider public, the project focuses on 10 World Heritage sites which embody, in particular, the role of local communities in World Heritage ...
In light of escalated violence in the vicinity of several historic urban areas in Syria, the Director-General reiterates her appeal of 30 March 2012, to all parties involved in the conflict to protect all Syrian cultural heritage.
UNESCO is particularly alarmed over reports of heavy fighting in Aleppo, which ancient city is a World Heritage site. Strategically positioned on historic trade ...

Creation of a Special Fund for the Safeguarding of Mali’s World Heritage sites
Wednesday, 25 July 2012
RRF grant awarded to rebuilt the Okapi Wildlife Reserve
Friday, 20 July 2012
Tokyo Expert Meeting (Feb 2012) published
Wednesday, 18 July 2012
The World Heritage Centre and the French Marine Protected Area Agency (AAMP) signed a Memorandum of Understanding in support of the conservation of marine World Heritage sites. The World Heritage Centre and AAMP have cooperated informally over the past years, in particular on efforts for the conservation marine World Heritage in the Indian Ocean and strengthening the World Heritage ...
The World Heritage Committee Friday closed its 36th session after almost two weeks of work under the chair of Eleonora Mitrofanova, the Ambassador of Russia to UNESCO.
The Committee added 26 new sites to UNESCO’s World Heritage List during the session. It marked the 40th anniversary of the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage.
The new ...

Emergency appeal for Okapi Wildlife Reserve (DRC) following murderous raid by poachers
Wednesday, 4 July 2012
21st International Radiocarbon Conference held at UNESCO Headquarters
Wednesday, 4 July 2012

Beech Forests of Europe – Further Sites for the WH list ?
Tuesday, 3 July 2012
The World Heritage Committee on 2 July condemned the destruction of World Heritage sites in Mali and decided on measures to help the country protect its heritage.
In its decision, the 21-member Committee responsible for implementing the World Heritage Convention, called on the Director-General of UNESCO to create a special fund to help Mali in the conservation of its cultural heritage.
The ...

Twenty-six new sites inscribed on UNESCO World Heritage List this year
Monday, 2 July 2012
The World Heritage Committee on Sunday inscribed eight new sites on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, including Chad’s first World Heritage property. Inscriptions will continue tomorrow Monday. The new sites are:
Major Mining Sites of Walonia (Belgium): The four sites of the property form a strip that is 170km long by 3 to 15 km, crossing Belgium from east to west. It consists of the ...

Bahraini pearling site and the Mosque of Isfahan inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List
Saturday, 30 June 2012
The World Heritage Committee on Saturday afternoon added the following sites to UNESCO’s World Heritage List: Gonbad-e Qābus (Iran), Archaelogical Heritage of the Lenggong Valley (Malaysia), The Landscape of Grand Pré (Canada); Heritage of Mercury (Almadén and Idrija (Slovenia/Spain); Margravial Opera House Bayreuth (Germany); Garrison Border Town of Elvas and its ...
UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova today expressed her distress and dismay over the destruction of three sacred tombs that are part of a World Heritage site in Timbuktu, Mali. Ms Bokova called on the belligerents to cease the destruction immediately.
“Reports that the Mausoleums of Sidi Mahmoud, Sidi Moctar and Alpha Moya have been destroyed is extremely distressing,” the ...

Mexican tourism project cancelled to protect Gulf of California World Heritage site
Saturday, 30 June 2012
New sites have been inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List: Birthplace of Jesus: the Church of the Nativity and the Pilgrimage Route, Bethlehem (Palestine); Site of Human Evolution at Mount Carmel: The Nahal Me’arot/Wadi el-Mughara Caves (Israel), Rock Islands Southern Lagoon (Palau), and The Cultural Landscape of Bali: the Subak System as a Manifestation of the Tri Hita ...
The Site of Xanadu (China), the Bassari Country: Bassari and Bedik Cultural Landscapes (Senegal) and the Historic Town Grand Bassam, the first capital of Côte d’Ivoire have been added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List.
North of the Great Wall, the Site of Xanadu encompasses the remains of Kublai Khan’s legendary capital city, designed by the Mongol ...
The Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, expressed her utmost concern with the recent fighting in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, which is affecting several World Heritage sites. On Sunday June 24, a group of armed rebels attacked the headquarters of the Okapi Wildlife Reserve, killing at least 7 park staff. Others were taken hostage by the rebels or are still unaccounted for. All ...

Heritage sites in northern Mali placed on List of World Heritage in Danger
Thursday, 28 June 2012
The World Heritage Committee on Tuesday morning recognized the success of two countries, Pakistan and the Philippines, in improving the conservation of sites that had been inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger: Fort and Shalamar Gardens in Lahore (Pakistan) and the Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras (Philippines).
Successful measures have been taken to remove the threat ...

Panamanian fortifications inscribed on List of World Heritage in Danger
Wednesday, 27 June 2012

World Heritage Committee places Liverpool on List of World Heritage in Danger
Tuesday, 26 June 2012

Day 1 in St Petersburg: 2012 World Heritage Committee
Monday, 25 June 2012

36th session of World Heritage Committee opens with focus on sustainable development
Sunday, 24 June 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 States Parties to the World Heritage Convention to the problem of preservating natural and cultural heritage and to raise awareness of youth activities related to the Convention, its role and its international importance as well as procedures ...

UNESCO and NOUH sign agreement for preservation of Historic Cairo
Wednesday, 20 June 2012

Successful World Heritage Candidates for the 2012 Business Planning Programme
Tuesday, 19 June 2012

10 Years of Dutch Support to World Heritage “From Astronomy to Zanzibar” published
Friday, 15 June 2012
Following the earthquakes that struck the region of Emilia in northern Italy, notably since May 20, the UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova dispatched an urgent technical mission with the objective of assessing the overall situation at the affected World Heritage properties. The mission also aimed to evaluate the current risks related to the evolution of the seismic phenomenon ...
The Consultative Meeting on World Heritage and Sustainable Development, held in Ouro Preto, Brazil from 5 to 8 February, was a contribution to the celebration the 40th anniversary of the World Heritage Convention. In the first session, all speakers stressed the need to redefine the paradigm of this important topic in the face of growing inequalities and global challenges.
This ...

World Heritage celebrates World Oceans Day with new iPhone app
Friday, 8 June 2012

In Memoriam: Professor Philip Tobias
Friday, 8 June 2012

UNESCO mission assesses earthquake damage to sites in northern Italy
Thursday, 7 June 2012
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 Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation.
The forthcoming 36 th session of the Committee , an independent body of 21 States Parties to the 1972 World Heritage Convention , will be chaired by. Eleonora Mitrofanova, Ambassador Permanent Delegate ...

World Heritage Inventory of Earthen Architecture available online
Wednesday, 30 May 2012
The Government of Mali and UNESCO have defined measures to safeguard World Heritage Properties in the north of Mali, including the fabled city of Timbuktu, following reports of wilful damage to mausoleums in the World Heritage site.
UNESCO’s Assistant Director-General for Africa, Lalla Aicha Ben Barka, travelled to Bamako (18 – 20 May) and met senior government officials ...

Launching Of The Rivers And Heritage Website
Wednesday, 23 May 2012

Director-General concerned about attacks on World Heritage site of Ghadamès (Libya)
Tuesday, 22 May 2012

UNESCO monitors damage to heritage in northern Italy following powerful earthquake
Tuesday, 22 May 2012

Living with World Heritage Conference examines sustainability and local involvement
Thursday, 17 May 2012

New Recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape
Wednesday, 9 May 2012

Irina Bokova concerned about growing threats to cultural heritage in Mali
Friday, 4 May 2012
The World Heritage property “Frontiers of the Roman Empire” has received £537,185 (US$ 850,406) in funding from SITA Trust to underwrite a conservation project that will restore dilapidated portions of the site located in the United Kingdom. The project will be administered by Hadrian’s Wall Heritage.
Originally inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1987 as ...

Recommendations for transnational heritage corridors of Silk Roads site nomination
Friday, 20 April 2012

Sydney Opera House, other sites participate in Earth Hour 2012
Monday, 2 April 2012

UNESCO Director-General expresses concern about the situation in Mali
Monday, 2 April 2012

Director-General of UNESCO appeals for protection of Syria’s cultural heritage
Friday, 30 March 2012

Archaeological discoveries
Friday, 30 March 2012

International World Heritage Expert Meeting on criterion (vi)
Friday, 30 March 2012
UNESCO committed to stronger links between World Heritage and Tourism
Wednesday, 28 March 2012

From World Heritage to Literacy, Philadelphia Embraces UNESCO
Wednesday, 28 March 2012
With a stunning visit to the Everglades the day before serving as a strong reminder, Director-General Irina Bokova turned her attention to a private-public sector roundtable on World Heritage and Sustainable Tourism in Miami on Monday. Joining a panel of local leaders in the tourism industry and conservation, the Director-General highlighted the importance of better integrating cultural ...

World Heritage sites participate in Earth Hour
Wednesday, 28 March 2012

GIS boundaries of natural and mixed World Heritage sites available
Thursday, 22 March 2012

Jaeger-LeCoultre auction benefits Puerto-Princesa Subterranean River National Park
Thursday, 22 March 2012

Rapid Response Facility helping combat Mt. Kenya fires
Wednesday, 21 March 2012
The World Heritage Centre took part in a Conference organized by the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UN-ISDR) and the Municipality of Venice on "Building Cities Resilience to Disasters in Europe: Protecting Cultural Heritage and Adapting to Climate Change" (Venice, 19-20 March 2012).
Part of the international campaign called "Making my City Resilient - My City is Getting ...

UNESCO World Heritage Youth Storyboard Korean Competition (2012)
Friday, 16 March 2012

In Memoriam: Professor Herb Stovel, conservationist
Thursday, 15 March 2012
The National Park Service of the United States of America is celebrating the World Heritage Convention with events throughout the year. For more information, there is an interactive website:
http://www.nps.gov/oia/topics/worldheritage/World_Heritage_Anniversary.htm
The World Heritage Centre has just been informed that a Ministerial Order, signed on 1 September 2011, delivers to SOCO (South Africa Congo Oil) a Certificate of Environmental Acceptability in order to exercise an oil exploration campaign by the acquisition of aeromagnetic and aerogravimetric data in block V of the Albertine Rift (Virunga National Park), Democratic Republic of Congo ...

International World Heritage Expert Meeting on Integrity for Cultural Heritage
Monday, 12 March 2012

Aztec Ruins hosts World Heritage celebration
Thursday, 8 March 2012
On 6 March 2012, Liverpool City Council’s Planning Committee granted outline planning permission for the Peel Holdings £5.5bn Liverpool Waters scheme. The permission is subject to the signing of a legal agreement and has to be referred to the Government which will decide whether a public inquiry will be held.
Experts from UNESCO's World Heritage Centre and from the International ...
Brunei Darassalam and Palestine ratify the World Heritage Convention
Thursday, 8 March 2012

Construction of a women’s dyeing factory in Bamako
Wednesday, 7 March 2012

Patrimonito Korean National Storyboard Competition 2012 - Winners
Saturday, 3 March 2012
Thanks to Quindío being declared as part of the UNESCO World Heritage property, Coffee Cultural Landscape (Colombia), the exploration of hydrocarbons in this area has been stopped by order of the Council of State. The decree was issued less than eight days ago and demands the suspension of all exploration by the National Agency of Hydrocarbons and the Drilling 2010 consortium in the ...
Nominations open for the 2012 MIDORI Prize for Biodiversity
Friday, 2 March 2012
A joint international expert mission to the World Heritage property of Great Barrier Reef by the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (WHC), and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is taking place from 5 to 14 March 2012.
The World Heritage Committee, at its 35th session in June 2011 (Paris) examined the state of conservation of Great Barrier Reef (Australia), inscribed on the ...

3-month trip to India's 28 World Heritage sites
Friday, 2 March 2012

The World's Heritage co-published by UNESCO and Collins
Thursday, 1 March 2012

Patrimonito and Docomodake bring World Heritage sites to young people
Wednesday, 29 February 2012

Expert Working Group releases recommendations for Bamiyan Valley, Afghanistan
Tuesday, 14 February 2012

Heritage Heals in Hiraizumi
Monday, 13 February 2012

Panasonic Eco Picture Diary Global Contest Ceremony held at UNESCO Headquarters
Thursday, 9 February 2012
The Retezat Massif has received a Rapid Response Facility (RRF) grant to undertake urgent snow-tracking surveys in response to a road-building threat through the Carpathian Mountains. This protected area is on Romania’s World Heritage tentative list, and is known for its plant diversity, endemism and rich fauna, including the Eurasian eagle-owl, the gray wolf and the brown bear.
The ...

UNESCO and Goodwill Ambassador Herbie Hancock launch 40th anniversary of the World Heritage Convention
Wednesday, 1 February 2012

World Heritage Convention turns forty
Monday, 30 January 2012
On November 16, 1972, the international community took a historic step towards safeguarding core, irreplaceable elements of our global heritage when the General Conference of UNESCO adopted the World Heritage Convention. Since then, more than 188 countries have ratified the Convention, and more than 936 separate sites around the world have been designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. As ...