2392 news
Monday, 20 April 2009
An exhibition - photographs and a video installation - at UNESCO will celebrate the reinstallation of the Aksum obelisk. The show will give visitors a chance to learn about the history of the Ethiopian site and to view the key stages of reinstalling the monument, 24 metres high and weighing 150 tons.
Open to the public from 4 to 15 May (9 a.m. to 5.30 p.m.), the exhibition will be ...
2 min read
Monday, 20 April 2009
The World Heritage Centre has noted with great concern the news of the earthquake that struck near L'Aquila, Central Italy, on Monday, 6 April 2009.
According to initial reports, some 60 miles west of the epicentre of the quake, the Baths of Caracalla (part of the UNESCO World Heritage property "Historic Centre of Rome, the Properties of the Holy See in that City Enjoying Extraterritorial ...
1 min read
Thursday, 16 April 2009
On 2 April 2009 at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris Mr Francesco Bandarin, Director of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, signed an agreement with INRAP, the French National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research (Institut national de recherches archéologiques preventives). The Letter of Intent was signed by Mrs Nicole Pot, Director of INRAP and Mr Jean-Paul Jacob, President of ...
1 min read
Friday, 10 April 2009
The Liaison Group of the Biodiversity-related Conventions (BLG) is a coordinating mechanism among Conventions for joint activities and shared tools in the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, maximizing outcomes from limited resources in accordance with UN goals. The meeting was hosted by the UNESCO World Heritage Centre and took place at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, ...
1 min read
Tuesday, 7 April 2009
This lecture presents a brief history of attitudes to conservation in the 20th Century - the key concepts underpinning the Venice Charter (1964) UNESCO recommendations on historic areas (1976) and the Lahore recommendations on historic cities (1980).
Professor Lewcock chronicles these changes in his own experiences in Cairo (1972-1984) and Uzbekistan (1970-1996) and he discusses in detail ...
1 min read
Friday, 3 April 2009
UNESCO was recently informed of two serious threats at the Marojejy and Masoala national parks in the north of Madagascar, which are part of the recently inscribed Rainforests of Atisnanana World Heritage site.
Inscribed on the World Heritage List in June 2007 during the 31st session of the World Heritage Committee, the site is composed of six ...
2 min read
Tuesday, 31 March 2009
UNESCO, Egypt and Sudan have started commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Nubia Campaign, a defining example of international solidarity when countries understood the universal nature of heritage and the universal importance of its conservation.
The Egyptian and Sudanese governments' request - in April and October 1959 respectively - for UNESCO's help to save the 3,000-year-old ...
1 min read
Tuesday, 24 March 2009
From 16 to 19 March 2009, Mr Koïchiro Matsuura, Director-General of UNESCO, paid his third official visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He was accompanied throughout his visit by Mr Ziad Bin Abdullah Aldrees, Ambassador and Permanent Delegate of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to UNESCO.
On 17 March, the Director-General was received by HRH Prince Sultan bin Salman Bin Abdelaziz Al-Saud, ...
3 min read
Friday, 20 March 2009
The World Heritage site of the Tubbataha Reef Marine Park in the Philippines will benefit from the total amount of £13,540 collected through an auction organized in February by the Swiss watch company Jaeger-LeCoultre, within the framework of the partnership with UNESCO's World Heritage Centre and the International Herald Tribune.
The purchase of a watch designed to celebrate this ...
1 min read
Friday, 20 March 2009
18 students from Greenland visited the UNESCO World Heritage Centre on 16 March 2009 to learn more about World Heritage, the Arctic and climate change. They were briefed about the expert workshop on World Heritage and the Arctic (Narvik, Norway, 2007), received a copy of the proceedings (see: /) which were published in 2008 thanks to the generous support of the Prince Albert II Foundation of ...
1 min read
Thursday, 19 March 2009
The International Workshop and Expert Meeting "Starlight Reserves and World Heritage - scientific cultural and environmental values", was held in Fuerteventura, Spain, from 10-11 March 2009. It was attended by 32 participants and experts from 10 countries including representatives of private organizations, companies, the tourism industry, NGOs, scientific bodies and research ...
1 min read
Monday, 16 March 2009
The International Workshop and Expert Meeting "Starlight Reserves and World Heritage - scientific cultural and environmental values", was held in Fuerteventura, Spain from 10-11 March 2009, and attended by 32 participants and experts from 10 countries. Participants were representatives of private organizations, enterprises, the tourism industry, NGOs, scientific bodies and research ...
2 min read
Monday, 2 March 2009
"For her work on the evolution of the stars from the birth of the universe to the present time." (Jury Citation, General Public)
"For her work on the chemical composition of old stars and its relevance to the formation and evolution of galaxies." (Jury Citation, Scientific Public)
Who She Is
Professor Barbuy was born in Brazil, and received her doctorate degree from the University of Paris ...
3 min read
Thursday, 26 February 2009
UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Jean-Michel Jarre has agreed to become the Artistic Director of the World Sky Race launched in a partnership between the nongovernmental U.S.-based World Air League and UNESCO's World Heritage Centre. The aim of the World Sky Race is to promote environmental protection and the use of lighter-than-air skyships as a means to reduce pollution and pressures caused by ...
Monday, 23 February 2009
On 23 January 2009, Artist for Peace Ms Missa Johnouchi met with Mr Francesco Bandarin, Directer of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, to present a donation for the preservation of World Heritage sites.
The funds, collected during the "World Heritage Torch-Run Concert - A voyage of the heart on the Silk Road from France to Japan" organized by the French Chamber ...
Friday, 13 February 2009
On 22 January 2009, the Anegundi Bridge at the World Heritage Group of Monuments at Hampi collapsed, killing eight construction workers. The unfinished bridge over the Tungabhadra River gave way under the weight of the additional concrete used to complete its construction, only weeks after resumption of the works which had been halted over 9 years ago.
The Group of Monuments at Hampi was ...
2 min read
Friday, 13 February 2009
The Royal Palaces of Abomey in Benin were ravaged by a fire on 21 January 2009 which destroyed several buildings. A brushfire, whose origins are still uncertain, consumed the straw roof and framework of six buildings enclosing two temples to Agasu, as well as the tombs of King Agonglo, King Ghezo, and each king's 41 wives. The fire moved quickly due to the strong harmattan winds which are ...
1 min read
Friday, 13 February 2009
Dutch and the Flemish Governments join Japan, UCCLA and Portugal in financing the San Sebastian Fortress rehabilitation project
On 18 December 2008, the Government of Mozambique and UNESCO signed two plans of operation for projects funded by the Netherlands and Flanders Funds-in-Trusts supporting the rehabilitation of the San Sebastian Fortress. Since its inscription on the World Heritage ...
1 min read
Thursday, 12 February 2009
In the context of the partnership between Jaeger-LeCoultre, The International Herald Tribune and UNESCO, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Manufacture has designed a watch symbolizing its commitment to the World Heritage Marine Programme.
The goal of the partnership is to identify, monitor and preserve marine sites around the world, and the Swiss luxury watch manufacturer has designed a limited edition ...
1 min read
Wednesday, 11 February 2009
The latest version of the World Heritage map, produced by the UNESCO World Heritage Centre and National Geographic Maps with support from the United Nations Foundation, can now be ordered for a modest fee from the World Heritage Centre website. All proceeds from sales of the maps will go toward the preservation and promotion of World Heritage sites.
The map is an extremely valuable learning ...
1 min read
Monday, 9 February 2009
[in French only] Actualités sur l'avancement des projets cfu :
Formation «patrimoine culturel et développement local». Porto Novo, Benin, 18-21 novembre 2008.
Séminaire international "Les ponts : de la construction à l'approche patrimoniale". Paris, 26-28 novembre 2008.
Atelier technique sur les inventaires du patrimoine culturel dans ...
Sunday, 1 February 2009
On 16 January 2009, the Government of the Cook Islands officially deposited with the Director-General of UNESCO, Koïchiro Matsuura, its instrument of ratification, becoming the 186th State Party to adopt the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage.
The World Heritage Convention will enter into force for this State Party on 16 April ...
Monday, 26 January 2009
Discover the rich history of the Silk Road on a guided visit to six World Heritage sites from April 12 to 27, 2009. The American Museum of Natural History, in partnership with the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, is offering an exciting and informative program to the oasis cities of Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan accompanied by archaeologist and early Silk Road scholar, Dr. Hsin-Mei Agnes Hsu. ...
Wednesday, 21 January 2009
The UNESCO Lima office, through an agreement with the National Institute of Culture of Peru, is providing technical assistance for the development of heritage site management plans for the Pachacamac archeological complex and the Lines and Geoglyphs of Nasca and Pampas de Jumana. Such assistance requires the expertise of international specialists. The main objective of the work plans is to ...
Wednesday, 7 January 2009
On 2 January 2009, Ugandan rebels known as the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) attacked Garamba National Park, one of five World Heritage sites in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
So far, there are 8 dead, including two guards and two wives of park rangers, and 13 wounded.
Park authorities are also evaluating damage done to the park. Nagero Station, targeted by the rebels, is ...
1 min read
Friday, 19 December 2008
On 18 December 2008, the European Commission and UNESCO signed an agreement in Libreville, Gabon for a contribution of €2.5 million to the Central Africa World Heritage Forest Initiative (CAWFHI).
Since 2004, the UNESCO World Heritage Centre has been coordinating the Initiative for a total amount of about $10 million, with $3.3 million financed by the United Nations Foundation, $3.3 by ...
1 min read
Friday, 12 December 2008
The Australian Funds-in-Trust, established in August 2008 between the UNESCO World Heritage Centre and the Australian Government, has been increased. A sum of $AUS830,000 has been added to the Australian Government's first generous contribution of $AUS2.5 million. From the Funds-in-Trust, $AUS1.13 million will be used to support the development of a conservation and management ...
1 min read
Friday, 12 December 2008
Brochures on the World Heritage Convention and World Heritage in Young Hands programme are available in Bulgarian.
"Our World Heritage" and "Today and tomorrow with young people" were originally published by UNESCO in English, French and Spanish. The brochures were translated into Bulgarian thanks to the financial contribution of the Regional Inspectorate of Environment and ...
1 min read
Wednesday, 3 December 2008
Béthanie - the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts Landmark Heritage Campus has been awarded an Honourable Mention at the 2008 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Cultural Heritage Awards.
An award presentation ceremony will take place on 9 December 2008 at the Béthanie campus. Officiating guests include Ms Béatrice Kaldun, UNESCO's China representative for Culture and Heritage; Mrs ...
1 min read
Tuesday, 2 December 2008
Dr. Keiji Tachikawa, President of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and Koïchiro Matsuura, Director-General of UNESCO, on 2 December signed a cooperation agreement through which JAXA will assist UNESCO by bringing the benefits of space technology to the monitoring of World Heritage sites.
With this agreement JAXA joins a group of more than 50 partners, including 25 space ...
2 min read
Thursday, 20 November 2008
Experts from UNESCO's World Heritage Centre and from the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) undertook a reactive monitoring mission to examine development projects affecting the Old and New Towns of Edinburgh (United Kingdom), inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List in 1995.
Undertaken at the request of the World Heritage Committee during its most recent session (Quebec ...
2 min read
Monday, 10 November 2008
The devastating fires that raged across Greece in the summer of 2007 seriously affected the World Heritage site of Olympia, stopping short of destroying its Museum and archaeological area, which could only be saved thanks to the strenuous efforts of the responsible authorities. Disasters such as the one that threatened Olympia are in fact increasing, including as a result of climate change, ...
3 min read
Monday, 3 November 2008
[in French only] Actualités sur l'avancement des projets CFU :
« Niger - Loire : gouvernance et culture ». Projet européen.
Coopération décentralisée Riga, Lyon et Bordeaux : voyage d'étude sur la conservation des centres historiques. 21-25 septembre 2008.
Réseau des villes indiennes de culture ...
Thursday, 30 October 2008
The Director-General of UNESCO, Koïchiro Matsuura, said today he was alarmed by the violent incidents taking place in the province of North Kivu in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Mr Matsuura voice his support to the statement made earlier by the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-Moon, calling on "all parties to immediately cease hostilities and pursue in good ...
1 min read
Thursday, 30 October 2008
A Memorandum of Understanding is to be signed today, 30 October 2008, between UNESCO and the International Astronomical Union (IAU). The IAU will be integrally involved in the process of developing UNESCO's Astronomy and World Heritage Initiative, helping to promote astronomical sites of "Outstanding Universal Value".
Friday, 24 October 2008
Five young heritage professionals from Canada, Egypt, Hungary, Peru, and Zimbabwe, received UNESCO-Vocations Patrimoine fellowships to pursue post graduate research at University College Dublin (Ireland) and at the Brandenburg Technical University of Cottbus (Germany) in a ceremony at UNESCO Headquarters on the evening of 22 October.
The fellowships were awarded by the Organization's ...
3 min read
Monday, 20 October 2008
The World Heritage Centre has been awarded the 2008 World Tourism Award in recognition of its ‘outstanding guidance, support and encouragement to 185 countries around the world by establishing and monitoring 878 World Heritage sites’ and its ‘outstanding accomplishments in the travel industry.’ Dr Zahi Hawass, Secretary General of Egypt’s Supreme Council on ...
1 min read
Monday, 20 October 2008
The first book published by Our Place, is now available. The first in a series of ten books produced in collaboration with the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, this edition includes 350 original photographs of 50 World Heritage sites in 35 countries. Through a partnership with UNESCO, Our Place and its international network of professional photographers is developing the first collection of ...
Monday, 20 October 2008
The UNESCO World Heritage Desk Diary 2009 has just been published. Featuring a useful week-at-a-glance design, it is illustrated with 79 colour photos of World Heritage sites, each accompanied with a short caption. It also introduces the Convention Concerning the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage; its objectives, the selection criteria, the institutions which ensure its ...
Monday, 20 October 2008
World Heritage is a quarterly magazine featuring in-depth articles on World Heritage sites around the world written by experts and illustrated with spectacular photographs. Published by UNESCO in English, French and Spanish since 1996, this is a wonderful source if you’d like to learn more about World Heritage sites, get the latest news on sites in danger, and discover new books and ...
1 min read
Thursday, 16 October 2008
A Funds-in-Trust Agreement to support World Heritage activities was established in August 2008 between UNESCO and the Australian Government, thanks to the latter’s generous contribution of 2.5 million Australian Dollars.
The objective of this Fund-in-Trust is to support, through UNESCO, activities related to the World Heritage Convention in the Asia-Pacific region. These include the ...
1 min read
Wednesday, 15 October 2008
With a view to enhancing the capacity of the Indonesian national and local authorities to improve the state of conservation at Borobudur Temple Compound World Heritage property, the World Heritage Centre developed a technical cooperation project under the Netherlands Funds-In-Trust with UNESCO.
The project aims to enhance the management effectiveness at Borobudur Temple Compound World ...
1 min read
Monday, 13 October 2008
On the occasion of the 15th anniversary of the ‘Association of World Heritage Cities of Spain’, celebrated in the city of Avila on 17 September, the World Heritage Centre was awarded Spain’s first ever ‘Patrimonio’ prize for its ‘exemplary efforts in safeguarding the world’s cultural and natural heritage.’
Her Majesty Infanta Cristina ...
1 min read
Friday, 10 October 2008
Over the last few days, Virunga National Park has been the scene of violent fighting between the Congolese Army and Congrès National pour la Défense du Peuple (CNDP) rebels.
On Thursday 9 October, the Managing Director of the Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature (or ICCN, the body in charge of the Democratic Republic of the Congo protected areas management), Mr. Cosma ...
1 min read
Tuesday, 23 September 2008
The World Heritage Centre and the World Air League, a U.S.-based nongovernmental organization, will present an ambitious new partnership at UNESCO Headquarters on 24 September aiming to promote environmental protection and the use of lighter-than-air skyships as a means to reduce pollution and pressures caused by transportation. Tomorrow’s announcement will showcase the World Sky Race, ...
1 min read
Jaeger-LeCoultre and International Herald Tribune provide support to World Heritage Marine Programme
Friday, 12 September 2008
With the support of Jaeger-LeCoultre, Swiss luxury watch manufacture, the World Heritage Marine Programme will begin a series of conservation activities aimed at identifying, monitoring and preserving marine sites around the world. This partnership is being promoted through a series of articles entitled ‘Tides of time’ published by the International Herald Tribune, also a partner ...
Friday, 5 September 2008
“The reinstallation of the Aksum Obelisk is a source of pride for UNESCO,” said Assistant Director-General for Culture, Françoise Rivière, during the official inauguration ceremony of the Aksum Obelisk in its original site in northern Ethiopia on 4 September.
“It is a technical achievement but it is also a source of pride because it shows that cultural ...
1 min read
Friday, 8 August 2008
[in French only] Actualités sur l'avancement des projets de la Convention France Unesco.
Saint Louis du Sénégal : Suivi de projet.
« Niger - Loire : gouvernance et culture », projet européen.
« Villages antiques » du nord de la Syrie : atelier de travail et sensibilisation. idlib, 11-12 avril 2008.
Riga, Lettonie : cooperation riga, ...
Friday, 1 August 2008
Aksum, August 1 - The third and last block of the Aksum Obelisk was successfully mounted by the UNESCO teams yesterday 31 July in its original location in Ethiopia. The monument’s reinstallation was greeted with joy by the local people, who spontaneously organized musical concerts yesterday at the site.
Weighing 150 tons and 24 meters high, the obelisk is the second largest stela on ...
1 min read
Monday, 28 July 2008
In the framework of the Aksum Obelisk reinstallation project funded by Italy, the second block of the Aksum Obelisk was successfully installed on 25 July 2008.
The first phase of the re-installation works of the Aksum Obelisk, also known as Stele 2, in its original location at the World Heritage site in Aksum, Ethiopia was completed on 12 June 2008. The first and second of three blocks of ...
1 min read
Thursday, 10 July 2008
The World Heritage Committee has asked that “reinforced monitoring” be applied to four properties on UNESCO’s World Heritage List in addition to the seven for which the surveillance mechanism is already in place.
Under the new monitoring mechanism, established by the World Heritage Committee in 2007, regular missions can be dispatched to World Heritage sites subjected to ...
2 min read
Tuesday, 8 July 2008
The Bahá’i Holy Places in Haifa and Western Galilee (Israel) are inscribed for the testimony they provide to the Bahá’i’s strong tradition of pilgrimage and for their profound meaning for the faith. The property numbers 26 buildings, monuments and sites at 11 locations in Acre and Haifa, associated with the founders of the faith, among them the Shrine of the ...
2 min read
Tuesday, 8 July 2008
The World Heritage Committee, meeting for its 32nd session, finished inscribing new sites on UNESCO’s World Heritage List on 8 July with the addition of 19 cultural sites and eight natural sites to the List.
New cultural sites inscribed during the 32nd session:
Temple of Preah Vihear (Cambodia)
Fujian Tulou (China)
Stari Grad Plain (Croatia)
Historic Centre of Camagüey ...
2 min read
Monday, 7 July 2008
The World Heritage Committee meeting in Quebec City has added eight new cultural sites to UNESCO’s World Heritage List on the morning of the 7 of July. With these inscriptions, Papua New Guinea and San Marino enter the World Heritage List for the first time.
The new sites inscribed are:
Melaka and George Town, historic cities of the Straits of Malacca (Malaysia) have developed over ...
5 min read
Monday, 7 July 2008
The World Heritage Committee, meeting for its 32nd session, inscribed 13 new sites on UNESCO’s World Heritage List in the afternoon and evening of 7 July. The nomination of new sites for inscription on the World Heritage List will continue tomorrow morning, 8 July.The new sites inscribed are:
Preah Vihear Temple (Cambodia). Situated on the edge of a plateau that dominates the plain of ...
10 min read
Sunday, 6 July 2008
The mountain of Le Morne, a former hideout of runaway slaves in Mauritius, a Nabataean archaeological site in Saudi Arabia and earthen houses in Fujian Province in China have been inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List.Le Morne Cultural Landscape, a rugged mountain that juts into the Indian Ocean in the southwest of Mauritius was used as a shelter by runaway slaves, maroons, through ...
3 min read
Sunday, 6 July 2008
Fortified Armenian monasteries in Iran were added to the new sites inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List on 6 July.
The Armenian Monastic Ensembles in Iran, in the north-west of the country, consists of three monastic ensembles of the Armenian Christian faith: St Thaddeus and St Stepanos and the Chapel of Dzordzor. These edifices - the oldest of which, St Thaddeus, dates back to ...
1 min read
Friday, 4 July 2008
On July 1st the Galápagos National Park announced that the parasite causing avian malaria was found in several Galápagos penguins by researchers studying the presence and distribution of diseases in Galápagos birds.
Immediate follow-up studies are needed to document the proportion of birds infected with the parasite throughout the four-island distribution of the penguin, ...
1 min read
Friday, 4 July 2008
The World Heritage Committee has decided to retain Dresden Elbe Valley on UNESCO World Heritage List in the hope that the building of a four-lane bridge across the valley will be stopped and work undertaken to reverse damage caused to the integrity of the landscape of the German site.
The Committee said it regretted the construction of the bridge underway and urged the authorities to opt for ...
1 min read
Thursday, 3 July 2008
The 32nd session of the World Heritage Committee opened on July 2nd with an official ceremony in Quebec City, which is celebrating its 400th anniversary.
Grand Chief Max Gros-Louis of the Huron-Wendat First Nation opened the ceremony with the performance of a purification ritual before Christina Cameron, Chairperson of the 32nd session, welcomed participants saying that “Canada’s ...
3 min read
Monday, 23 June 2008
The World Heritage Committee will consider requests for the inscription of new sites on UNESCO's World Heritage List when it meets for its 32nd session in Québec, Canada, from 2 to 10 July.
During this year’s session, hosted by Canada to coincide with the 400th anniversary celebration of the founding of Québec City, 41 States Parties to the World Heritage Convention ...
5 min read
Monday, 23 June 2008
The first phase of the re-installation works of the Aksum Obelisk, also known as Stele 2, in its original location at the World Heritage site in Aksum, Ethiopia was completed on 12 June 2008. The first of three blocks of the stele, which stands 24.3 metres high and weighs 152 tons, was successfully and smoothly mounted.
The Aksum Obelisk re-installation project, funded by the Italian ...
1 min read
Friday, 6 June 2008
Online images of World Heritage sites, an outdoor exhibit and a new book project are among the most recent developments of the partnership between the UNESCO World Heritage Centre and Our Place, the World's Heritage Ltd, launched in July 2006.
Our Place is the first collection of World Heritage photographs developed in partnership with the World Heritage Centre. It includes photos of more ...
1 min read
Friday, 6 June 2008
Officials continue to assess the damage following the devastating May 12 earthquake in China, where approximately 69,000 people were killed and 19,000 are still missing. The 8.0 magnitude quake affected Sichuan Province in southwest China. The worst affected areas were two counties where two World Heritage sites are located: The Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries and the Mount Qingcheng and the ...
1 min read
Friday, 6 June 2008
In coordination with the release of the film Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Friends of World Heritage (the UN Foundation, the UNESCO World Heritage Centre and Expedia, Inc.) have joined forces with Indiana Jones for an online campaign and contest to promote World Heritage education and sustainable travel. More than a dozen World Heritage sites have been featured in ...
1 min read
Friday, 6 June 2008
The "Policy document on the impacts of climate change on World Heritage properties", adopted by the 16th General Assembly of States Parties to the World Heritage Convention, has been published in English and French.The document was prepared with the participation of relevant climate change experts and practitioners of heritage conservation and management, appropriate international ...
1 min read
Tuesday, 3 June 2008
Cultural Landscapes of the Pacific Islands: ICOMOS Thematic Study by Anita Smith and Kevin L. JonesThis is the first regional thematic study on Cultural Landscapes in the Pacific region. Published by ICOMOS (the International Council on Monuments and Sites), it is an overview of cultural landscapes in the Pacific Islands and the defining characteristics that account for their commonalities as ...
1 min read
Friday, 23 May 2008
Works to begin the re-installation of the Aksum Obelisk, also known as Stele 2, in its original location will start June 4th at the World Heritage site in Aksum, Ethiopia. The three pieces of the stele, which stands 24.3 metres high and weighs 152 tons, will be reassembled and mounted before the end of July 2008, a year after the start of this exceptional project.
The inauguration ceremony ...
Thursday, 15 May 2008
A fire tore through the Bluecoat Art Gallery in Liverpool, United Kingdom early Tuesday morning, just two months after extensive renovation works. The building is the oldest in Liverpool and part of the Liverpool - Maritime Mercantile City World Heritage site, inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2004. The extent of the damage must still be assessed but seems to be concentrated in the ...
1 min read
Wednesday, 14 May 2008
This publication marks the end of the Preservation of the Frozen Tombs of the Altai Mountains Project, which was launched in 2005 and carried out by the UNESCO World Heritage Centre with financial support from the UNESCO/Flemish Funds-in-Trust.
The booklet sheds light on the historical, anthropological, archaeological and art-historical aspects of the Altai Mountains, the Russian part of ...
Tuesday, 13 May 2008
A Master Course in "World Heritage at Work" has been created by the Universita degli Studi di Torino (Italy) and the Politecnico di Torino in collaboration with the UNESCO World Heritage Centre. It is intended to contribute to improved management of World Heritage sites through preparing managers and site practitioners to be cultural entrepreneurs, creative agents of their local ...
1 min read
Tuesday, 29 April 2008
Firefighters have been struggling since last weekend to prevent a fire from spreading into Garajonay National Park, situated in the middle of the island of La Gomera in the Canary Islands archipelago. The blaze, which may have been started accidentally by a farmer clearing his land, had already destroyed 700 hectares (1,750 acres) of farmland and woods.
On Monday night the fire had reached ...
1 min read
Friday, 25 April 2008
The sixth episode in the animated series Patrimonito's World Heritage Adventures is now available, and focuses on the plight of mountain gorillas and other threatened species in the Virunga Mountains of Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The mountain gorillas are a flagship species of Virunga National Park, a World Heritage site since 1979. Due to armed conflict and ...
1 min read
Wednesday, 9 April 2008
Training World Heritage site managers is one of the most valuable investments in heritage conservation, particularly as these sites confront the challenges of increasing flows of tourism and diminishing flows of international assistance for conservation and management. This is why UNESCO's World Heritage Centre has joined forces - for the third year running - in an innovative ...
2 min read
Wednesday, 9 April 2008
The Director-General of UNESCO, Koïchiro Matsuura, today voiced concern about damage caused to the Castello di Moncalieri, in the Italian Province of Turin, inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List in 1997.
A fire broke out on 5 April causing severe damage to the royal apartments and to several floors in one of the watchtowers of the building, a former residence of the House of Savoy.
"I ...
1 min read
Tuesday, 8 April 2008
[in French only] Actualités sur l'avancement des projets CFU :
Le Comité mixte (CMC) de la Convention FRANCE-UNESCO a eu lieu le 28 mars 2008 à l'UNESCO.
Paris, France : L'oeuvre architecturale et urbaine de Le Corbusier. Conférence de presse. 30 janvier 2008.
FOCUS ON « Niger-Loire : Gouvernance et Culture ». Projet européen.
Paris, ...
Monday, 7 April 2008
The Director-General of UNESCO, Koïchiro Matsuura, today expressed his deep regret at the destruction of Québec’s ancient drill hall, a landmark adjacent to the Historic District of Old Québec, which was inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 1985.
“I deeply regret the destruction of this important landmark,” said the Director-General. “It is particularly sad that this proud testimony ...
1 min read
Wednesday, 2 April 2008
On 23 February 2008, 40 representatives of 26 Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) from Italy, Germany; Ireland, Spain, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands met to launch the CIVILSCAPE network. This network of NGOs has been founded to facilitate and encourage people to connect to their landscape and feel responsibility for it. CIVILSCAPE's objective is to support the Florence ...
1 min read
Wednesday, 26 March 2008
Visitors to Sukhothai, Si Satchanalai and Kamphaeng Phet will now be able to click onto a new website to get information about historic monuments, nearby attractions and visitor facilities at this World Heritage site.
The official launch took place on 27 March 2008 from 9-10 am at the 5th floor conference room of the UNESCO Bangkok office on Sukhumvit Road chaired by the Inspector General ...
2 min read
Thursday, 20 March 2008
As part of the ‘Initiative for World Heritage Forests in Central Africa' , UNESCO's World Heritage Centre organized an expert workshop on March 13-14 in Brazzaville (Congo) to identify the most outstanding protected areas in the Congo Basin and to study their complementarity with sites in the region already inscribed on the World Heritage List.
The workshop was inaugurated by a speech ...
1 min read
Wednesday, 19 March 2008
The Ecuadorian National Environmental Fund's "Galápagos Invasive Species" account received a major injection of US$2.19 million on March 18 under the framework of the UNESCO-World Heritage Centre/United Nations Foundation project for the management of invasive species at this globally recognized World Heritage site. The Fund, which was established in 2007 with support from the ...
1 min read
Tuesday, 18 March 2008
The World Heritage Centre has concluded this year's map outreach campaign with its mailing of the 2007/2008 World Heritage Wall Map featuring 851 World Heritage sites produced in collaboration with National Geographic and Hewlett Packard. We had an overwhelming response for maps - attaining our target of 9000 requests within just nine weeks - and would like to thank everyone who took time ...
1 min read
Friday, 14 March 2008
[in French only] Les 10 et 11 mars 2008 la troisième session du Comité de pilotage annuel de l'initiative pour le Patrimoine Mondial Forestier d'Afrique Centrale (CAWHFI) s'est tenue à Brazzaville, sous la Présidence de la Commission des Forêts d'Afrique centrale (COMIFAC). Cette initiative vise à renforcer la gestion durable de trois complexes ...
Wednesday, 12 March 2008
WHTour.org, a non profit organization sponsored by the J.M. Kaplan Fund, announces that 80 World Heritage sites shot in the Middle East and East Africa are now available in 360° panographic format at its website.
Currently panographies from Israel are being explored by thousands of visitors daily. In the coming weeks photos in this unique format will be uploaded from Jordan, Syria, ...
1 min read
Monday, 10 March 2008
The international mission of experts sent to review plans to build a bridge in the cultural landscape of the Dresden Elbe Valley (Germany) in early February is recommending that the plan be abandoned in the interest of preserving the outstanding universal value that warranted the inscription of the site on UNESCO's World Heritage list in 2004.For more information please see: UNESCO press ...
Saturday, 8 March 2008
The cyclone Jokwe on 7-8 March 2008 caused considerable damage to the Fortress' coral rock base and defensive walls and there is an urgent need for funding for repairs.
Thursday, 31 January 2008
In November 2007, UNESCO and the Chairperson of the World Heritage Committee regretted the decision of a German court to authorize the construction of a bridge likely to lead to the deletion of the cultural landscape of Dresden Elbe Valley (Germany) from the World Heritage List. The status of the property on UNESCO's World Heritage List will be reviewed by the World Heritage Committee at ...
1 min read
Friday, 18 January 2008
Entries are now being accepted for the 2008 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards for Culture Heritage Conservation. The awards programme, in its ninth year, recognizes the achievement of individuals and organizations within the private sector, and public-private intitiatives, in successfully restoring structures of heritage value in the Asia-Pacific region. The deadline for receipt of ...
2 min read
Friday, 18 January 2008
UNESCO has confirmed the World Heritage Committee's decision of July 2007 to request the authorities of the Russian Federation to halt the planned construction of a tower in the Historic Centre of St. Petersburg as the project threatens the outstanding universal value of this property.During an official visit to Moscow from 6 to 10 December 2007, Francesco Bandarin, Director of ...
1 min read
Wednesday, 16 January 2008
The 2007-2008 World Heritage map, the third to be produced in collaboration with National Geographic and Hewlett Packard, is now available. The goal of the partnership, signed at the end of 2005 for a period of three years, is to raise awareness of the World Heritage Convention, and the map is an essential tool for this purpose. The partnership combines National Geographic's unsurpassed ...
1 min read
Wednesday, 9 January 2008
UNESCO's World Heritage Centre, in cooperation with the Nature Conservancy, one of the world's largest nature conservation organizations, and with Washington State University is pleased to announce the launch of an online course entitled ‘Business Planning - Achieving Sustainable Financing for Protected Areas'.Designed to provide comprehensive and rigorous training for natural ...
1 min read
Friday, 4 January 2008
[in French only] Actualités sur l’avancement des projets :
Alger, Algérie – Zabid, Yemen : appui aux demandes du Centre du patrimoine mondial
« Les villages antiques du nord de la Syrie », Syrie : réunion du 5 octobre à Paris
Hué, Viet Nam : présentation du programme de formation « Africités » lors de ...
Friday, 21 December 2007
A turreted castle in the icescape of Antarctica evokes not just the sublime beauty of nature but also its impermanence. Preserving this fragile balance between nature and human activity is at the heart of the World Heritage Convention and our efforts to reconcile development and long-term sustainability.In 2008, the International Year of Planet Earth, we would like to pay tribute to our ...
Thursday, 20 December 2007
On 20 December 2007, the United Nations 62nd General Assembly proclaimed 2009 the International Year of Astronomy. UNESCO was designated as the lead agency and focal point for the Year.The UNESCO Thematic Initiative “Astronomy and World Heritage” launched in support of this International Year aims to establish a link between science and culture with a view to highlighting the scientific value ...
1 min read
Friday, 7 December 2007
Bangladesh was struck by a powerful cyclone on November 15 which left more than 3,000 people dead and millions without shelter. While a major international relief effort is currently underway to respond Cyclone Sidr's devastating impact on life and property, UNESCO's World Heritage Centre also sent a team to the Sundarbans World Heritage site, which was badly hit by the disaster. Home ...
2 min read
Friday, 7 December 2007
UNESCO regrets the U.K. government's decision to cancel the A303 Stonehenge Road Improvement scheme on the basis of cost concerns and hopes that another solution will be found to relieve traffic congestion around the World Heritage property of Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated sites. UNESCO's World Heritage Centre, which has been actively involved in finding a solution to this ...
1 min read
Friday, 7 December 2007
Heavy fighting broke out again on December 3, 2007 between the DRC army and rebel forces of general Nkunda north of the city of Goma, in North Kivu. Heavy shelling and gunfire is taking place in the immediate vicinity of the heart of the gorilla sector in the Virunga National Park and World Heritage site. The renewed fighting poses a serious threat to the survival of the mountain gorillas, ...
2 min read
Friday, 7 December 2007
UNESCO and the Federal District Government held a ceremony on 7 December 2007 to celebrate 20 years of Brasilia's inscription as a World Heritage site. ‘We will strive with all our efforts to ensure that Brasilia, which is the only contemporary asset inscribed by UNESCO, preserves its quality of life and its urban, architectonic and human conception,' said the Governor of the Federal ...
1 min read
Monday, 3 December 2007
Over the past two years the World Heritage Centre of UNESCO has defined a strategy that aims to encourage universities worldwide to develop World Heritage studies and curricula. In this framework, UNESCO WHC is associated with a three-year project, called "Sharing Our Heritages" (SOH) involving 80 students from the European Union and Australia and funded by both parties.The last ...
1 min read
Friday, 30 November 2007
On 30 August 2007, the Government of Djibouti officially deposited with the Director-General of UNESCO, Koïchiro Matsuura, its instrument of ratification, becoming the 185th State Party to adopt the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage.The World Heritage Convention entered into force for this State Party on 30 November 2007.
Monday, 26 November 2007
The official ceremony to mark the inscription of the Old Town of Regensburg with Stadtamhof on the World Heritage List took place at the historical Reichssaal on 24 November 2007 in the presence of 300 invited guests. Thousands of local residents and tourists took part in celebrations including guided city tours, performances of music, theatre and historical dance illustrating stages in the ...
Thursday, 15 November 2007
UNESCO regrets the decision of a German court to authorize the construction of a bridge likely to lead to the deletion of the cultural landscape of Dresden Elbe Valley (Germany)* from the World Heritage List. The status of the property on the UNESCO's World Heritage List is due to be reviewed by the World Heritage Committee at its next meeting in July 2008.For more information please see: ...
Monday, 5 November 2007
The Anna Amalia Library, part of Germany's Classical Weimar World Heritage site, re-opened to the public on October 24 after extensive restoration work following a devastating fire in 2004. The official opening was hosted by German President Horst Koehler.
The fire destroyed the library on 3 September 2004. After the debris was removed, efforts were focused on securing the structure with the ...
1 min read
Monday, 5 November 2007
The Baroque palace of Venaria Reale, built by the Savoy dynasty outside the city of Turin, has been re-opened to the public after eight years of restoration works. The palace is one of a group of buildings inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1997 as the Residences of the Royal House of Savoy.
Built during the 17th and 18th centuries, the palace had declined in the 19th century when it ...
1 min read
Monday, 5 November 2007
Five young heritage professionals from around the world received UNESCO-Vocations Patrimoine fellowships to pursue post graduate research at University College Dublin (Ireland) and at the Brandenburg Technical University of Cottbus (Germany). The aim of the fellowships is to help prepare site managers to handle the growing threats to which World Heritage sites - 851 sites inscribed around the ...
4 min read
Friday, 26 October 2007
Nine new members have been elected to the 21-member World Heritage Committee in charge of implementing UNESCO's Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage.Australia, Bahrain, Barbados, Brazil, China, Egypt, Jordan, Nigeria and Sweden were elected for four-year terms. The election took place during the General Assembly of the 184 States Parties to the ...
2 min read
Wednesday, 24 October 2007
The 16th General Assembly of States Parties to the World Heritage Convention elected 5 new members to the World Heritage Committee. The following States Parties were elected: Australia, Bahrain, China and Egypt. Barbados was elected to the seat reserved to a State Party with no properties on the World Heritage List. The third round of elections will start thursday October 25 at 10.05am, in ...
Wednesday, 24 October 2007
[in French only] Le Directeur général a ouvert, le 24 octobre 2007, la 16e session de l'Assemblée générale des Etats parties à la Convention de 1972, qui compte désormais 185 Etats Parties.Dans son discours d'ouverture, Koïchiro Matsuura s'est félicité que la Convention de 1972 ait été « unanimement reconnue comme un programme phare de l'UNESCO », au cours des débats de la ...
Wednesday, 17 October 2007
The UNESCO World Heritage Desk Diary 2008 has just been published. Featuring a useful week-at-a-glance design, it is illustrated with 77 colour photos of World Heritage sites, each accompanied with a short caption. It also introduces the Convention Concerning the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage; its objectives, the selection criteria, the institutions which ensure its ...
Thursday, 4 October 2007
The UNESCO World Heritage Centre was informed of two attacks on an ancient rock carving of a seated Buddha located near Janabad in north-west Pakistan, a region known for its ancient Buddhist heritage and archaeological sites. According to numerous reports, suspected pro-Taliban militants carried out two attacks on the rock in early and late September, the second attack leaving the 7-metre ...
1 min read
Thursday, 4 October 2007
At a ceremony held today at UNESCO Headquarters Mrs Françoise Rivière, Assistant Director-General for Culture, gave the award for the International Melina Mercouri Prize for the Safeguarding and Management of Cultural Landscapes (UNESCO-Greece) to the Borodino Battlefield (Russian Federation).
This prize, named after Melina Mercouri, former Greek Minister of Culture, is financed by the ...
Monday, 1 October 2007
[in French only] Actualités sur l'avancement des projets :Turin, Italie: Réunion technique d'urgence sur le site du patrimoine mondial du Minaret de Djam (Afghanistan), 24 - 25 juillet 2007Paris, France: Atelier de travail pour la mise en place d'une formation pour les collectivités africaines, 3-5 septembre 2007 Luang Pra Bang et Vientiane, RDP Laos: mission du 5 au 11 septembre ...
Friday, 14 September 2007
It's easier than ever to participate in the preservation of World Heritage sites by making an online donation on the UNESCO World Heritage Centre website.
With a few clicks you can make a donation in any amount and 100% of it will be used to help protect the most spectacular sites in the world.
To make a ...
Friday, 7 September 2007
The UNESCO World Heritage Centre sends its condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Ruzna Amli, a young Tanzanian woman from Songo Mnara, who had worked with the UNESCO restoration project of the Kilwa Kisiwani and Songo Mnara Ruins, a World Heritage Site in Tanzania.
The young mother of three died of the consequences of a tragic accident during the restoration works. We deeply ...
Thursday, 30 August 2007
Living Landscapes and Cultural Landmarks: World Heritage Sites in the Philippines by Augusto F. Villalon, Photographs by Neal M. Oshima, Publisher: ArtPostAsia Pte. Ltd, Manila, the PhilippinesThis attractive book is the first publication to present all five World Heritage properties located in the Philippines in a single volume. Widely acknowledged by the international scientific community ...
1 min read
Thursday, 23 August 2007
A mission of experts led by UNESCO has rallied the support of the authorities of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC) and of local communities in the preservation of the endangered mountain gorillas of Virunga National Park.The mission, comprising experts from UNESCO and the World Conservation Union (IUCN) and ...
2 min read
Tuesday, 21 August 2007
UNESCO's World Heritage Centre extends its deepest sympathies to those who have been affected by the powerful August 15 earthquake in Peru, which measured 7.9 on the Richter scale and left some 500 people dead and over a thousand victims. Peru has 10 properties inscribed on the World Heritage List, including the Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu, the Historic Centre of Lima, and the Chan ...
1 min read
Tuesday, 21 August 2007
Gabon celebrated the inscription of its Lopé-Okanda site on UNESCO's World Heritage List over the weekend of 11-12 August 2007. Spanning four provinces, Lopé-Okanda is Gabon's first World Heritage site and also the first mixed site in the Central African sub-region. The inscription highlights international recognition of the country's outstanding natural and cultural ...
1 min read
Tuesday, 14 August 2007
Heritage advocates often reproach journalists for not being sufficiently interested in their field and for being only able to speak about it in a sensational or superficial way. Journalists for their part, highlight the constraints of editorial offices or express a certain mistrust towards institutions and heritage stakeholders. The international workshop which was held at Laval University, ...
1 min read
Tuesday, 7 August 2007
The UNESCO World Heritage Centre is relieved that the wildfires around the city of Dubrovnik (Croatia) are now under control and would like to pay tribute to the firefighters who fought the blaze. Reports from Dubrovnik indicate that the Old City, designated a World Heritage site in 1979 and then extended in 1994, was untouched by the fire.
The situation was particularly dangerous during ...
1 min read
Tuesday, 7 August 2007
Two new episodes, the fourth and fifth in the series Patrimonito's World Heritage Adventures ,are now available.
4th: Ethiopia (Lalibela) Watch English/French/Spanish Russian/Arabic/Chinese Download FLV format English/French/Spanish Russian/Arabic/Chinese
5th: Russian Federation (Novgorod) Watch English/French/Spanish ...
1 min read
Thursday, 2 August 2007
The winners of the most recent Patrimonito Storyboard Competition have been announced. The winning storyboard will be developed into the next episode of Patrimonito's World Heritage Adventures, a cartoon series for young people on World Heritage preservation.
6th: Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Uganda (The Virunga Mountains) Watch English/French/Spanish ...
1 min read
Thursday, 2 August 2007
The Director-General of UNESCO, Koïchiro Matsuura, is concerned over attacks perpetrated against the mountain gorillas of the Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and has called on the national authorities to adopt urgent measures to brings the killings to an end.Declared a threatened species by the World Conservation Union (IUCN), the mountain gorilla is one of ...
2 min read
Friday, 27 July 2007
The death toll continues to rise in Virunga National Park (Democratic Republic of the Congo), where three females and one male silverback gorilla were shot and killed in the southern sector of the Park during the night of 22 July.The females, Safari, Neeza and Mburanumwe and the male Rugendo belonged to a group that was regularly visited by tourists. The death of these gorillas is not only ...
1 min read
Monday, 9 July 2007
In order to avoid any damaging confusion, UNESCO wishes to reaffirm that there is no link whatsoever between UNESCO's World Heritage programme, which aims to protect world heritage, and the current campaign concerning "The New 7 Wonders of the World". This campaign was launched in 2000 as a private initiative by Bernard Weber, the idea being to encourage citizens around the ...
1 min read
Thursday, 5 July 2007
[in French only] Actualités sur l'avancement des projets : Fleuve Niger et patrimoine : projet europeen Formation internationale à la gestion des sites patrimoniaux Vienne, Autriche, Réunion points focaux « rapport périodique » ouest européens : 2 - 4 mai 2007Saint-Louis du senegal : reportage photographique et suivi du projet Riga, Lettonie : missions en avril et juin 2007FOCUS : Actions ...
Friday, 29 June 2007
The World Heritage Committee today finalized this year's additions to UNESCO's World Heritage List with the inscription of three new sites: Gamzigrad-Romuliana, Palace of Galerius (Serbia), Gobustan Rock Art Cultural Landscape (Azerbaijan), and Central University City Campus of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Mexico.The Late Roman fortified palace compound and ...
2 min read
Friday, 29 June 2007
Christchurch, New Zealand, 29 June - The World Heritage Committee inscribed 22 new sites on UNESCO's World Heritage List during its ongoing session in Christchurch. The new inscriptions include 16 cultural, five natural and one mixed, cultural and natural property. In a decision unprecedented in the history of UNESCO's Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and ...
4 min read
Thursday, 28 June 2007
The World Heritage Committee today inscribed two natural sites on UNESCO's World Heritage List: Teide National Park (Spain); Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathian (Slovakia, Ukraine). The Committee also inscribed the Ecosystem and Relict Cultural Landscape of Lopé-Okanda (Gabon) as a mixed - cultural and natural - site. Four cultural sites were inscribed: the Richtersveld Cultural and ...
6 min read
Thursday, 28 June 2007
The World Heritage Committee on Thursday afternoon inscribed four cultural sites on UNESCO's World Heritage List: Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine and its Cultural Landscape (Japan), Parthian Fortresses of Nisa (Turkmenistan), Sydney Opera House (Australia), and the Red Fort Complex (India). The Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine, south-west of Honshu Island, is a cluster of mountains, rising to 600 metres ...
4 min read
Thursday, 28 June 2007
Christchurch, New Zealand, 28 June - The World Heritage Committee on Thursday evening inscribed another five sites on UNESCO's World Heritage List: Mehmed Paša Sokolović Bridge of Višegrad (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Rideau Canal (Canada), Bordeaux, Port of the Moon (France), and the Old Town of Corfu (Greece), and Lavaux, vineyard terraces (Switzerland).The Mehmed Paša Sokolović Bridge of ...
4 min read
Thursday, 28 June 2007
Christchurch, New Zealand, 28 June - The World Heritage Committee on Thursday took the unprecedented decision of removing a site from UNESCO's World Heritage List. The Arabian Oryx Sanctuary (Oman), home to the rare antelope, today became the first site to be deleted since UNESCO's 1972 Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage entered into ...
1 min read
Thursday, 28 June 2007
Christchurch, New Zealand - The World Heritage Committee has approved Poland's request to change the name of Auschwitz on UNESCO's World Heritage List. After international consultations, the property, listed as "Auschwitz Concentration Camp" in 1979, is to have the title of "Auschwitz Birkenau" and the subtitle of "German Nazi Concentration and Extermination Camp (1940-1945)."
In its ...
2 min read
Wednesday, 27 June 2007
Christchurch, New Zealand - The World Heritage Committee on Tuesday decided to inscribe the three new sites on UNESCO's World Heritage List: the Rainforests of the Atsinanana (Madagascar); South China Karst (China); and Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes (Republic of Korea). The Rainforests of the Atsinanana comprise six national parks distributed along the eastern part of the island. ...
2 min read
Tuesday, 26 June 2007
Christchurch, New Zealand - The World Heritage Committee today inscribed the Galápagos (Ecuador), and Niokolo-Koba National Park (Senegal) on UNESCO's List of World Heritage in Danger with a view to mobilizing support for their conservation. Situated in the Pacific Ocean some 1,000 km from the South American continent, the 19 islands of the Galápagos and their surrounding marine reserve ...
1 min read
Monday, 25 June 2007
Christchurch, New Zealand - The World Heritage Committee on Monday decided to keep Dresden Elbe Valley (Germany) on the List of World Heritage in Danger. But it asked Germany to provide an alternative solution to traffic management than the bridge currently planned in the site inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List in 2004. The World Heritage Committee, meeting in Christchurch for its ...
1 min read
Monday, 25 June 2007
Christchurch, New Zealand - The World Heritage Committee has removed Royal Palaces of Abomey, Benin, and Kathmandu Valley, Nepal, from the List of World Heritage in Danger, recognizing progress in the two sites' state of preservation.The Palaces of Abomey, inscribed simultaneously on UNESCO's World Heritage List and on the List of World Heritage in Danger in 1985, are a unique ...
1 min read
Sunday, 24 June 2007
The World Heritage Committee has decided that improvements in the preservation of the Everglades National Park (Florida, USA) and Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve (Honduras) were sufficient to remove both UNESCO World Heritage site from the List of World Heritage in Danger.The Committee commended the United States of America for its investment of scientific and financial resources to ...
1 min read
Saturday, 23 June 2007
Christchurch, New Zealand, 23 June - The Pacific region's traditional respect for both natural and cultural preservation was celebrated at the opening of the 31st session of the World Heritage Committee, chaired by Tumu te Heuheu of New Zealand, here Saturday.A traditional Powhiri welcome celebration took place at the Christchurch Town Hall auditorium to open the session in the presence ...
4 min read
Tuesday, 19 June 2007
The UNESCO World Heritage Centre today signed the contract with Lattanzi SRL construction company to begin the re-erection of the Aksum obelisk. Also known as Stela 2, it is the second largest stela on the Aksum World Heritage site in Ethiopia. Transported to Rome by the troops of Mussolini in 1937, it was returned by the Italian Government in April 2005. Weighing 150 tons and 24 meters high, ...
2 min read
Friday, 8 June 2007
The Australian and Tasmanian Governments have today reached an agreement to jointly fund the eradication of rodent pests on Macquarie Island, Australia to protect its World Heritage values. The seabird populations and vegetation of the Island are under serious threat from plagues of rabbits, rats and mice. Following discussions, the Governments have agreed to provide funding of AUS$24.6 ...
1 min read
Friday, 8 June 2007
On Friday June 8, 2007, a female gorilla was shot in the southern sector of Virunga National Park, and her 3-month old baby was found sitting on her dead body. This female belonged to a group of 33 gorillas referred to as "habituated", meaning they are used to contact with humans.
The death of this female gorilla occurred less than six months after that of two males killed in the same ...
1 min read
Monday, 4 June 2007
The World Heritage Centre expresses its deep concern after a torrential landslide of snow, mud, stones, trees and vegetation at the Geyser Valley in the Volcanoes of Kamchatka World Heritage site. Located in the eastern part of the Russian Federation, this is one of the most outstanding volcanic regions in the world, with a high density of active volcanoes, a variety of types, and a wide ...
1 min read
Friday, 1 June 2007
The European Commission (DG EAC) and Europa Nostra, the pan-European Federation for Cultural Heritage, has announced the laureates of the annual European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage/Europa Nostra Awards.The Awards will be presented to the representatives of the awarded achievements at the annual European Heritage Awards Ceremony, which will take place on 8 June 2007 in the Stockholm ...
2 min read
Friday, 1 June 2007
The World Heritage Committee will consider requests for the inscription of 45 new sites on UNESCO's World Heritage List when it meets for its 31st session in Christchurch, New Zealand, from 23 June to 2 July.During the session, the Committee will also examine a strategy to reduce risks from disasters at World Heritage properties; the impact of climate change on World Heritage sites; and ...
3 min read
Thursday, 31 May 2007
The UNESCO World Heritage Centre, in collaboration with the Centro Camuno per i Studi Preistorici (CCSP) and the Ministero per i Beni et le Attività Culturali, organised a workshop from 23-23 May 2007, financed by the Spanish Funds-in-Trust entitled ‘Managing Rock Art World Heritage Sites' with the participation of invited Rock Art experts from around the world to present new developments ...
1 min read
Wednesday, 23 May 2007
The World Heritage Centre expresses its deep concern after the fire on the Cutty Sark tea clipper, part of the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage site located in the United Kingdom.
On 21 May 2007, the British authorities informed the World Heritage Centre that a fire had swept through the Cutty Sark. The fire started around 4.45 am on Monday and the damage has been substantial. However, due ...
1 min read
Tuesday, 22 May 2007
At its first session in Algiers (Algeria), November 2006, the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage accepted the generous offer of China to host an extraordinary session of the Committee (Decision 1.COM 8). During this session, the Intergovernmental Committee will pursue the discussions initiated in Algiers. The main participants of the first ...
1 min read
Wednesday, 16 May 2007
The Government of China will launch a World Heritage Training and Research Institute for Asia and the Pacific Region in China. The inauguration ceremony of this institute will take place at Tongji University, Shanghai with the presence of Mr Francesco Bandarin, Director of UNESCO World Heritage Centre, Mr Mounir Bouchenaki, Director-General of the International Centre for the Study of the ...
1 min read
Tuesday, 15 May 2007
The Prince of Wales received the UNESCO certificate for the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape during the inscription ceremony on 10 May 2007 at Cotehele House (Cornwall, United Kingdom). Dr Mechtild Rössler, Chief of the Europe and North America Section at the World Heritage Centre, highlighted in her speech the contribution the area had made to the industrial revolution and mining ...
1 min read
Friday, 11 May 2007
Mr Francesco Bandarin, Director of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, travelled to Nicosia, Cyprus, from May 8-10, 2007 to deliver the 4th Dinos Leventis Memorial Lecture. The lecture series is intended to commemorate the figure of Dinos Leventis, former Ambassador of Cyprus to UNESCO and founder of the internationally renowned Leventis Foundation, deceased in 2002. The lecture, entitled ...
1 min read
Thursday, 3 May 2007
In November 2006, the World Heritage Centre signed a multi-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Simmons College, Boston, Massachusetts, USA, to establish the first World Heritage Digital Center (WHDC) under the leadership of Dr. Ching-chih Chen, information technology Professor at Simmons Graduate School of Library and Information Science. "The World Heritage Centre considers this ...
2 min read
Thursday, 26 April 2007
The Director-General of UNESCO, Koïchiro Matsuura, has written to Joseph Kabila, President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and to Jean-Marie Guehenno, the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, asking for measures to stop the poaching and killing of endangered animals in the five World Heritage sites of the DRC.
The Director-General's ...
2 min read
Friday, 20 April 2007
The annual steering committee of the Central Africa World Heritage Forest Initiative (CAWHFI) took place in Libreville on March 21-22, 2007 under the aegis of the Central Africa Forest Commission (COMIFAC). This initiative aims to improve sustainable management of three forest landscapes of the Congo Basin: the Gamba-Conkouati complex, the Tri-National Sangha complex (TNS) and the ...
2 min read
Thursday, 19 April 2007
UNESCO will send a mission to the Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu, Peru, in view of concerns by the World Heritage Committee for the conservation of this outstanding Andean archaeological centre and its natural environment, inscribed as a mixed natural and cultural site on the World Heritage List in 1983.From 23 to 30 April, the UNESCO mission, which will include the participation of ...
1 min read
Monday, 16 April 2007
A UNESCO mission has confirmed serious threats to the Galápagos National Park and Marine Reserve and welcomed ambitious measures announced by the Ecuadorian authorities to preserve the site on UNESCO's World Heritage List.The mission confirmed the threat to the outstanding value and physical integrity of this iconic World Heritage site mainly from: the growing encroachment of invasive ...
2 min read
Thursday, 12 April 2007
A UNESCO World Heritage Centre/World Conservation Union (IUCN) mission is currently in Ecuador (April 8-12, 2007) at the request of the World Heritage Committee and at the invitation of the government of Ecuador, to assess the state of conservation of the Galápagos National Park and Marine Reserve. The mission will include high-level meetings with senior government officials from the ...
3 min read
Wednesday, 11 April 2007
In its recently released first annual report, the Rapid Response Facility (RRF) Secretariat announced that it has taken an average of less than 6 days (below its 8-day target) to process requests for emergency grants, to solicit and receive reviews from at least two independent referees on the pertinence of the request, to decide on whether an application should be approved and to inform the ...
2 min read
Tuesday, 10 April 2007
Now available online. To download the pdf version, please click here.
This 200-page publication provides a comprehensive overview and analysis of more than three decades of the implementation of the World Heritage Convention and highlights a number of its successes and challenges. It includes a history of the 1972 Convention and its implementation, an analysis of the natural and cultural ...
1 min read
Tuesday, 10 April 2007
The threats posed by climate change to natural and cultural sites on UNESCO's World Heritage List are outlined in a new UNESCO publication, "Case Studies on Climate Change and World Heritage"*. The report features 26 examples - including the Tower of London, Kilimanjaro National Park and the Great Barrier Reef - case studies that are representative of the dangers faced by the 830 sites ...
4 min read
Wednesday, 28 March 2007
The UNESCO World Heritage Centre and the UNESCO Office in New York have received a large number of letters from individuals who are concerned about the state of conservation of the Church of St. Cyril - located near Saint-Sophia Cathedral in Kiev, Ukraine- and in particular about planned reconstruction works in its interior.Please note that the Church of St. Cyril is not included in the ...
1 min read
Monday, 19 March 2007
World Heritage site managers and people intending to pursue a career in World Heritage site management are being invited to apply for Fellowships offered through the UNESCO-VOCATIONS PATRIMOINE World Heritage Site Managers Programme.
This programme - launched in January 2006 - is made possible as a result of an innovative public-private partnership between the UNESCO World Heritage Centre ...
2 min read
Thursday, 15 March 2007
"The technical mission that I had sent from 27 February to 2 March 2007 to the Old City of Jerusalem, which is inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List and on the World Heritage in Danger List, completed its technical assessment on the works conducted on the Mughrabi pathway leading to the Haram el-Sharif. The mission has submitted to me their Report (attached below) accompanied by ...
2 min read
Tuesday, 13 March 2007
The following statement is issued by the Chairman of UNESCO's Executive Board, Mr Zhang Xinsheng. 1. The six Arab members of the Executive Board addressed a letter to the Chairman of the Executive Board on 14 February 2007, requesting that a special session of the Board be held on the subject of the activities under way at the site of the Old City of Jerusalem, in accordance with Rule 3 ...
2 min read
Tuesday, 6 March 2007
The technical mission sent by the Director-General of UNESCO to the Old City of Jerusalem, which is inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List, completed its technical assessment on the works conducted on the pathway to the Haram el-Sharif.This mission, conducted by Francesco Bandarin, Director of the World Heritage Centre, took place from 27 February to 2 March 2007. It was composed of ...
1 min read
Monday, 5 March 2007
[in French only] Actualités sur l'avancement des projets CFU :Le comité mixte de coordination (CMC) de la Convention France-UNESCO a eu lieu le 8 mars 2007 à l’UNESCO.Fleuve Niger et patrimoine : projet européen« Villages oubliés » du nord de la Syrie : suivi du projet de nomination sur la Liste du patrimoine mondialBéjaïa, Algérie : assistance à la création d’un plan de sauvegarde et de ...
Thursday, 1 March 2007
Equipped with shovels, wheelbarrows and water buckets, twelve girls and thirteen boys between the ages of 14 and 17, from eight different countries in West Africa, set about attempting to put their newly learned conservation skills to work at the Royal Palaces of Abomey World Heritage site (Benin) from 19 to 23 February 2007. The young people, participants in the First World Heritage ...
1 min read
Friday, 23 February 2007
The Director-General of UNESCO, Koïchiro Matsuura, has decided to send a technical mission to the Old City of Jerusalem, inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List and on the World Heritage in Danger List, to carry out a technical assessment of the works on the access to the al-Haram al-Sharif. Following extensive consultations with all the parties concerned, the Director-General requested ...
1 min read
Tuesday, 13 February 2007
Archaeologists at the University of Sheffield have unearthed a huge settlement at Durrington Walls, near Stonehenge, confirming that the Stonehenge monument was part of a larger ritual centre. The excavations reveal an enormous ancient settlement that once housed hundreds of people. Archaeologists believe the houses were constructed and occupied by the builders of nearby Stonehenge, the ...
1 min read
Monday, 12 February 2007
The project on the Development of Cultural and Ecotourism in the Mountainous Regions of Central and South Asia has just produced a publication entitled "Poverty Alleviation and Community-Based Tourism: Experiences from Central and South Asia". This publication reports on pilot activities carried out in eight Central and South Asian countries between 2002 and 2005 in order to develop ...
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Friday, 9 February 2007
Koïchiro Matsuura, the Director-General of UNESCO today offered the Organization's assistance in repairing damage caused by the fire that destroyed part of the historical city centre of Valparaiso, Chile, killing several people, on 3 February.
"Firstly, I wish to extend my sincere condolences to the families and friends of the victims of this tragedy," the Director-General said. He also ...
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Thursday, 8 February 2007
On Tuesday 8 February 2007, the Director-General of UNESCO, Koïchiro Matsuura, expressed his "deep concern over the work initiated by the Israeli authorities on the site of the Old City of Jerusalem, which is protected by the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (1972). By virtue of this Convention, the site is inscribed on the World Heritage ...
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Thursday, 1 February 2007
The conference on "Management and Preservation of Historic Cities inscribed on the World Heritage List" is taking place in St Petersburg from 29 January to 3 February 2007. It is a follow-up to the February 2006 international UNESCO/ICOMOS mission to St Petersburg reviewing a number of conservation and planning issues in this city, including the extension to the Marinsky Theatre. ...
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Wednesday, 24 January 2007
The World Heritage Centre expresses its deep concern regarding the cargo spill off the British Coast. The MSC Napoli is grounded near Sidmouth's coastline, part of the Dorset and East Devon Coast World Heritage site, inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2001. The chemical containers and oil released from the ship may represent a potential environmental disaster. If the information ...
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Friday, 19 January 2007
The situation continues to get worse at Virunga National Park (Democratic Republic of the Congo), where 2 male silverbacks have been killed.The gruesome tally continues: since late December the mountain gorilla, a flagship species that contributes to the recognition of the outstanding universal value of the Park, has suffered serious losses by armed groups. On January 6 and 11, two male ...
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Tuesday, 19 December 2006
On 15 December 2006, Mr Koïchiro Matsuura, Director-General of UNESCO, and Ambassador Tatjana Gjonaj, Permanent Delegate of Albania to UNESCO, signed an agreement establishing a Funds-in-Trust in favour of the restoration of the historical centre of Gjirokastra inscribed on the World Heritage List since 2005.Mrs Blegina Agalli, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, Youth and ...
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Friday, 15 December 2006
The Anna Amalia Library, part of the World Heritage site of Classical Weimar which was inscribed on the UNESCO List in 1998, will reopen in October 2007, three years after it was damaged by a fire. According to the architect in charge of the restoration works, Mr Walther Grundwald, the deadline should be respected. "We have chosen the date of 24 October for the re-opening, as it is the ...
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Wednesday, 13 December 2006
"In the face of the attempts to re-write history that are currently at work, I can but recall in the most emphatic manner that it is our moral duty to analyse the past and to pass it on without falsification, alteration or omission. Any attempt to call into question or to deny the reality of the Holocaust or of any other crime against humanity is to be deeply regretted. UNESCO has a ...
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Saturday, 9 December 2006
This conference was held in Rome from December 5-9. The conclusions outlined below were reached thanks to contributions from ICCROM, UNESCO-WHC, UN-WTO, HERITY INTERNATIONALFrom the point of view of culture, no poor Countries exist around the World: every territory has a significant and priceless Heritage Wealth. This Heritage constitutes the collective memory of Humanity. As a non renewable ...
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Friday, 1 December 2006
The 2006-2007 World Heritage map, the second to be produced in collaboration with National Geographic and Hewlett Packard, is now available. The goal of the partnership, signed at the end of 2005 for an initial period of three years, is to raise awareness of the World Heritage Convention, and the map is an essential tool for this purpose. The partnership combines National Geographic's ...
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Friday, 24 November 2006
On 21 November 2006, the Director of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, Francesco Bandarin, signed a new cooperation agreement with Minister Marc Verwilghen, Belgian Minister for Science Policy. Under the agreement the Belgian Science Policy Office will, during a 5-year period, mobilize Belgian scientific expertise in using space technologies to assist State parties to the World Heritage ...
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Thursday, 23 November 2006
Conservation activities continue in the World Heritage sites of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), with particular attention given to Virunga National Park, where hippopotamuses are being massacred by the Mai Mai rebel group. In response to this massacre, UNESCO and its field partners have taken the following measures to stop the poaching which threatens to eradicate the hippo ...
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Wednesday, 22 November 2006
In an ongoing commitment to sustainable tourism, Jet tours will support two safeguarding projects scheduled for implementation early 2007. The projects are part of a joint endeavour through the World Heritage Centre-Jet Tours partnership to promote preservation and awareness through responsible tourism. On 9 November 2006, the Centre's director, Francesco Bandarin, and the ...
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Thursday, 9 November 2006
Threats to cultural and natural heritage sites from the effects of climate change are further substantiated in a new report presented at the 12th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change taking place in Nairobi, Kenya. The report, entitled 'The Atlas of Climate Change: Mapping the World's Greatest Challenge' describes impacts such as rising sea ...
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Monday, 6 November 2006
On the occasion of the United Nations' International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict, the World Heritage Centre would like to draw attention to the project "Biodiversity Conservation in Regions of Armed Conflict: Protecting World Heritage in the Democratic Republic of the Congo". Initiated in 2000, the project continues with the ...
Tuesday, 31 October 2006
The UNESCO World Heritage Desk Diary 2007 has just been published. Featuring a useful week-at-a-glance design, it is illustrated with 77 colour photos of World Heritage sites, each accompanied with a short caption. It also introduces the Convention Concerning the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage; its objectives, the selection criteria, the institutions which ensure its ...
Saturday, 7 October 2006
At the 57th International Astronautical Federation (IAF) Congress held in Valencia, Spain from 2-6 October 2006, UNESCO and the European Space Agency's (ESA) Open Initiative on Space Technologies to Monitor Natural and Cultural Heritage of UNESCO Sites held a plenary event for the general public with the theme 'Space Technologies for the Benefit of Society'. It covered the use of space ...
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Friday, 29 September 2006
The handbook "Cultural heritage and local development: A Guide for African local governments" was created in response to the request formulated during the special session 'African Towns and Heritage', organised by the World Heritage Centre and the France-UNESCO Co-operation agreement at the Summit Africities 3 (Yaounde, Cameroon, December 2003). This guide was designed as a ...
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Monday, 25 September 2006
WWF Nepal has confirmed there are no survivors from Saturday's helicopter crash which occurred while transporting 24 delegates to attend the handover of Kangchenjunga Conservation Area in Taplejung, Nepal. The flight left Ghunsa Saturday afternoon at 12pm but did not arrive as per schedule (a 20-minute flight) back to Taplejung. Rescue teams searched for two days before finding the ...
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Thursday, 21 September 2006
On 25 July 2006, the Government of Sao Tome and Principe officially deposited with the Director-General of UNESCO, Koïchiro Matsuura, its instrument of ratification, becoming the 183rd State Party to adopt the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage.The World Heritage Convention will enter into force for this State Party on 25 October 2006.
Wednesday, 20 September 2006
Nominations for the prize have to be at UNESCO by 1 November 2006.
The purpose of the Melina Mercouri International Prize (UNESCO-Greece) is to reward outstanding examples of action to safeguard and enhance the world's major cultural landscapes.
The prize, which consists of a certificate and of the sum of US$20,000 U (for 2007), may be awarded either to an individual or to a group of ...
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Tuesday, 19 September 2006
Experts* sent to Lebanon by UNESCO to assess the state of the country's cultural heritage sites have called for urgent measures to clean up the oil spill from the World Heritage edifices along the Byblos shore line. However, they found that major components of Lebanon's cultural heritage had been spared by the recent conflict. The experts' findings were presented at a press conference at ...
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Tuesday, 19 September 2006
Born after 31 December 1977 you will be under 30 years of age in 2007. You are a native of a Mediterranean country. You wish to develop a project furthering the knowledge and understanding of Mediterranean cultures. Every year the Marc de Montalembert Foundation offers a grant of 7000 euro to enable the implementation of such projects.The grant is meant to incite research and appreciation of ...
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Wednesday, 13 September 2006
On the occasion of Journées Européennes du Patrimoine (European Heritage Days), and as part of the UNESCO-Vocations Patrimoine Fellowships programme for World Heritage managers established in January 2006, which provides fellowships to current and future managers of World Heritage sites, the Vocations Patrimoine, l'Héritage du Futur association is organizing an exhibition of images of ...
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Tuesday, 12 September 2006
With the support of UNESCO's World Heritage Centre, TourismAfrica 2006 (10-15 September, Geneva, Switzerland) is actively raising awareness of African World Heritage. This four-day event gathers professional African and international decision-makers to advance the development of Africa's Tourism Industry, especially in the domain of sustainable tourism. The tourism industry has ...
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Friday, 8 September 2006
The Director-General of UNESCO, Koïchiro Matsuura, today announced that the Organization will send a mission of experts, from September 10 to 16, to assess the potential damage caused to cultural sites in the recent conflict in Lebanon.
The mission will, among other things, visit UNESCO's World Heritage sites of Tyre, Baalbek and Byblos. Tyre and Baalbek, first built by the Phoenicians grew ...
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Friday, 25 August 2006
The Decisions adopted at the 30th session of the World Heritage Committee, held in Vilnius, Lithuania, from 8 to 16 July 2006, are now available online, in English and French.Decisions adopted at the 30 th session of the World Heritage Committee
Friday, 11 August 2006
The Director-General of UNESCO, Koïchiro Matsuura, today launched an alert to protect heritage in the Middle East. The full text of the declaration follows: "The heritage site of Tyre is under threat."UNESCO has already launched two urgent appeals to the belligerents to ensure that the hostilities spare the site and its surroundings, which are part of the ancestral heritage of ...
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Thursday, 3 August 2006
The 2006 International Youth Volunteer Camp on the Restoration of Khami Ruins National Monument took place from 15 June to 8 July. The goal of the camp is to take remedial action and save crumbling World Heritage sites in their respective countries, and this year's camp was the seventh held since they began in 2000. UNESCO Harare Cluster Office Director and Representative Professor Juma ...
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Wednesday, 2 August 2006
A new partnership to promote UNESCO World Heritage sites has been launched with the signing on 19 July of a Memorandum of Understanding between UNESCO and the New Zealand-based company GSP Our Place-World Heritage (GSP OP-WH Ltd). Under the partnership, GSP OP-WH Ltd and its international network of professional photographers will produce a series of books, television programmes and a website ...
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