2392 news
Tuesday, 30 June 2015
On 29 June, during the 39th session of the World Heritage Committee in Bonn, Germany, the Chairs of the six UNESCO culture conventions* met for the first time to discuss ways to work together more effectively.
In the context of the 70th anniversary of UNESCO, this provides a unique opportunity to reflect on the future of the Organization’s standard-setting action in the face of contemporary ...
2 min read
Monday, 29 June 2015
Bonn, 29 June—The Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, today launched the Global Coalition, Unite for Heritage, during the 39th session of the World Heritage Committee meeting in Bonn, Germany. The campaign is designed to strengthen the mobilization of governments and all heritage stakeholders in the face of deliberate damage to cultural heritage, particularly in the Middle East.
“The ...
3 min read
Sunday, 28 June 2015
Bonn (Germany) - An appeal for the international community to counter the new threat of violent extremism and cultural cleansing was issued at the opening of the World Heritage Committee, which opened its session in Bonn, Germany, today. The Committee will remain in session until 8 July under the chair of Maria Böhmer, Minister of State at the German Federal Foreign Office and member of the ...
4 min read
Thursday, 25 June 2015
The publication launched today, “Managing effectively the world’s most iconic Marine Protected Areas. A Best Practice Guide” lays the groundwork for a common approach to a more pro-active, future-oriented management of marine protected areas (MPAs) around the world.
The step-by-step guidance shows how defining a clearer vision of what MPAs can and should look like in another 10 to 20 years ...
2 min read
Thursday, 25 June 2015
Chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans are essential to the visibility and viability of many biosphere reserves across Africa and Asia, according to an infographic release today by the Great Apes Survival Partnership (GRASP) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Man and the Biosphere (MAB) programme.
Great apes are found in 21 Biosphere Reserve, ...
2 min read
Wednesday, 24 June 2015
The World Heritage Centre and the History and Memory for Dialogue Section of UNESCO have learned with deep sadness of the recent passing of Professor Chahryar Adle, a long-time collaborator of UNESCO. Chahryar Adle (1943-2015) was an archaeologist and Iranologist, and a member of the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS). He was also President of the International Scientific ...
2 min read
Tuesday, 23 June 2015
Kulturweit, a volunteer organization of the German Commission for UNESCO and the German Federal Foreign Office, has designed a card game called “World Heritage in Germany-Memory”.
The inspiration came from Kulturweit members who were delegates to the 2014 World Heritage Youth Forum held in Qatar.
The goal of the game is to teach young people about German World Heritage sites.
The German ...
Thursday, 18 June 2015
[in French only] Du 29 juin au 10 juillet 2015, 13 gestionnaires de sites patrimoniaux issus de 11 pays (Burkina Faso, Colombie, Comores, Côte d’Ivoire, France, Irak, RDP Lao, Mali, Moldavie, Sénégal, Togo) participeront à la 5ème édition de la formation internationale intensive "Construire ensemble l'avenir des sites patrimoniaux. Élaborer et mettre en œuvre une gestion durable" organisée ...
Wednesday, 17 June 2015
UNEP has published a Sourcebook of Opportunities for Enhancing Cooperation among the Biodiversity-related Conventions at National and Regional Levels, available for download at wcmc.io/Sourcebook.
The aim of the UNEP Sourcebook is to provide national focal points of the biodiversity-related conventions and other stakeholders with options to achieve enhanced implementation of the conventions ...
1 min read
Monday, 15 June 2015
The World Heritage Centre is pleased to announce the Call for Participants for the World Heritage Volunteers 2015 and #Unite4Heritage common action.
This common action aims to encourage young people from the Arab States[1] countries to take part in one of ten selected World Heritage Volunteers Action Camps 2015, at locations around the world.
The aim of this action is to respond to the ...
2 min read
Friday, 12 June 2015
In the early hours of 12 June 2015, the Old City of Sana’a, a UNESCO World Heritage site, was hit by a bombing raid. Several houses and historic buildings were destroyed, causing human casualties. Among the buildings destroyed was the magnificent complex of traditional houses in the Al-Qasimi neighborhood, bordering an urban garden (Miqshama), near the Sailah water channel.
“I am profoundly ...
1 min read
Thursday, 11 June 2015
The Second Cycle of the Periodic Reporting Exercise in the Europe and North America region was launched at the 36th session of the World Heritage Committee (Saint Petersburg, 2012).
In Europe, 49 States Parties and 432 World Heritage properties (382 cultural, 41 natural, 9 mixed) participated in the Second Cycle of the Periodic Reporting Exercise (2012-2015). The exercise was coordinated by ...
1 min read
Thursday, 11 June 2015
The World Heritage Centre is receiving correspondence from many NGOs and concerned citizens regarding a proposed high-rise project, and other matters, within the boundaries of the World Heritage property “Historic Centre of Vienna”.
The World Heritage Centre is aware of this situation and is following the issue closely with the State Party, as well as the Advisory Bodies to the World ...
1 min read
Thursday, 11 June 2015
The devastating earthquakes of 25 April and the aftershocks that followed have heavily damaged the monuments and sites within the Kathmandu Valley World Heritage property, as well as an enormous amount of other cultural sites in the northwestern area of Nepal.
Currently closed to tourists and the general public, the three monument zones - Hanumandhoka (Kathmandu) Durbar Square, Swayambhu and ...
3 min read
Monday, 8 June 2015
As the world’s population grows, demand for fresh seafood is rising, and stocks are being stretched to the limit. Climate change impacts further stress the food chain. Marine World Heritage sites can provide a buffer against this pressure. They allow fish to grow and multiply safe from major disturbance, and boost the resilience of the oceans unique ecosystem.
Today, many of the world's ...
2 min read
Friday, 5 June 2015
The World Heritage Committee will examine proposals to inscribe 37 properties on UNESCO’s World Heritage List when it meets at the international conference centre of Bonn (Germany) from 28 June to 8 July. The upcoming 39th session of the World Heritage Committee will be chaired by Maria Böhmer, Minister of State at Germany’s Federal Foreign Office, and member of the Bundestag.
Nominations ...
4 min read
Tuesday, 2 June 2015
A three-day meeting in Berlin brought together experts from around the world to discuss the current practices for mural painting conservation and led to the adoption of new Guidelines.
Within the framework of the UNESCO/Republic of Korea Funds-in-Trust Project for the Preservation of the Koguryo Tombs and Mural Paintings in the DPRK, the UNESCO Expert Workshop: Conservation of Mural ...
2 min read
Tuesday, 2 June 2015
The Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, has condemned the airstrikes on the ancient city of Marib in Yemen and is calling on all parties involved in the conflict to refrain from targeting the country’s unique cultural heritage.
UNESCO has received information on damage caused to the Great Dam of Marib by an airstrike during the night of 31 May. According to reports received, the ...
2 min read
Thursday, 28 May 2015
UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova addressed today’s Plenary Meeting of the UN General Assembly, which adopted unanimously a resolution on “Saving the cultural heritage of Iraq”.
The resolution, presented jointly by Germany and Iraq, was cosponsored by a total of 91 Member States, focuses on the fight against the destruction of cultural heritage and attacks against the cultural diversity ...
2 min read
Wednesday, 27 May 2015
The 1st Management Planning Workshop to protect the transboundary Lake Ohrid region took place on 25-26 March in Korça, Albania.
The workshop is part of the project “Towards strengthened governance of the shared transboundary natural and cultural heritage of the Lake Ohrid region”, a UNESCO initiative funded by the European Union and the Ministry of Environment of Albania to safeguard the ...
1 min read
Friday, 22 May 2015
The Vice Premier of the People’s Republic of China, Ms Liu Yandong, pledged her country’s ambition to push her Government’s broad collaboration with UNESCO “to new heights” during a meeting with Director-General Irina Bokova in Qingdao on 23 May, on the eve of the International Conference on ICTs and post-2015 Education.
On behalf of the Chinese Government, Ms Yandong congratulated UNESCO on ...
2 min read
Thursday, 21 May 2015
Worldwide shipping traffic has increased 300% since 1992, and this growing industry does not leave World Heritage marine sites immune to its impact.
The International Maritime Organization (IMO)—the United Nations specialized agency with responsibility for the safety and security of shipping and the prevention of marine pollution by ships—can provide special protections for particularly ...
2 min read
Wednesday, 20 May 2015
The Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, has called for an immediate end to hostilities in Palmyra (Syria) following reports from several sources that armed extremist groups have infiltrated the World Heritage site, where fighting is now ongoing.
“I am deeply concerned by the situation at the site of Palmyra. The fighting is putting at risk one of the most significant sites in the ...
1 min read
Tuesday, 19 May 2015
The UNESCO World Heritage Centre is receiving messages expressing concern about the state of conservation of the World Heritage property "Venice and its lagoon” (Italy), inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1987.
The UNESCO World Heritage Centre closely follows the state of conservation of the property with the Italian authorities.
The World Heritage Committee, at its 38th session in ...
1 min read
Thursday, 14 May 2015
The Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, today expressed her deep concern over reports of fighting near Palmyra, endangering the local population and posing an imminent threat to the site, inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage list. Irina Bokova called for the immediate cessation of fighting.
According to several sources, armed extremist groups raided the city of Tadmur, home to the ...
1 min read
Wednesday, 13 May 2015
Amid reports of several cultural heritage sites being damaged across Yemen, UNESCO Office for the GCC and Yemen has developed a series of emergency response activities aimed at safeguarding Yemeni cultural sites and monuments of universal values from the ongoing conflict in the country.
Over the past few days, UNESCO received reports from cultural institutions and experts in Yemen of severe ...
3 min read
Tuesday, 12 May 2015
Amid alarming reports about bombing of the World Heritage Site of the Old City of Sana’a, UNESCO’s Director-General calls on all parties to protect Yemen’s unique cultural heritage.
Over the past few days, UNESCO received reports of severe damage to significant cultural heritage sites in Yemen. According to several media reports and official sources, the old city of Sana’a, Yemen’s capital, ...
2 min read
Thursday, 7 May 2015
On 6 May, the Director-General expressed her sincere condolences to the Government and people of Nepal in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake that struck the country on 25 April by signing a message in the condolences book opened at the Embassy, in the presence of the Ambassador and Permanent Delegate to UNESCO, Ms Ambika Devi Luintel.
“I wish to say how deeply aggrieved I am by the ...
1 min read
Wednesday, 6 May 2015
The United Nations University (UNU) and UNESCO today brought together scholars, archeologists, historians and writers to discuss ways of opposing the widespread destruction of cultural heritage in Iraq, Syria and other countries in conflict. The symposium, entitled "Mobilization for heritage: Iraq, Syria and other countries in conflict," took place at the Organization’s Paris ...
2 min read
Wednesday, 6 May 2015
The UNESCO World Heritage Centre is receiving petitions expressing concern about the state of conservation of the World Heritage property Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve (Mexico), inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2008.
The World Heritage Committee, at its next session (Bonn, Germany, 28 June - 8 July 2015), will examine the state of conservation of the property. The draft decision ...
1 min read
Tuesday, 5 May 2015
On 4 May, during her official visit to Estonia, the Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia, Ms Keit Pentus-Rosimannus.
The Minister congratulated the Organisation on the occasion of its 70th anniversary and noted strong satisfaction with the reform led by the Director-General, to increase efficiency. The Minister highlighted the Estonian ...
2 min read
Monday, 4 May 2015
On 4 May, on the occasion of her official visit to Estonia, the Director General, Ms Irina Bokova, gave a lecture at the Estonian Academy of Arts on “Attacks against Cultural Heritage – What can UNESCO do?”, in the presence of the Rector of the Academy Professor Signe Kivi, and the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Republic of Estonia to UNESCO, H.E. Mr Marten Kokk.
The lecture ...
2 min read
Monday, 4 May 2015
On 4 May, the Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, met with the Minister of Culture, Mr Indrek Saar.
The Minister congratulated UNESCO on the 70th anniversary of its creation, underlining the enduring importance of the Organisation today. He also thanked the Director-General for her leadership, also in reforming the Organisation, and in the strong cooperation with Estonia.
The ...
1 min read
Monday, 4 May 2015
From 4 to 5 May, UNESCO Director-General, Irina Bokova, is travelling to Estonia for an official visit, where she is expected to meet with a number of high level government officials including, the Minister of Foreign Affairs , Ms Keit Pentus-Rosimannus, the Deputy Secretary-General for Planning, Ministry for Education and Research, Ms Kadri Maasik, the Minister for Culture, Mr Indrek Saar, ...
1 min read
Thursday, 30 April 2015
Following an AWF-led great apes conservation workshop in Yaoundé scheduled from April 22nd to 23rd, the AWF will lead a trek initiative from April 25th to May 1st through the center of the Dja Faunal Reserve.
One team of rangers from Cameroon and other great apes sites in Central/West Africa will use this opportunity as a field training exercise. At the same time a second team will trek ...
1 min read
Tuesday, 28 April 2015
The World Heritage Centre announces with profound sadness the passing on 28 April 2015 of Dr Ronald Van Oers, Vice Director of the World Heritage Institute of Training and Research for Asia and the Pacific Region, a UNESCO Category 2 Centre based in Shanghai, and a colleague of the World Heritage Centre since 2000.
Ron was a brilliant professional in the field of heritage. He had a wealth of ...
1 min read
Monday, 27 April 2015
“As we are receiving more information from the ground, I am deeply aggrieved by the magnitude of human loss caused by the earthquake in Nepal. I am also shocked by its devastating impact on the unique cultural heritage in the country, in particular extensive and irreversible damage at the World Heritage site of Kathmandu Valley”, declared Irina Bokova, the Director-General of ...
1 min read
Monday, 27 April 2015
The Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, and the Secretary General of INTERPOL, Jürgen Stock, addressed members of the UN Security Council on “Combating the Destruction, Smuggling and Theft of Cultural Heritage” in countries where destruction of heritage, looting and illicit trafficking are used to fuel hatred and finance terrorism.
The meeting, convened by the Permanent Missions of ...
2 min read
Saturday, 25 April 2015
The Director-General, Irina Bokova, has expressed her profound sympathy to the government and people of Nepal after the devastating earthquake that struck the country.
“I wish to express my sincere condolences following the powerful earthquake that struck Nepal today, causing heavy loss of life and extensive damage, including to historic monuments and buildings of the Kathmandu Valley ...
Friday, 24 April 2015
The endangered chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans, and bonobos found at World Heritage sites in Africa and Asia underscore the importance of these forests and mountain ranges and are highlighted in an infographic released today by the Great Apes Survival Partnership (GRASP) and the World Heritage Centre of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Great ...
2 min read
Thursday, 23 April 2015
A screening of the movie “Virunga” was organized at UNESCO Headquarters, attended by a thousand people, in the framework of the celebration of the 70th anniversary of UNESCO and the United Nations International Earth Day.
The screening of the movie took place in the presence of the Director-General of UNESCO, Mrs Irina Bokova, H.E. Mr Bienvenu Lihota Ndjoli, Minister of Environment and ...
2 min read
Wednesday, 22 April 2015
UNESCO could not conserve the Crown Jewels of the Ocean without support from public and private partner organizations around the world. In a world that is for 70% oceans, it seems fitting to honor the ocean’s most precious places on Earth Day. This year, we are celebrating Earth Day at a special event hosted in New York City by long-time partner Jaeger-LeCoultre.
“Through this partnership, ...
3 min read
Wednesday, 22 April 2015
[in French only] Les gestionnaires de Cidade Velha et de plusieurs villes de Cabo Verde, les communautés locales, les experts nationaux et internationaux en charge du patrimoine urbain se sont réunis à Cidade Velha du 15 au 17 avril 2015 pour discuter de l’approche centrée sur le Paysage urbain historique et de la manière dont elle peut contribuer à la gestion et la conservation durable de ...
Wednesday, 15 April 2015
Towards strengthened governance of the shared transboundary natural and cultural heritage of the Lake Ohrid Region: Local Facilitator, Albania
IUCN Programme Office for South-Eastern Europe (SEE) is seeking to recruit an experienced and enthusiastic candidate to join the IUCN SEE team working on the project “Towards strengthened governance of the shared transboundary natural and cultural ...
1 min read
Tuesday, 14 April 2015
In 2008 the NGO “Collectif du patrimoine des Comores” launched an inventory and cultural mapping project of the architectural and urban heritage of the Sultanates of the Comoros, with technical and financial support from the World Heritage Centre within the framework of the France-UNESCO Cooperation Agreement.
The Comoros put the Historic Sultanates on their Tentative List in 2007.
In order ...
2 min read
Monday, 13 April 2015
UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova today denounced further destruction at the archeological site of Nimrud in Iraq, shown in graphic detail on a video circulating on social media channels.
“I condemn this mad, destructive act that accentuates the horror of the situation. It confirms that the terrorists are not only destroying representations of figures and bas-reliefs. With their hammers ...
2 min read
Wednesday, 8 April 2015
H.E. Mr Kadir Topbas, Lord Mayor of Istanbul, visited UNESCO on the occasion of the Organization’s 70thanniversary, coinciding with the 30th anniversary of the inscription of the Historic Areas of Istanbul on the World Heritage List.
On the occasion of his visit to UNESCO, the Lord Mayor of Istanbul participated in a round-table on heritage conservation in the face of the challenges of urban ...
2 min read
Tuesday, 7 April 2015
The Philippines’ Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park is a spectacular reef system in the famed Coral Triangle. The park encompasses 970 km² of coral atolls and deep seas 92 nautical miles from the nearest inhabited island.
Managing this vast and remote area requires a focused management plan, and the Marine World Heritage Programme recently connected Site Manager Angelique Songco with Jon Day, ...
2 min read
Thursday, 2 April 2015
In the context of the recent escalation of hostilities in Bosra and Idlib, the UNESCO Director-General, Ms Irina Bokova, reiterates her call for the protection of Syria’s unique heritage.
“All Syrians must unite for the protection of their shared cultural heritage.” said the Director-General. “This heritage belongs to all Syrians and to all humanity. I call on all parties to refrain from ...
1 min read
Monday, 30 March 2015
The differences in culture might be as big as the ocean between them, but Australia and Ecuador are home to two of the world’s best-known natural wonders. Site managers at the Galapagos Islands and Great Barrier Reef are entrusted with the care of vast areas that are vital for wildlife and treasured by people. UNESCO’s World Heritage Marine Programme facilitated an exchange bringing staff ...
3 min read
Saturday, 28 March 2015
UNESCO Director-General, Irina Bokova, launched #Unite4Heritage at Baghdad University – a social media campaign to counter the propaganda of cultural cleansing and the destruction of cultural heritage, to support Iraqi youth and to mobilise young people across the world for its protection. The launch took place in front of students, government ministers and university officials.
“Today, we ...
2 min read
Tuesday, 24 March 2015
Ngorongoro Conservation Area joins Lake Malawi National Park, Maloti-Drakensberg Park (South Africa and Lesotho) and Mosi-oa-Tunya/Victoria Falls (Zambia and Zimbabwe) in strategic planning for sustainable tourism.
The first capacity building workshop in sustainable tourism for the World Heritage site managers, community representatives and tourism industry stakeholders was held at the ...
2 min read
Wednesday, 18 March 2015
UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova and French President Francois Hollande today sent a strong message of solidarity to the people of Iraq and Syria, and reiterated the urgent need to safeguard cultural heritage of both countries.
President Hollande and the Director-General Bokova met at the Louvre Museum in Paris, which houses several major works reflecting the splendid cultural ...
2 min read
Wednesday, 18 March 2015
UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova today condemned the deadly attack at the Bardo Museum in Tunis, and expressed her support and solidarity with Tunisia and the families of the victims. Ms Bokova spoke of the assault during a meeting with French President Francois Hollande at the Louvre Museum in Paris. The two leaders were addressing media on the destruction of cultural heritage by ...
1 min read
Wednesday, 18 March 2015
“The Elephant Collaring Project Team” from Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is an initiative which aims at strengthening the safeguarding of elephants using radio tracking with specially designed elephant collars. The Park’s goal is to reach 120,000 USD in donations, within 10 weeks.
Donate now to Virunga National Park to reinforce vital resources needed to ...
1 min read
Wednesday, 18 March 2015
The first management planning workshop in a series of five will take place on 25 and 26 March 2015 in the Korça region, Albania. The workshop is carried out in the framework of the 36-month European Union-funded project “Towards strengthened governance of the shared transboundary natural and cultural heritage of the Lake Ohrid region”.
The project is designed to address the main threats ...
1 min read
Tuesday, 17 March 2015
Upcoming 39th session due to take place in Bonn, Germany.
The annual highlight for the World Heritage community is drawing near: From 28 June to 8 July approx. 1200 delegates, observers and NGO-representatives from 191 countries will gather in Bonn, Germany, to attend the 39th session of the World Heritage Committee. During its session last year in Doha, Qatar, the Committee elected Minister ...
1 min read
Tuesday, 17 March 2015
UNESCO, in partnership with the Japanese Agency for Cultural Affairs (ACA), the Japanese National Institutes for Cultural Heritage (NICH), ICCROM and ICOMOS has organized a special session on "Resilient Cultural Heritage" within the framework of the Third United Nations World Conference Disaster Risk Reduction (WCDRR), which has taken place between 14 and 18 March at Sendai, Japan.
The ...
2 min read
Wednesday, 11 March 2015
Since the beginning of the conflict in Iraq, in addition to the tragic loss of human life and the humanitarian crisis associated to the persecution of cultural and religious minorities, cultural heritage has been the target of intentional destruction. The goal has clearly been to erase the history of the country along with the identities and diversity of its people.
UNESCO Director-General ...
3 min read
Monday, 9 March 2015
Minister of State at the Federal Foreign Office and Chair of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee Maria Böhmer issued the following statement in Berlin on 9 March following the destruction of Iraqi artefacts in Nimrud by the terrorist group ISIS:
“The ongoing barbaric attacks perpetrated by the ISIS terrorist group in Iraq are devastating. In particular the abductions in Tikrit, the burning ...
1 min read
Saturday, 7 March 2015
Since the beginning of the conflict in Iraq, in addition to the tragic loss of human life and the humanitarian crisis associated to the persecution of cultural and religious minorities, cultural heritage has been the target of intentional destruction, with the aim of erasing the history of the country and thus undermining the peaceful coexistence of diverse communities.
Attacks against the ...
1 min read
Friday, 6 March 2015
“I condemn in the strongest possible manner the destruction of the archaeological site of Nimrud site in Iraq. This is yet another attack against the Iraqi people, reminding us that nothing is safe from the cultural cleansing underway in the country: it targets human lives, minorities, and is marked by the systematic destruction of humanity’s ancient heritage,” said UNESCO Director General ...
2 min read
Saturday, 28 February 2015
The Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, has welcomed the UN Security Council's statement denouncing the attack on the Mosul Museum.
"This statement is a strong testiment to the unity of the international community regarding the tragic destruction of irreplaceable heritage for all mankind," said the Director-General. "The members of the Security Council have reaffirmed the deep ...
1 min read
Saturday, 28 February 2015
"The reopening of the Baghdad Museum is a powerful symbol, coming in the wake of the destruction perpetrated in Mosul. To fight violent extremism and attacks against cultural heritage, we need more than ever to nurture the power of culture, supporting its fundamental role for dialogue and for social cohesion in Iraq and around the world."
"I welcome this historic reopening, coming just a few ...
1 min read
Friday, 27 February 2015
"It is time to get serious about wildlife crime"
This year’s theme for World Wildlife Day is right in line with one of the key goals of the World Heritage Convention: protecting sites which are home to threatened plant and animal species.
These invaluable sites are threatened more than ever, and illegal human activities such as poaching and illegal logging are some of the most worrisome. ...
2 min read
Friday, 27 February 2015
“I was filled with dismay by images of the attack on the Mosul Museum, as well as on other archaeological sites in the Nineveh region in Iraq,” said the Director General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova. She spoke at a press conference following the release of a video showing the devastation of the Mosul Museum in Iraq.
Terrorists based in Iraq defaced many statues and bas-reliefs with an ...
1 min read
Thursday, 26 February 2015
“I am deeply shocked by footage released today showing the destruction of statues and other artefacts of the Mosul Museum. I condemn this as a deliberate attack against Iraq’s millennial history and culture, and as an inflammatory incitement to violence and hatred,” said the Director General.
“This attack is far more than a cultural tragedy – this is also a security issue as it fuels ...
1 min read
Wednesday, 25 February 2015
A major international conference was organized by ICOMOS Oman at Dhofar University in Salalah, Sultanate of Oman to review archaeological heritage identification, management, and conservation, and to explore new approaches.
Among the participants were experts from different parts of the world, representatives from Ministries and heritage agencies, Ambassadors of UNESCO Member States, the ...
1 min read
Wednesday, 18 February 2015
Established as a Category II Centre under the auspices of UNESCO in October 2009, the African World Heritage Fund (AWHF) is an inter-governmental organisation which was jointly initiated by the African Members States of UNESCO and the African Union.
Its mission is to support the effective conservation and protection of natural and cultural heritage of outstanding universal value in Africa. ...
2 min read
Wednesday, 18 February 2015
Prior to the 39th session of the World Heritage Committee, a Young Experts Forum will be held from 18 to 29 June 2015 in the Upper Middle Rhine Valley World Heritage site and in Bonn, former capital of Germany. Young heritage experts from around the world from 20 to 30 years old will exchange ideas and provide input to the theme of this year’s Forum Towards a Sustainable Management of World ...
3 min read
Thursday, 12 February 2015
The Director-General of UNESCO, Ms Irina Bokova, welcomed the adoption of a new UN Security Council Resolution 2199 that condemns the destruction of cultural heritage and adopts legally-binding measures to counter illicit trafficking of antiquities and cultural objects from Iraq and Syria.
“The adoption of resolution 2199 is a milestone for enhanced protection of cultural heritage in Iraq ...
1 min read
Wednesday, 11 February 2015
Over 900 participants, including over 45 Ministers and Vice Ministers of Tourism and Culture, international experts, speakers and guests from 100 countries, gathered at the UNWTO/UNESCO World Conference on Tourism and Culture in Siem Reap, Cambodia, to explore and advance new partnership models between tourism and culture (4-6 February 2015).
Tourism, moving more than one billion people ...
4 min read
Tuesday, 10 February 2015
With support from UNESCO’s World Heritage Marine Programme, the Banc d’Arguin National Park in Mauritania organized a series of educational activities for students from four local schools who are located in the park.
Throughout 2014, about 100 students participated in three-day excursions in which they learned about the biodiversity, the socioeconomic importance of the Park and the need to ...
1 min read
Tuesday, 10 February 2015
The secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) is currently recruiting a Director General (DG).
SPREP is the regional organisation established by the Governments and Administrations of the Pacific charged with protecting and managing the environment and natural resources of the Pacific. It is based in Apia, Samoa, with about 95 staff and an annual budget of USD $20 ...
Friday, 6 February 2015
On Wednesday, 28 January, the cargo ship Floreana stranded near San Cristobal, an island that is part of the Galápagos islands World Heritage site.
The vessel transported 1,400 tons of cargo and 50,000 liters of fuel among other, potentially hazardous, products. Accordingly to early government reports, products leaked from the ship. Actions are being taken to define the impacts on the marine ...
1 min read
Friday, 6 February 2015
The latest version of the World Heritage map, produced by the UNESCO World Heritage Centre and National Geographic Maps with the generous support of Germany, can now be ordered for a modest fee from the World Heritage Centre website.
The featured image on the Map presents the Upper Middle Rhine Valley in Germany, country hosting the next session of the World Heritage Committee in June ...
1 min read
Tuesday, 3 February 2015
Since their first agreement signed in 2011, UNESCO and Panasonic have worked together to educate young people about protecting natural and cultural heritage. Long-term success of the program depends on the children of today, hence their involvement is of key importance.
As part of the cooperation with UNESCO, Panasonic China hosted 50 pupils and teachers in a school excursion from 3 to 6 ...
1 min read
Monday, 2 February 2015
World heritage site managers and tourism stakeholders from Zambia and Zimbabwe came together for the first time to initiate the process to develop a sustainable tourism strategy for the Mosi-oa-Tunya/Victoria Falls World Heritage site. The workshop was held in Livingstone, Zambia from 22 to 24 January 2015.
The workshop takes place within the framework of the UNESCO World Heritage and ...
2 min read
Monday, 2 February 2015
Issue 74 of World Heritage magazine
World Heritage sites are exposed to a wide variety of natural and human-induced hazards, such as earthquakes, cyclones or fires, which can have devastating effects on their value as well as on the lives and assets of the communities concerned. This issue explores the risks that sites are exposed to and different aspects of disaster risk management, ...
Friday, 30 January 2015
Storage conditions of ancient manuscripts smuggled out of Timbuktu to Bamako in 2012 must be improved rapidly to avoid decay, concluded participants at an international conference, held from 28 to 30 January in the national capital. They also called for the adoption of an emergency plan to preserve the manuscripts in the long-term.
The conference was attended by academics; representatives of ...
2 min read
Wednesday, 28 January 2015
From 22 to 24 January 2015, UNESCO, in cooperation with the Vietnamese authorities, hosted a workshop on World Heritage and sustainable development at the Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex in Viet Nam.
The workshop responded to the request by the World Heritage Committee at its 36th session in Saint Petersburg to develop a policy on the integration of sustainable development into the ...
1 min read
Tuesday, 27 January 2015
Following a week-long constructive discussion with UNESCO's World Heritage Centre and IUCN, the government of Belize agreed to start talks on critical conservation challenges related to the removal of the Belize Barrier Reef from the World Heritage List in Danger.
From 19-23 January 2015, UNESCO's World Heritage Centre, in cooperation with the International Union for the Conservation of ...
2 min read
Thursday, 22 January 2015
2 February each year is World Wetlands Day.
It marks the date of the adoption of the Convention on Wetlands on 2 February 1971, in the Iranian city of Ramsar on the shores of the Caspian Sea. Each year since 1997, government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and groups of citizens at all levels of the community have taken advantage of the opportunity to undertake actions aimed at ...
1 min read
Wednesday, 21 January 2015
Nearly two years after armed groups occupied northern Mali and destroyed cultural heritage there, an international conference will take place in the capital, Bamako, from 28 to 30 January to examine the long-term conservation of the country’s invaluable ancient manuscript collections.
UNESCO’s Office in Bamako, Mali’s Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research and the Ahmed Baba ...
2 min read
Tuesday, 20 January 2015
Once again this year Earthwatch is offering funded training and mentoring in organisational and business management practices to protected areas in Africa. The application period is now open until 27th February 2015.
The Programme is looking to recruit 6 protected areas, who will each nominate 3 members of staff for training during a 10 day residential training course in October 2015. This ...
1 min read
Tuesday, 20 January 2015
Internship Opportunities in South Africa and Benin, from 1 April until 30 September 2015.
Two internships will run in 2015, one at the African World Heritage Fund (AWHF) in Midrand (South Africa) and one at EPA in Porto-Novo (Benin). AWHF was launched in 2006 to support African State Parties in implementing the UNESCO Convention on the protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. ...
1 min read
Sunday, 18 January 2015
On 14 January 2015, a fire has once again ravaged the Palace of the King Houégbadja in the Royal Palaces of Abomey World Heritage property in Benin.
Thankfully there were no victims. Despite the efforts of firefighters, all of the thatched roofs of the palace complex were burned. As they were built from fire-resistant earthen architecture, the walls of the palace buildings were spared. The ...
2 min read
Wednesday, 14 January 2015
In the framework of the France-UNESCO Cooperation Agreement (an agreement for the protection and enhancement of monumental, urban and natural heritage, between the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and the Government of France) UNESCO has technical and financial assistance at their disposal through the following Ministries of France: Ministry of Culture and ...
2 min read
Thursday, 8 January 2015
Nainoa Thompson and the Mālama Honua Worldwide Voyage (sponsored by Hawaiian Airlines) are embarking on a 3-year trip that will take them to 13 marine World Heritage sites. The voyage is taking place with Hōkūle'a and Hikianalia, sister canoes who are both sailing on parallel sail plans in 2015-2017.
UNESCO and the Polynesian Voyaging Society signed a partnership agreement that will ...
1 min read
Wednesday, 7 January 2015
The National Park Service's newest online travel itinerary highlights the 22 World Heritage sites located in the United States.
The project includes fun facts and interesting background information about sites across the country, from the Statue of Liberty to Hawaii Volcanoes, which have universal significance.
The World Heritage sites in the United States itinerary is the 60th in the ...
1 min read
Tuesday, 6 January 2015
On 6 January, during her official visit to Turkey, the Director-General participated in a ceremony to present the World Heritage Certificates for the newly inscribed sites of “Pergamon Multi-layered Cultural Landscape” and “Bursa and Cumalıkızık: the Birth of an Empire” on the UNESCO World Heritage List, in the presence of H.E. Ömer Çelik, Minister of Culture and Tourism.
The ceremony took ...
2 min read
Monday, 22 December 2014
The UNESCO World Heritage Centre and Panasonic Corporation have released the 2015 World Heritage calendar. Featuring stunning photographs of World Heritage sites from around the world, this popular calendar can be used in paper, online and tablet app versions.
UNESCO and Panasonic have been creating wall calendars since 1995 and a web version since 2010. The wall calendar includes brief ...
1 min read
Friday, 19 December 2014
The First World Conference on Tourism and Culture will bring together, for the first time, Ministers of Tourism and Ministers of Culture from around the world, experts and stakeholders from both sectors to explore new models of partnership between tourism and culture (Siem Reap, Cambodia, 4-6 February 2015).
Cultural tourism can contribute to inclusive economic growth, social development ...
2 min read
Friday, 19 December 2014
The Panasonic Corporation in cooperation with UNESCO Office Jakarta organised a launching ceremony of LED Lighting Installment in Prambanan Temple Compounds on 17 December 2014. The ceremony was attended by more than 100 participants representing different stakeholders including the National and Local Government, UNESCO Jakarta and Headquarters, local communities, craftsmen, NGOs, as well as ...
2 min read
Thursday, 18 December 2014
An oil spill occurred in The Sundarbans, Bangladesh on Tuesday, 9 December when a small coastal oil tanker sank after being rammed by another vessel from behind, releasing approximately 400,000 liters of oil in the water.
The Sundarbans was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1997 and is one of the largest mangrove forests in the world. It lies on the delta of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and ...
1 min read
Monday, 15 December 2014
As part of the "World Heritage Eco Learning Program", Panasonic hosted, on 15 December 2015, the "Environmental activity for the next generation” at Budapest World Heritage site.
Panasonic hosted 150 pupils in an extraordinary school excursion on Monday, 15 December 2014.
Children between the ages of 8 and 12, and 20 teachers accompanying them, had the opportunity to view the UNESCO ...
1 min read
Friday, 12 December 2014
A presentation of the “Fragile Venice” study, which touches on some of the most serious future challenges faced by the city of Venice and its Lagoon, will take place today, 12 December (2.30 pm.), in Venice, at the sala del Piovego in the Doge’s Palace. As the city’s urban fabric undergoes deep structural changes, this is the first enquiry of its kind into the wider effects of tourism and ...
2 min read
Thursday, 11 December 2014
Twenty-two conservation architects, engineers, archaeologists, and experts from different regions across Syria, including Damascus, Maaloula, Daraa, Homs and Aleppo, concluded today a three-week training course that aims to enhance their technical skills and introduce them to the recent conservation trends in order for them to secure their endangered built cultural heritage and take the ...
3 min read
Wednesday, 3 December 2014
UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova today called for the creation of “protected cultural zones” around heritage sites in Syria and Iraq. Opening an international conference on threats to cultural heritage and diversity in these countries at UNESCO Headquarters, she suggested a start could be made with the city of Aleppo, and especially the Omeyyad Mosque, a highly iconic site located in the ...
3 min read
Friday, 28 November 2014
On the occasion of the Mediterranean Week of Economic Leaders and in the framework of the XXIII General Assembly of the Association of the Mediterranean Chambers of Commerce and Industry (ASCAME) held on 26 November 2014, UNESCO received an award for promoting Mediterranean cultural heritage in the world and for its efforts to promote the tangible and intangible cultural heritage as a ...
1 min read
Wednesday, 26 November 2014
In 2011, the French Ministry of Culture and Communication (Directorate General of Cultural Heritage – Department of European and International Affairs) launched « e-patrimoines »: a new e-learning training program on tangible and intangible heritage, for nearly a hundred francophone countries. This project was undertaken in partnership with the Agence universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF) ...
2 min read
Tuesday, 25 November 2014
Recent policy and conceptual developments in World Heritage, and in conservation generally, set the stage for new approaches that engage indigenous and local communities in World Heritage. The inclusion of communities as one of the five Strategic Objectives in the World Heritage Convention reflects an increasing demand for community engagement at all stages of the World Heritage process, and ...
2 min read
Thursday, 20 November 2014
The World Heritage Centre expresses its condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Professor Karel Bakker from the Department of Architecture, University of Pretoria (South Africa), and a long-time collaborator on World Heritage, who passed away on 19 November 2014.
Prof. Bakker contributed to numerous World Heritage missions, Heritage Impact Assessments, training workshops, ...
1 min read
Thursday, 20 November 2014
The General Assembly of the States Parties to the World Heritage Convention met for its 1st extraordinary session on 13-14 November 2014 at UNESCO Headquarters under the Chairpersonship of Ms Vera Lacoeuilhe, Permanent Delegate of Saint-Lucia to UNESCO, with the mandate of examining the proposals made by the Open-ended Working Group to revise the Rules of Procedure in order to achieve the ...
3 min read
Tuesday, 18 November 2014
The Convention on Wetlands, also known as the “Ramsar Convention” from the name of the city in Iran where it was signed in 1971, is an intergovernmental treaty which provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and sustainable use of wetland biodiversity and services. It was the first of the modern global multilateral environmental agreements ...
1 min read
Tuesday, 18 November 2014
Amidst alarming reports of increase in acts of vandalism, illicit trafficking and attacks on Libyan cultural heritage, UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova called on all parties to protect Libya’s unique cultural heritage. Her call came in the context of the deterioration of the security situation in Libya and in support of efforts towards an inclusive political dialogue to put an end to the ...
2 min read
Monday, 17 November 2014
Compliance management in the Great Barrier Reef has matured over more than 30 years and is currently one of the most advanced worldwide. Still today, over 30% of all marine World Heritage sites are suffering serious pressure from fishing activities, most of which is illegal and unreported. Monitoring and evaluation of these sites is often costly and the need for a clever intelligence system ...
1 min read
Monday, 17 November 2014
Conserving Cultural Landscapes: Challenges and New Directions is now available from Routledge publishers.
The book is edited by Ken Taylor, Australian National University, Australia; Archer St. Clair, Rutgers University, USA; and Nora J. Mitchell, University of Vermont, USAIt is published as part of the series Routledge Studies in Heritage.
Challenging traditional notions of historic ...
1 min read
Monday, 17 November 2014
Patrimonito takes a stand in a changing global environment
The World Heritage Centre (WHC) is pleased to announce the Call for Proposals for the World Heritage Volunteers (WHV) Campaign 2015. In the framework of the UNESCO World Heritage Education Programme, the WHC leads the Initiative in collaboration with the Coordinating Committee for International Voluntary Service (CCIVS), Open Houses ...
1 min read
Sunday, 16 November 2014
November 15, 2014, marks the official announcement of the design competition to build the new Bamiyan Cultural Centre in Afghanistan. UNESCO, together with the Government of Afghanistan, decided to select the design of the Cultural Centre through an open international competition.
The competition will generate interest in the project and ensure that the winning design is both iconic and also ...
2 min read
Sunday, 16 November 2014
UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova visited Australia’s Great Barrier Reef on the weekend of 15-16 November for a firsthand look at the way the World Heritage site is being managed. Her visit came amidst widespread concerns over the health of the reef, which experts say is threatened by climate change, pollution and other environmental issues that make careful, long-term planning absolutely ...
1 min read
Friday, 14 November 2014
From the 13 to the 15 October 2014, the Paraguay National Commission for cooperation with UNESCO through its Executive Committee for Heritage, the UNESCO Associated Schools Project Network (ASPnet), Paraguay National Secretary of Tourism (SENATUR) and the Paraguay Chamber of Tourism for the Jesuit Missions, with the cooperation of the Ministry of Education and Culture, will hold the 1st Youth ...
1 min read
Friday, 14 November 2014
Supermodel and UN Goodwill ambassador for the Environment Gisele Bündchen narrates the latest film from the World Heritage Marine Programme, which premiered at the World Parks Congress in Sydney, Australia, to a standing-room-only crowd.
Ms Bündchen is a strong supporter of ocean conservation and believes in its critical role in human and ecosystem health. She has given her time and talent ...
2 min read
Friday, 14 November 2014
The Rapid Response Facility (RRF) releases the 2014 legacy report summarizing its lasting impacts of eight years of cooperation with the UNESCO World Heritage Centre and its partners, notably the Franz Weber Foundation and Fauna & Flora International.
The programme provides emergency support to natural World Heritage sites in developing countries. Since 2006, The RRF has given 35 grants ...
1 min read
Friday, 14 November 2014
Sydney, 13 November - UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova today called for a global commitment to “restore, revitalize and safeguard one of the planet’s most precious resources: protected areas”, at the opening session of the World Parks Congress, in Sydney, Australia.
The Congress is organized by the International Union for the Conservation for Nature (IUCN), one of the advisory bodies to ...
2 min read
Thursday, 6 November 2014
With the severe deterioration of the humanitarian and security situation in Iraq, UNESCO has established an Emergency Response Action Plan (ERAP) to address the challenges to safeguarding Iraq’s cultural heritage. The plan was set up at an emergency expert meeting held at UNESCO’s Paris Headquarters on 17 July 2014, which brought together experts from both Iraq and the international community ...
2 min read
Wednesday, 5 November 2014
UNESCO is gearing up for its participation in the 2014 IUCN World Parks Congress (WPC), which will take place in Sydney, Australia, from 12 to 19 November At this edition of the world’s most influential international forum devoted to the planet’s protected areas, over 5,000 participants will formulate the global conservation agenda in the outcome document: "The Promise of Sydney".
It is also ...
2 min read
Tuesday, 4 November 2014
Thanks to the generous support of the French National Commission and Ateliers d'Art de France, UNESCO will participate in the International Cultural Heritage Show at the Carrousel du Louvre, in Paris, France from 6 to 9 November. The Organization will have stand 30 during the four days and will present its activities in the culture sector, particularly concerning cultural heritage. UNESCO ...
1 min read
Wednesday, 22 October 2014
Following the first African World Heritage entrepreneurship training workshops, which took place in Ghana and Senegal in May 2014, an Anglophone Entrepreneurship Field Training Workshop for World Heritage site managers and community representatives from Africa was organized from 22 September to 10 October in Livingstone, Zambia.
This Field Training Workshop was devoted to developing a ...
1 min read
Tuesday, 21 October 2014
The Asian World Heritage Media/Communication Training Workshop for young people: "Passing the Culture Message" was held in Gyeongju, Republic of Korea, from 9 to 13 October 2014. Fourteen participants from the Asia-Pacific region participated in the programme, which included the opportunity to visit and film three World Heritage sites: Gyeongju Historic Areas, Seokguram Grotto and Bulguksa ...
2 min read
Monday, 20 October 2014
The Rapid Response Facility (RRF) has launched an emergency appeal for funds to tackle an upswing in poaching activity in Garamba National Park in Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), a World Heritage site inscribed on the World Heritage List in Danger.
Please donate now to help us give Garamba's dedicated rangers the vital resources they need to protect the Park's ...
2 min read
Monday, 13 October 2014
Stakeholders of the World Heritage property "Dja Faunal Reserve", (DFR) met in Yaoundé (Cameroon) from 24 to 25 September 2014 to evaluate the current situation of threats to the property and to discuss mitigation measures to be taken in response to requests of the World Heritage Committee. They also discussed and agreed upon the framework to be set up to strengthen the coherence and synergy ...
1 min read
Tuesday, 23 September 2014
You wish to undertake a project related to Mediterranean cultures or art and crafts? Are you a national from a Mediterranean country? Born after 31 December 1987, you will be under 28 years of age in 2015.
The Marc de Montalembert Foundation offers a 7000 euros grant for qualifying projects. To present a project an application form must be requested before November 15th 2014. Deadline for ...
1 min read
Monday, 25 August 2014
Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are islands of the Caribbean Sea, the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans. They are some of the most beautiful places on Earth, with atolls of white sand beaches, mountain ranges, historic ports and towns, and agricultural landscapes.
SIDS share similar interests, concerns and challenges, such as marine and coastal management, impacts of climate changes, ...
1 min read
Friday, 15 August 2014
On 15 May 2014, the Government of the Bahamas officially deposited with the Director-General of UNESCO its instrument of ratification of the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage.
The World Heritage Convention has entered into force for this State Party on 15 August 2014, with the Bahamas becoming the 191st State Party to accept this Convention. The ...
Tuesday, 12 August 2014
Recent events in Syria, Iraq, Libya and Mali have highlighted the multiple threats to cultural heritage during crisis, including deliberate attacks, destruction as collateral damage in fighting, the greed of unscrupulous traders and collectors, vandalism of factions that seek to erase the achievements of past cultures.These events have shown the complexity of any intervention to safeguard ...
6 min read
Tuesday, 5 August 2014
As part of the "World Heritage Eco Learning Program", Panasonic hosted, from June 26th to 28th, the "Environmental activity for the next generation” at the Ogasawara Islands - a UNESCO World Heritage site.
During the event, Japanese children from Ogasawara Elementary School and Ogasawara Lions Club, recorded videos in collaboration with "Kids Witness News", a global hands-on video education ...
1 min read
Monday, 4 August 2014
Over the last several weeks, the World Heritage Centre as well as several Permanent Delegations of States Parties to the World Heritage Convention have received messages from an emailing campaign organized by the group of local NGOs “Plataforma Salvar o Tua” expressing its opposition to the construction of the Foz Tua Hydro-Electric Dam project, located in the buffer zone of the World ...
1 min read
Friday, 1 August 2014
On 18 July, site managers of World Heritage sites in Portugal and the Portuguese National Commission for UNESCO signed a cooperation agreement to create the Network of World Heritage Sites in Portugal. The event was hosted by the University of Coimbra (UC) and covered by UC Television Web.
Through this agreement all partners have committed to promoting cooperation between Portuguese World ...
1 min read
Thursday, 31 July 2014
Culture & Development No.11World Heritage in the Caribbean
The results of the Second Periodic Report on the State of World Heritage in Latin America and the Caribbean were presented at the 37th session of the World Heritage Committee held in Phnom Penh (Cambodia), in June 2013. The UNESCO Office in Havana, with the aim of supporting the preparation of a new Action Plan for the Caribbean ...
1 min read
Thursday, 17 July 2014
UNESCO today held a consultation with Iraqi and international cultural heritage experts and agreed on an Emergency Response Action Plan to safeguard Iraq’s rich and diverse cultural heritage.
The Plan is intended to secure the cooperation of all stakeholders, including national and international organizations, humanitarian relief workers in the field, art dealers, international museums ...
2 min read
Thursday, 17 July 2014
[in French only] Le Centre du patrimoine mondial s’inquiète de la recrudescence du braconnage et de la multiplication des attaques armées contre le Parc National, qui ont eu lieu ces deux derniers mois. Ainsi, les autorités congolaises déplorent le massacre de 78 éléphants depuis le mois d’avril 2014, soit environ 4% de l’effectif de ...
Thursday, 10 July 2014
On the occasion of the 38th Session of the World Heritage Committee (Doha, Qatar), the Chairperson of the World Heritage Committee, Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa Bint Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, joined the Director-General of UNESCO, Ms Irina Bokova, and the Chairperson of the African World Heritage Fund, Mr Sibusiso Xaba, at a roundtable discussion on 21 June 2014 featuring interventions ...
1 min read
Wednesday, 2 July 2014
Phase II of “Strengthening Conservation and Management of Lumbini, the Birthplace of the Lord Buddha, World Heritage Property” (2014-2017): Japan continues funding to safeguard Lumbini, Buddha’s birthplace
The Government of Nepal and UNESCO signed an agreement on Monday, 30 June 2014 to implement the three-year second phase of the project “Strengthening conservation ...
2 min read
Tuesday, 1 July 2014
The value of rebuilding Timbuktu, a unique intellectual and spiritual capital rich in cultural treasures, is priceless for both Mali’s post-conflict recovery and for its significance for global patrimony. However $8 million is still required for the actual restoration costs, according to Lazare Eloudou Assomo, UNESCO Representative to Mali and global expert on the iconic World Heritage ...
2 min read
Monday, 30 June 2014
A UNESCO World Heritage site in Danger needs your help! Your donations will help the Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra combat the crisis of poaching of Sumatran elephants. An emergency appeal has been launched by our partner, the Rapid Response Facility (RRF) for local conservation group HAkA.
Please click here to donate.
You can also watch the emergency appeal video by clicking ...
2 min read
Friday, 27 June 2014
Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg (Germany) is receiving applications for the Master’s programme in World Heritage Studies.
CONCEPT
The international Master’s programme World Heritage Studies was developed around the UNESCO Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. Its curriculum reflects diverse approaches to ...
2 min read
Wednesday, 25 June 2014
The inscriptions of the 1000th site and Myanmar’s first property on the World Heritage List, were among the highlights of the 38th session of the World Heritage Committee, which ended today in Doha (Qatar). During its ten-day meeting, the Committee added a total of 26 new sites the List to bring the number of World Heritage Sites to 1007, in 161 countries.
The session, chaired by ...
2 min read
Tuesday, 24 June 2014
In the framework of UNESCO’s Action plan for the safeguarding of Mali’s cultural heritage adopted in February 2013, and as part of the World Heritage Earthen Architecture Programme (WHEAP 2007-2017), the World Heritage Centre has now published the Conservation Manual and the Study on Timbuktu’s Mausoleums.
Both publications compile valuable documentation on this prominent World Heritage ...
1 min read
Monday, 23 June 2014
Doha, 23 June – The World Heritage Committee this morning inscribed properties in the Russian Federation, Costa Rica, Viet Nam, India, Philippines and Denmark on the World Heritage List. It also approved the extensions of a site in China and two transboundary sites in Poland and Belarus, and Denmark and Germany.
The sites discussed include two cultural sites, a mixed natural and ...
5 min read
Sunday, 22 June 2014
Doha, 22 June – Botswana’s Okavango Delta became the 1000th site inscribed on the World Heritage List today. Okavango was inscribed as a natural site by the World Heritage Committee, which is meeting in Doha (Qatar) under the Chair of Sheikha Al Mayassa Bint Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani.
The Committee also inscribed sites in France, Israel, Italy,Turkey and the United States ...
5 min read
Sunday, 22 June 2014
Doha, 22 June –Myanmar made its entry onto the World Heritage List today, with the inscription of its first site, Pyu Ancient Cities. The World Heritage Committee, meeting in Doha (Qatar) under the Chair of Sheikha Al Mayassa Bint Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, also inscribed Iran’s ‘Burnt City” on the List.
Pyu Ancient Cities (Myanmar) includes the remains of ...
2 min read
Sunday, 22 June 2014
Doha, 22 June – The World Heritage Committee, meeting in Doha (Qatar) under the Chair of Sheikha Al Mayassa Bint Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, this morning inscribed four cultural sites in the Republic of Korea, China, and India on the World Heritage List, as well as a section of the Silk Roads network, submitted by Kyrgyzstan, China and Kazakhstan.
The new properties are: ...
4 min read
Saturday, 21 June 2014
Doha, 21 June – The World Heritage Committee, meeting in Doha (Qatar) under the Chair of Sheikha Al Mayassa Bint Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, this afternoon inscribed two new cultural sites and one mixed natural and cultural site on the World Heritage List. They include Qhapac Ñan, Latin America’s first serial property, crossing six countries across the continent.
The new ...
3 min read
Saturday, 21 June 2014
Doha, 21 June – The World Heritage Committee, meeting in Doha (Qatar) under the Chair of Sheikha Al Mayassa Bint Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, has today inscribed the following sites on the World Heritage List.
Erbil Citadel (Iraq) is a fortified settlement on the top of an imposing ovoid-shaped tell (a hill created by many generations of people living and rebuilding on the same spot) ...
3 min read
Saturday, 21 June 2014
Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa Bint Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, Chairperson of the 38th Session of the World Heritage Committee, met today with Ambassador José Manuel Rodríguez Cuadros, Chairperson of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, and Mr. Mauricio Escanero, Chairperson of the Subsidiary Committee of the Meeting of States Parties to ...
1 min read
Friday, 20 June 2014
Doha, 20 June – The World Heritage Committee today began the examination of 36 sites nominated for inclusion on the World Heritage List. The first property discussed was Palestine: Land of olives and vines, Cultural Landscape of Southern Jerusalem, Battir, submitted by Palestine as an emergency nomination.
The Committee approved the inscription of the site on the World Heritage List. It ...
1 min read
Friday, 20 June 2014
This compilation of 40 case studies on the conservation and management of historic cities is now available in hard copy format, in English, French and Spanish.
The compilation is available online in three languages: English, French and Spanish.
This compilation of case studies on the conservation and management of historic cities Developing historic cities: keys for understanding and taking ...
1 min read
Friday, 20 June 2014
The World Heritage Institute of Training and Research for the Asia and the Pacific Region under the auspices of UNESCO (WHITRAP) created a special web site dedicated to the Historic Urban Landscape (HUL).
The Historic Urban Landscape (HUL) is an approach to the management of heritage resources in dynamic and constantly changing environments. It is based on the recognition and ...
1 min read
Thursday, 19 June 2014
Delegates to the 2014 World Heritage Youth Forum held in Doha from 4 to 15 June, made it clear they expect to play a much bigger role in safeguarding the world’s heritage, and proposed a range of projects aimed at getting young people more involved.
The Youth Forum has become an annual meeting held in conjunction with the session of the World Heritage Committee. This year’s Forum was ...
2 min read
Wednesday, 18 June 2014
Doha, 18 June – The World Heritage Committee meeting in Doha (Qatar) today inscribed the Selous Game Reserve (United Republic of Tanzania) on the List of World Heritage in Danger because widespread poaching is decimating wildlife populations on the property. The Committee called on the international community, including ivory transit and destination countries, to support Tanzania in the ...
1 min read
Wednesday, 18 June 2014
Doha, 18 June – The World Heritage Committee meeting in Doha (Qatar) today deferred for 12 months a decision on whether to inscribe Australia’s Great Barrier Reef on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
The Committee’s concerns over the site relate to planned coastal developments, including development of ports and liquefied natural gas facilities. It has asked Australia ...
1 min read
Tuesday, 17 June 2014
Doha, 17 June – The World Heritage Committee meeting in Doha (Qatar) today inscribed the City of Potosi (Plurinational State of Bolivia) on the List of World Heritage in Danger, because of continued and uncontrolled mining operations in the Cerro Rico Mountain that risk degrading the site.
In the 16th century, Potosi was regarded as the world’s largest industrial complex. The ...
1 min read
Tuesday, 17 June 2014
The World Heritage Committee meeting in Doha (Qatar) has found that management and safeguarding of the Ruins of Kilwa Kisiwani and Ruins of Songo Mnara in the United Republic of Tanzania have improved to the point where the site can be removed from the List of World Heritage in Danger.
Located on two islands close to each other just off the Tanzanian coast about 300km south of Dar es ...
1 min read
Monday, 16 June 2014
Since the World Heritage Convention was adopted in 1972, the World Heritage List has continually evolved and is growing steadily.
With this growth, a critical need has emerged for guidance for States Parties on the implementation of the Convention. Various expert meetings and results of the periodic reporting process have identified the need for more focused training and capacity development ...
1 min read
Monday, 16 June 2014
Doha, 16 June – UNESCO and cruise operator Seabourn today announced a six-year, $1 million partnership agreement aimed at reinforcing protection for World Heritage and promoting sustainable tourism.
The partnership will work to foster wider support and understanding in the travel industry and among travelers, for UNESCO’s mission of identifying, safeguarding and promoting ...
1 min read
Sunday, 15 June 2014
Qatar announces $10m donation for new heritage protection initiative.
Doha, 15 June —The Prime Minister of Qatar, Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani, today announced a $10 million donation to a new fund to protect World Heritage sites affected by conflict or natural disaster. The Prime Minister made the announcement during the opening ceremony of the annual meeting of the World ...
3 min read
Thursday, 12 June 2014
UNESCO has welcomed the announcement by SOCO international this week to halt oil exploration activities in the Virunga National Park, a World Heritage Site in Danger in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
In a joint statement with the World Wildlife Fund, the British company agreed “not to undertake or commission any exploratory or other drilling within Virunga National Park unless UNESCO and ...
1 min read
Wednesday, 11 June 2014
Using its revolutionary 360-degree panoramic underwater camera, the Catlin Seaview Survey aims at revealing the hidden wonders of our oceans. This technology will for the first time provide a comprehensive snapshot of the exceptional values of marine sites on the World Heritage List.
Through its dive expeditions, the survey captures stunning imagery every few seconds allowing anyone with ...
1 min read
Tuesday, 10 June 2014
In celebration of World Oceans Day, the World Heritage Centre presents
"A virtual dive in six marine World Heritage sites"
By Richard Vevers, CEO, Underwater Earth
And an address on the World Hertiage Convention and its contribution to ocean conservation by His Excellency Michael Worbs, Ambassador of Germany to UNESCO
Tuesday, 10 June 2014 at 5:30 p.m.
Restaurant, 7th floor, UNESCO, 125 ...
Friday, 6 June 2014
At the occasion of the 38th session of the World Heritage Committee, held from 15 to 25 June 2014 in Doha (Qatar), a special issue of World Heritage is dedicated to Al Zubarah Archaeological Site, inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2013, which flourished as a pearling and trading centre in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, and offers outstanding testimony to an urban trading and ...
1 min read
Thursday, 5 June 2014
From 23 to 24 May 2014, the UNESCO World Heritage Centre in collaboration with the Beijing Zhongkun Investment Group organized the workshop “Strengthening South-South collaboration on World Heritage and Sustainable Tourism” in Hongcun Village, China.
Hongcun Village is one of the Ancient Villages in Southern Anhui inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2000. The event gathered World ...
1 min read
Wednesday, 4 June 2014
On 15 May 2014, the Government of the Bahamas officially deposited with the Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, its instrument of ratification for the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage.
The World Heritage Convention will enter into force for the Bahamas on 15 August 2014, making the island country the 191st State Party to the Convention, ...
1 min read
Monday, 2 June 2014
The report resulting from the workshop held in Oslo, Norway from 1 to 3 April 2014 on the theme “Building capacity to support rights-based approaches in the World Heritage Convention: Learning from practice” is now available (see attachment below).
In April this year an international invitation-only workshop was held for about 30 IUCN, ICCROM and ICOMOS experts representing most ...
1 min read
Wednesday, 28 May 2014
The World Heritage Committee will consider the inscription of 40 sites on UNESCO’s World Heritage List when it meets in Doha (Qatar) from 15 to 25 June under the chair of Sheikha Al Mayassa Bint Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani.
Sites to be considered include five that are extensions to sites already on the List. The state of conservation of existing World Heritage sites will also be ...
4 min read
Wednesday, 28 May 2014
In May 2014, forty participants, including site managers and local community representatives from World Heritage sites in Africa, participated in two separate “Entrepreneurial Training Workshops for World Heritage” in Ghana and Senegal, coordinated by the African World Heritage Fund (AWHF) in partnership with the World Heritage Centre, UNESCO Offices in Accra and Dakar, the Ecole ...
3 min read
Wednesday, 28 May 2014
UNESCO will establish an observatory in Beirut (Lebanon) to monitor and assess the state of Syria’s cultural heritage. The decision was made during an international meeting of experts held at UNESCO from 26 - 28 May. The Observatory will monitor the state of buildings, artefacts and intangible cultural heritage to combat illicit trafficking and collect information to restore heritage ...
4 min read
Tuesday, 27 May 2014
The Kingdom of Buganda, once the largest of all the traditional kingdoms in East Africa, bears an eloquent witness to the living cultural traditions of present day Uganda. At the heart of this legacy lies the former palace of the Kabakas (Kings) of Buganda, built in 1882 and later converted into the royal burial grounds known as the Muzibu Azaala Mpanga.
After the fire in 2010 the main ...
4 min read
Tuesday, 27 May 2014
UNESCO Sites are symbols of our work in support of sustainable development. The international community helps us ensure these sites, of outstanding universal value, function as models of heritage conservation and sustainable human living. In Ethiopia, UNESCO's work includes developing integrated management plans for sites such as Simien Mountains National Park, the Castles of Gondar, and Lake ...
3 min read
Thursday, 22 May 2014
UNESCO has renewed its partnership with NTT Docomo, Dentsu and Evergreen (Japan), with the goal of educating elementary school pupils about World Heritage through dedicated apps for tablets and web content for teachers.
First launched in 2013, the current agreement is extended to spring 2015 with a focus on teaching children in Japanese schools about natural World Heritage through games, ...
Wednesday, 21 May 2014
A practical guide on climate change adaptation for natural World Heritage sites has been published in the latest edition of the UNESCO World Heritage Paper Series, thanks to the generous support of the Netherlands Funds-in-Trust and the Belgian Federal Public Service Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment.
Climate change has become more prominent as a management concern. The World ...
1 min read
Tuesday, 20 May 2014
At its 38th session to be held in Doha, Qatar, from 15 to 25 June 2014, the World Heritage Committee will examine the state of conservation of 150 World Heritage properties. The full reports are now publicly available through the World Heritage State of conservation Information System at the following Web address: whc.unesco.org/en/soc
As part of the reactive monitoring process for ...
1 min read
Monday, 19 May 2014
On the occasion of the 38th Session of the World Heritage Committee (Doha, Qatar), the World Heritage Centre and the African World Heritage Fund are organizing a Roundtable Discussion for African Ministers responsible for World Heritage with the Director General of UNESCO on 21 June.
This Roundtable Discussion will allow African Ministers to share their views on the accomplishments, ...
1 min read
Tuesday, 13 May 2014
The reconstruction of the Tombs of Buganda Kings at Kasubi in Uganda was launched today at a ceremony held on the World Heritage site, which was partially destroyed by fire in March 2010.The project , which is financed by Japan, is being implemented by the Ugandan Government and UNESCO.
The ceremony was attended by several government representatives including Uganda’s Permanent ...
2 min read
Wednesday, 7 May 2014
From 22 to 25 April 2014, government leaders, ocean practitioners, business, science, donors and international agencies came together at the Global Oceans Action Summit for Food Security and Blue Growth. The Summit, hosted by the government of the Netherlands, aimed at identifying solutions, financing mechanisms and mobilizing innovative partnerships to scale up the efforts toward healthy ...
1 min read
Wednesday, 7 May 2014
UNESCO Bangkok Director Gwang-Jo Kim and Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration (DASTA) Director-General Nalikatibhag Sangsnit officially launched the “Cultural Heritage Specialist Guides for the Historic Town of Sukhothai and Associated Historic Towns World Heritage Site” project at a ceremony in Sukhothai on 21 April.
The Historic Town of Sukhothai and ...
1 min read
Wednesday, 23 April 2014
The latest version of the World Heritage map, produced by the UNESCO World Heritage Centre and National Geographic Maps, has now been published in Arabic thanks to support from the Qatar Museums Authority.
The map is an extremely valuable learning and awareness-raising tool that gives a rich and initial contact with the World Heritage concept, allowing UNESCO to communicate its work in this ...
1 min read
Thursday, 17 April 2014
"It is with distress and anger that I learned of the violent attack against Emmanuel de Merode, chief warden of Virunga National Park,” said UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova. “We are following his condition closely and wish him a full and speedy recovery," she added.
“It is unacceptable that professionals like those of the Congolese Institute for the Conservation of ...
1 min read
Tuesday, 15 April 2014
The cultural landscape of the Loire Valley (France) has launched a new promotion and interpretation tool: a geo localized application for Smartphones on the landscape of the Loire valley: "The Loire valley: view from the train “.
This application is a Mission Val de Loire’s initiative with the Centre and Pays de la Loire regions’, in partnership with France’s national ...
2 min read
Tuesday, 15 April 2014
The Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, today expressed deep concern over the destruction caused by fires that have been raging around the city of Valparaiso and pledged the Organization’s support for Chile in safeguarding the Historic Quarter of the Seaport City of Valparaíso inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2003.
“I wish to present my heartfelt condolences ...
2 min read
Monday, 14 April 2014
This manual provides guidance for States Parties and all those involved in the care of World Heritage cultural properties on how to comply with the requirements of the World Heritage Convention. It also aims to help States Parties to ensure that heritage has a dynamic role in society and harnesses, but also delivers to others, the mutual benefits that such a role can create. The English ...
1 min read
Monday, 14 April 2014
Launched on 14 March 2014 in partnership with UNESCO, the rehabilitation work carried out on Sheik Baber Baba Idjé and Sheik Mahamane Al Fullani mausoleums of Timbuktu was completed this week.
Mausoleums, adjacent to the west side of the Djingareyber Mosque, had been razed to the ground by armed rebel groups on 10 July 2012.
Their reconstruction was thus carried out along the ...
2 min read
Tuesday, 25 March 2014
UNESCO has announced the renewal of its partnership agreement with OUR PLACE Publishing Ltd. The New Zealand-based company will continue its mission to photograph and promote the sites inscribed on the World Heritage List.
Our Place has been documenting World Heritage sites around the globe since first partnering with UNESCO in 2007. So far, Our Place has documented over 360 sites in more ...
1 min read
Monday, 24 March 2014
On 24 March, the UNESCO Director-General opened an International Conference in Bergen, Norway, on the UNESCO 1972, 2003 and 2005 conventions, entitled “Synergies for Development -- Using natural and cultural heritage in sustainable development.”
The Conference is organized by the University of Bergen, in cooperation with the National Commission of Norway for UNESCO, the City of Bergen, the ...
2 min read
Friday, 21 March 2014
The URHC project team invites young filmmakers and urban heritage lovers aged between 18 and 30 years to produce a video of 5 minutes or less, expressing their vision of Historic Cairo.
How do you see Historic Cairo heritage? Show us your vision of the historic soul of the Egyptian capital and of its future.Your video could win the opportunity to represent the image of Historic ...
1 min read
Friday, 14 March 2014
Residents of Timbuktu today launched the reconstruction of World Heritage mausoleums damaged by the armed extremists who occupied the north and centre of Mali in 2012.
During the occupation, the extremists began to destroy the mausoleums - important edifices that bear witness to the golden age of Timbuktu as an economic, intellectual and spiritual centre in the 15th and 16th centuries. These ...
2 min read
Monday, 3 March 2014
Today, we celebrate the first World Wildlife Day, proclaimed by the UN General Assembly. Since time immemorial, humanity has marvelled at the wild animals with which we co-exist and on which we depend. Prehistoric peoples have depicted wildlife through rock art and engravings, many of which are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. UNESCO’s global network of World Heritage sites ...
1 min read
Thursday, 27 February 2014
The third edition of The World’s Heritage is available now, published by UNESCO Publishing and Collins. Featuring all 981 entries on the UNESCO World Heritage List, with all the new sites inscribed onto the list by the World Heritage Committee in 2013.
With only the world’s most spectacular and extraordinary sites making it on to the list, The World’s Heritage (third edition) is a beautiful ...
1 min read
Monday, 24 February 2014
On 20 February 2014 in Bukhara, Uzbekistan, a discussion on the requirements of the UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage was organized jointly with the Senate of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the UNESCO Tashkent Office. Mr Sodik Salikhovich Safoev, Head of the Committee on International Relations of the Senate of Oliy Majlis (Parliament) of the ...
2 min read
Thursday, 20 February 2014
In the face of a deteriorating situation inside Syria, the UNESCO Director-General, Irina Bokova, made the following statement :
"The situation in Syria is deteriorating at a rapid pace with incalculable human suffering and loss. Syria’s unique cultural heritage is also subject to tremendous destruction from the conflict. To date, three UNESCO World Heritage Sites -- Palmyra, the Crac ...
1 min read
Tuesday, 18 February 2014
Managers of natural World Heritage sites in Africa met with national coordinators of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Small Grants Programme from several African countries in Limbe, Cameroon from 10 to 14 February to discuss how to involve local communities in the conservation of World Heritage sites. This workshop is part of UNESCO’s Africa Nature Programme, which aims to ...
2 min read
Thursday, 13 February 2014
UNESCO, Malian and international experts have completed the first assessment of damage to cultural heritage in Gao, following the occupation by armed groups of parts of northern Mali. Their work addressed both sites and the cultural practices of local people.
“Urgent measures are required to safeguard the Tomb of Askia World Heritage site before the next rainy season in June,” ...
3 min read
Over 3 million USD pledged for the African World Heritage Fund at African Union Head of State Summit
Wednesday, 12 February 2014
On Friday 31 January 2014, UNESCO joined forces with the African Union Commission to raise awareness and funds for the African World Heritage Fund (AWHF) during the African Union (AU) Heads of State luncheon at the AU Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Participants pledged a total of 3,050,000 USD in support of the AWHF Endowment Fund.
54 Member States of the African Union were invited ...
3 min read
Wednesday, 12 February 2014
The UNESCO World Heritage Centre has taken note of information provided by individuals and civil society organizations concerning the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage site, and thanks them for their considerations and concerns.
The UNESCO World Heritage Centre has received a request from the Australian Government seeking the approval of the World Heritage Committee for a minor ...
1 min read
Tuesday, 11 February 2014
The Banc d’Arguin National Park (Mauritania) and The Wadden Sea (Germany /The Netherlands) are the most critical sites for migratory birds on the East Atlantic Flyway and are intimately connected in a unique and fascinating way.
The Wadden Sea provides support to migratory birds as a staging, moulting and wintering area. Every year, approximately 30% of the estimated 7 million wading birds ...
1 min read
Tuesday, 11 February 2014
The UNESCO/Korea Funds-in-Trust project, “Support for the Preparation of the World Heritage Serial Nomination for the Silk Roads in South Asia,” was officially approved last July 2013 and has now launched operational activities, in the form of consultation and training meetings, both in Nepal and Bhutan in October and November 2013, respectively.
This undertaking will highlight a ...
2 min read
Friday, 7 February 2014
The Regional Secretariat Northwest Europe of the Organization of World Heritage Cities (OWHC), one of the organization’s 8 regional secretariats, has recently published a position paper on “Safeguarding and Further Developing World Heritage Cities”.
Based on the experiences of its member cities, the paper addresses the challenges and experimented hands-on solutions to ...
Monday, 3 February 2014
UNESCO has welcomed confirmation from French-based oil and gas corporation Total that it will refrain from prospecting or exploiting oil and gas in natural sites inscribed on the World Heritage List, saying this was an encouraging sign for World Heritage conservation.
In a letter sent earlier this month to UNESCO, Total’s Directeur délégué, Relations avec les ONG et la Société civile (Vice ...
1 min read
Friday, 31 January 2014
The World Heritage Committee, at its last meeting in June 2013, expressed concern for the Great Barrier Reef and requested Australia ensure that the property remains well protected.
We received a report on the state of conservation from the Australian government this week. We are currently reviewing this report and all other available information regarding developments concerning the ...
Friday, 24 January 2014
The Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, today expressed grave concern about the damage to Egypt’s Museum of Islamic Art, following the reported explosion of a car near the Police Security Directorate, which is located at Port Said Street in Cairo, in front of the main entrance of the Museum.
“I firmly condemn this attack and the destruction it has caused to the ...
1 min read
