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Friday, 31 July 2020
World Ranger Day is celebrated on 31 July to commemorate Rangers killed or injured in the line of duty and to celebrate the work Rangers do to protect the world's natural and cultural heritage.
Climate change, poaching and armed conflict are some of the challenges facing World Heritage. The Covid-19 pandemic has amplified these issues affecting sites and the managers who protect them.
The ...
1 min read
Friday, 31 July 2020
A new armed attack was carried out this Tuesday, July 28, 2020 against the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC), inside the Virunga National Park, a site inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. It is currently believed that seven soldiers were killed in the territory of Beni, in the province of North Kivu.
These actions are reminiscent of the tragic events of ...
1 min read
Friday, 31 July 2020
Rangers face tremendous odds while undertaking their work protecting Africa’s remaining wild places. A recent survey of rangers conducted by the WWF showed that almost 80% of the 1,742 respondents had faced a life-threatening encounter during their work.
Tragically, in the last 12 months at least 137 rangers have died worldwide according to the International Ranger Federation. The Game ...
2 min read
Friday, 24 July 2020
Marine debris accumulates on the beaches of even the most remote and pristine UNESCO marine World Heritage sites, including Aldabra Atoll (Seychelles). Through action, education and research, the Seychelles Island Foundation removed 25 tons of waste, including 60,000 plastic flipflops.
Aldabra Atoll was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1982 as one of the largest raised coral ...
2 min read
Wednesday, 22 July 2020
The coronavirus has challenged the core of what makes cities vibrant and successful: busy streets full of people. Will these cities ever come back to be the same? The webinar on Euro-Mediterranean cities in the post-pandemic era, organized by the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) Secretariat in cooperation with the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, reflected on sustainable urban development in ...
2 min read
Tuesday, 21 July 2020
UNESCO grants emergency funds for reconstruction of infrastructure destroyed by floods and landslides at Rwenzori Mountains National Park
At the beginning of May 2020, torrential rain occurred in and around Rwenzori Mountains National Park (Uganda), a property inscribed on the World Heritage List.
The excessive rain caused heavy flooding which destroyed wildlife habitats and essential ...
2 min read
Monday, 20 July 2020
On 20 and 21 July 2020, World Heritage Focal Points and Site Managers from 19 countries of the Arab States region, Advisory Bodies to the World Heritage Convention, the Arab Regional Centre for World Heritage (ARC-WH), World Heritage experts, UNESCO Field Offices, and the World Heritage Centre (WHC) participated in a virtual meeting.
The meeting, organized within the framework of the Third ...
1 min read
Saturday, 18 July 2020
Today is Nelson Mandela International Day. Nelson Mandela spent the greatest number of years that he was in prison - 18 out of 27 on Robben Island (South Africa) World Heritage site.
Robben Island was used at various times between the 17th and 20th centuries as a prison, a hospital for socially unacceptable groups and a military base. Its buildings, particularly those of the late 20th ...
1 min read
Friday, 17 July 2020
The “Technical Meeting on the Recovery of the World Heritage Site of Palmyra” took place on 18 December 2019 at UNESCO’s Headquarters, with the aim of reflecting on, and discussing the recovery of Palmyra, as a World Heritage property.
The meeting followed the latest World Heritage Committee Decisions, requesting to limit restoration works to first aid interventions until the security ...
1 min read
Friday, 10 July 2020
Hagia Sophia: UNESCO deeply regrets the decision of the Turkish authorities, made without prior discussion, and calls for the universal value of World Heritage to be preserved
The Director-General of UNESCO deeply regrets the decision of the Turkish authorities, made without prior discussion, to change the status of Hagia Sophia. This evening, she shared her serious concerns with the ...
2 min read
Tuesday, 7 July 2020
An international team of researchers is conducting interviews with pioneers of World Heritage to capture memories of important moments in the history of the World Heritage Convention.
Launched in 2006 under the leadership of the Canada Research Chair on Built Heritage at the University of Montreal, and developed in collaboration with UNESCO Archives, this initiative is part of the UNESCO ...
2 min read
Monday, 6 July 2020
From 17 to 26 June 2020, UNESCO successfully organised its first World Heritage City Lab, an online innovation laboratory for analysis, assessment, learning, and development of strategies for the protection and management of World Heritage properties in the urban context.
Carried out in collaboration with the Advisory Bodies to the World Heritage Convention— the International Council on ...
3 min read
Monday, 6 July 2020
On 7 July, the Government of Cambodia will organize a ceremony at the Preah Vihear Temple to mark the twelfth anniversary after its inscription on UNESCO’s World Heritage List.
The National Authority for Preah Vihear, Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts has been making safeguarding efforts to preserve the value and authenticity as an outstanding historical monument, whilst urging international ...
2 min read
Thursday, 2 July 2020
The Director of the World Heritage Centre held a bilateral meeting, on 1 July, with the Ambassador Permanent Delegate of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to UNESCO in order coordinate the joint actions that could be taken concerning the state of conservation of the property Ciudad Universitaria de Caracas within the framework of cooperation between UNESCO and the State Party.
During the ...
1 min read
Friday, 26 June 2020
The Director-General of UNESCO, Ms Azoulay, expressed her sorrow and deep concern over the new armed attack, perpetrated in the morning of Wednesday 24 June 2020, against guards of the Congolese Institute for the Conservation of Nature (ICCN), inside the Virunga National Park, a property inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
After the terrible ...
1 min read
Wednesday, 24 June 2020
The Lopé National Park in Gabon is a site inscribed on the World Heritage List since 2007 under the name "Ecosystem and Relict Cultural Landscape of Lopé-Okanda".
It is described as mixed (nature/culture) because of its remarkable forest-savanna landscapes and its many vestiges of past cultures. Initial research in the 1980s led to the discovery of carved stone tools, revealing very ancient ...
1 min read
Tuesday, 23 June 2020
As countries around the world grapple with COVID-19, the global pandemic also threatens our close evolutionary ‘cousins’ and one of the world’s most iconic threatened species - the mountain gorilla.
UNESCO’s Rapid Response Facility (RRF) has provided critical emergency support to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, to safeguard one of the world’s last remaining mountain gorilla populations ...
2 min read
Monday, 8 June 2020
This year’s United Nations World Oceans Day – which is traditionally celebrated on 8 June – highlights the critical importance of innovation for a sustainable ocean.
From drone wildlife tracking in Russia’s Wrangel Island Reserve System to the use of artificial intelligence at Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, UNESCO marine World Heritage sites are spearheading scientific innovation in ways ...
2 min read
Saturday, 6 June 2020
UNESCO’s Assistant Director-General for Culture, Mr. Ernesto Ottone R., joined the Buganda Kingdom and local communities in mourning the serious destruction of one of the sacred houses (Abalongo) at the Tombs of Buganda Kings of Kasubi, following a devastating fire which took place on 5 June, in Uganda, a property inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2000.
"We are in contact with the ...
1 min read
Friday, 5 June 2020
June 5th is World Environment Day.
The foods we eat, the air we breathe, the water we drink and the climate that makes our planet habitable all come from nature. These are exceptional times, and to care for ourselves we must care for nature. A few projects:
Central Africa World Heritage Forest Initiative
The conservation, sustainable exploitation and management of forest sites in Central ...
1 min read
Friday, 5 June 2020
On 2 June 2020, UNESCO successfully launched its first online international Expert Workshop on the Culture|2030 Indicators, with an opening speech by Mr Ernesto Ottone R., UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Culture and Ms Silvia Montoya, Director of the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS).
The Culture|2030 Indicators were developed in collaboration with the UNESCO Institute for ...
1 min read
Friday, 5 June 2020
UNESCO has welcomed the announcement by Bernard Looney, CEO of BP, that the energy giant will refrain from undertaking new oil and gas exploration or production activities within natural, cultural or mixed UNESCO World Heritage sites.
The company has furthermore agreed to consult with UNESCO in case they consider such projects in buffer zones or other areas adjacent to World Heritage sites. ...
2 min read
Thursday, 4 June 2020
UNESCO expresses its deep concern over cyclone 'Amphan', which recently hit Bangladesh and eastern India, and wishes to express its deepest sympathy for the loss of human life and the material damage caused by this disaster, in solidarity with the people affected.
On 20 May 2020, cyclone Amphan made landfall across the West Bengal-Bangladesh coast, which includes two World Heritage ...
1 min read
Friday, 22 May 2020
The theme of the 2020 International Day for Biological Diversity is “Our Solutions are in Nature”.
The year 2020 was defined as a 'biodiversity super year', but because of the Covid-19 pandemic, major events dedicated to Biodiversity protection have been postponed to a later date. The current pandemic has shaken the international biodiversity agenda but has also revealed our total ...
1 min read
Wednesday, 20 May 2020
As nearly half of the global population went into lockdown in recent months, rare wildlife sightings emerged in the most unexpected places. CO2 emissions dropped by 8% since the start of the year, the largest decrease ever recorded. Nature seemed to finally take a breath from the relentless human pressures that have been the primary reason for biodiversity reduction and habitat loss for at ...
2 min read
Wednesday, 20 May 2020
Children's Artwork on World Heritage Sites
Thank You
Children's Artwork on World Heritage Sites
The artwork displayed below was posted in response to a global call for the Little Artists Exhibition inviting children around the world to draw a UNESCO World Heritage site that matters to them. This could be a site in their community, a memory from a family vacation, or a ...
29 min read
Friday, 15 May 2020
UNESCO welcomes the decision taken by Mr. Abbas Mortada, Minister of Culture of Lebanon, to halt the construction project at the Archaeological Site of Nahr El-Kalb.
Since 2019, the Archaeological Site of Nahr el-Kalb has been on Lebanon’s Tentative List for potential future World Heritage nomination, and since 2005 on UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register. It consists of several ...
1 min read
Thursday, 14 May 2020
On April 24, a tragic attack from armed militia groups caused the death of four civilians and thirteen staff members of the Virunga National Park, a natural World Heritage site in the Democratic Republic of Congo (RDC).
In order to ensure the continuity of conservation actions, the Rapid Response Facility (RRF), an emergency fund established by the UNESCO World Heritage Centre and Fauna ...
2 min read
Friday, 8 May 2020
On 9 May 2020, people around the world will celebrate World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) – a global campaign dedicated to raising awareness of migratory birds and the need for international cooperation to conserve them.
This year, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, many of us must stay at home. But we can reach for our binoculars to celebrate the theme of World Migratory Bird Day “Birds Connect Our ...
2 min read
Thursday, 7 May 2020
The World Heritage Centre would like to express its sadness at the death of Dr. Guy Suzon Ramangason, former Director General of Madagascar National Parks, who passed away on 30th April 2020. Guy Suzon made an important contribution to biodiversity conservation in Madagascar and beyond.
After an international career at IUCN and WWF, Guy Suzon took the reins of Madagascar National Parks, ...
1 min read
Wednesday, 6 May 2020
On 6 May 2020, Dr Mechtild Rössler, Director of the World Heritage Centre, is launching the UNESCO publication Empowering Youth for Heritage. Dedicated to the World Heritage Volunteers Initiative (WHV), it kick-starts a series of Webinars to support and build the capacities of the WHV-implementing organizations during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This publication provides a retrospective of the ...
2 min read
Monday, 4 May 2020
African World Heritage Day
May 5th 2020
Youth, Entrepreneurship and Heritage Sustainability in Africa
Due to COVID-19, 90% of World Heritage sites around the globe are closed or partially closed, and many of them are in Africa.
As African World Heritage sites cope with the current situation, they are also looking ahead to the post-Covid time and planning for the short ...
3 min read
Saturday, 25 April 2020
The Director-General of UNESCO, Ms Azoulay, strongly condemned the killing of 13 employees of the Congolese Institute for the Conservation of Nature (ICCN), and of four civilians on 24 April 2020 in the vicinity of Virunga National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage property in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
"In a global context already weakened by a health crisis linked to COVID-19, the ...
1 min read
Thursday, 23 April 2020
Over 130 Ministers and Vice-Ministers of Culture joined the online meeting convened by UNESCO to discuss actions to bolster the cultural sector, which is facing unprecedented upheaval due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The ministers spoke of the direct effects of the current crisis on tourism, museums, cultural production and artists, as well as the measures that they have taken to mitigate the ...
5 min read
Tuesday, 21 April 2020
Recent heavy rains reported in the Old City of Sana’a, Yemen, have resulted in extensive damage to the city’s infrastructure, homes, and residential areas located along Wadi Sailah.
“UNESCO is deeply concerned about the impact of these flash floods on the Old City of Sana’a and the people who live there. We stand ready to assist in any way we can,” said Ernesto Ottone R., Assistant ...
1 min read
Tuesday, 14 April 2020
UNESCO’s Assistant Director-General for Culture, Mr. Ernesto Ottone R., expressed his concern about the fire that, on the morning of 13 April, seriously affected the Milot Church inside the National Historic Park - Citadel, Sans Souci, Ramiers, in Haiti, a property inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1982.
"We are in contact with the National Heritage Preservation Institute (ISPAN), ...
1 min read
Tuesday, 14 April 2020
A year has passed since the fire that ravaged Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France. The Cathedral is part of the World Heritage site “Paris, Banks of the Seine” and a fine symbol of Gothic architecture.
The flames tore through the upper levels of the 12th century cathedral on the evening of 15 April 2019, destroying two-thirds of its roof and collapsing its famous spire. Parisians and ...
2 min read
Monday, 13 April 2020
COVID-19 has presented a host of new challenges for parents and guardians of young children, the majority of whom are out of school. Yet confinement can also be an opportunity – for learning, creativity and discovery.
To encourage this creativity, UNESCO is inviting children between ages 6 and 12 to draw a UNESCO World Heritage site that matters to them, from now until 17 May 2020. This ...
2 min read
Thursday, 9 April 2020
UNESCO is launching initiatives to support cultural industries and cultural heritage as billions of people around the world turn to culture for comfort and to overcome social isolation during the COVID-19 sanitary crisis, which is hitting the culture sector hard.
“The global nature of the COVID-19 crisis is a call for the international community to reinvest in international cooperation and ...
3 min read
Friday, 3 April 2020
The Archaeological Site of Nahr El-Kalb is an exceptional monument that testifies to the rich cultural heritage of Lebanon. The site has been included on the Tentative List of Lebanon since 2019, for potential nomination to the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The site’s exceptional documentary heritage includes the commemorative stelae of Nahr El-Kalb, which reflect the entire history of ...
1 min read
Thursday, 2 April 2020
COVID-19 has brought into stark relief, as crises often do, the necessity of culture for people and communities. At a time when billions of people are physically separated from one another, culture brings us together.
It provides comfort, inspiration and hope at a time of enormous anxiety and uncertainty. Yet even as we rely on culture to get us through this crisis, culture is also ...
6 min read
Saturday, 21 March 2020
The massive wildfires in the Amazon, Australia, Central Africa, East Asia and Siberia last year brought forests to the headlines.
Forests are vitally important for sustaining life on Earth. It is estimated that around 1.6 billion people - including more than 2,000 indigenous cultures - depend on forests for their livelihoods, medicine, fuel, food and shelter. The protection of world’s ...
2 min read
Tuesday, 17 March 2020
Over the last year, Yabotí, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve since 1995 and one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots, has witnessed a dramatic surge in illegal wildlife poaching.
This Atlantic forest of more than 236,000 hectares is home to unique plants and animals, such as jaguars, bush dogs, tapirs and harpy eagles, among other threatened species. With funding severely hit by the economic ...
2 min read
Monday, 16 March 2020
A celebration of the 40th Anniversary of the completion of the International Campaign to Save the Monuments of Nubia took place at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (NMEC) in Fustat, Cairo (Egypt) on 10 March 2020.
The International Campaign was launched in 1960 to relocate and reassemble six groups of monuments in Nubia threatened by the artificial lake created by the Aswan ...
1 min read
Thursday, 12 March 2020
On 5 and 6 March 2020, the World Heritage Centre hosted a technical meeting to support Libya in the drafting of the Statement of Outstanding Universal Value, and in the development of the Desired State of Conservation and corrective measures for the eventual removal of Old Town of Ghadamès from the List of World Heritage in Danger.
The meeting, which was held at UNESCO Headquarters in ...
1 min read
Monday, 9 March 2020
Marine World Heritage:50 Beacons of Hope in a changing ocean
Last year was a year of highs and lows for marine World Heritage. Sites made progress in strengthening climate adaptation capacity, adopting zero emission policies and establishing fisheries no-take zones. The 2020 Annual Overview of the UNESCO World Heritage Marine Programme – which was made public today – summarizes a ...
2 min read
Sunday, 8 March 2020
Workshops were organized by the UNESCO World Heritage Centre in collaboration with the UNESCO Khartoum Office aiming at developing a sustainable tourism strategy for the World Heritage Site of Gebal Barkal and the Napatan Region. In this context, between 9 and 13 March 2020, a mission team conducted a site visit to all the components of the serial property and steered various consultations ...
1 min read
Sunday, 8 March 2020
Workshops were organized by the UNESCO World Heritage Centre in collaboration with the UNESCO Khartoum Office aiming at developing a sustainable tourism strategy for the World Heritage Site of Gebal Barkal and the Napatan Region.
In this context, between 9 and 13 March 2020, a mission team conducted a site visit to all the components of the serial property and steered various consultations ...
1 min read
Sunday, 8 March 2020
Workshops were organized by the UNESCO World Heritage Centre in collaboration with the UNESCO Khartoum Office aiming at developing a sustainable tourism strategy for the World Heritage Site of Gebal Barkal and the Napatan Region. In this context, between 9 and 13 March 2020, a mission team conducted a site visit to all the components of the serial property and steered various consultations ...
1 min read
Sunday, 8 March 2020
Workshops were organized by the UNESCO World Heritage Centre in collaboration with the UNESCO Khartoum Office aiming at developing a sustainable tourism strategy for the World Heritage Site of Gebal Barkal and the Napatan Region. In this context, between 9 and 13 March 2020, a mission team conducted a site visit to all the components of the serial property and steered various consultations ...
1 min read
Sunday, 8 March 2020
Workshops were organized by the UNESCO World Heritage Centre in collaboration with the UNESCO Khartoum Office aiming at developing a sustainable tourism strategy for the World Heritage Site of Gebal Barkal and the Napatan Region.
The workshops were organized within the framework of the Netherlands funds-in-trust project Contributing to Sustainable Tourism at the World Heritage site of “Gebel ...
1 min read
Friday, 6 March 2020
With the sustainable development policy adopted by the General Assembly of States Parties to the World Heritage Convention in November 2015, we look towards a more peaceful and sustainable planet and the balance of power in our relationships continues to be an important issue to redress in this new framework. This Women’s Day highlights the need for Gender Equality and women’s empowerment ...
2 min read
Tuesday, 3 March 2020
The Government of Japan announced that it would provide USD 3.8 million dollars in financial support to the World Heritage property of ‘Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley’ in Afghanistan.
The property was inscribed simultaneously on the World Heritage List and the List of World Heritage in Danger in 2003, after the destruction of the Giant Buddhas, in ...
2 min read
Monday, 2 March 2020
Today is World Wildlife Day with the theme, “Sustaining all life on Earth.” This encompasses all wild animal and plant species as a component of biodiversity, as well as the livelihoods of people.
The animals and plants that live in the wild have intrinsic value and contribute to the ecological, social, economic, scientific, educational, cultural, recreational and aesthetic aspects of human ...
2 min read
Thursday, 27 February 2020
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the creation of Doñana National Park, the Spanish authorities organized “Doñana, 50 years of a National Park” from 14 to 16 February in Almonte (Spain) in the presence of King Felipe VI.
The event brought together a great number of Spanish and international experts, local communities, NGOs and different institutions to exchange on experiences and lessons ...
1 min read
Friday, 14 February 2020
From 8 to 13 February, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, hosted the 10th session of the World Urban Forum dedicated to Cities of Opportunities: Connecting Culture and Innovation, a theme that resonates closely with UNESCO’s mission and priorities. The event brought together decision-makers, representatives of international organizations, civil society and international experts, to leverage ...
6 min read
Wednesday, 12 February 2020
Today is World Radio Day, proclaimed in 2011 by Member States of UNESCO, and adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2012 as an International Day to highlight the importance of radio.
Radio is a powerful medium for celebrating humanity in all its diversity. At the global level, radio remains the most widely consumed medium. This unique ability to reach out to the widest audience ...
2 min read
Tuesday, 11 February 2020
Director-General Audrey Azoulay today carried out a historic visit to Somalia, the first by a Director-General of UNESCO to reestablish the long tradition of cooperation between UNESCO and the country after years of conflict. The Director-General held talks with Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire, Minister of Education, Culture and Higher Education, Abdullahi Godah Barre, and Minister of Women ...
2 min read
Tuesday, 4 February 2020
UNESCO expresses its sadness and dismay at the disappearance of Mr Raúl Hernández, guide of the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve (Mexico) and committed nature conservation activist, whose body, bearing signs of violence, was found on 3 February in the state of Michoacán.
UNESCO is calling for light to be shed on the extremely disturbing circumstances that marked his death, a few days ...
1 min read
Friday, 31 January 2020
World Wetlands Day 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. Today’s World Wetlands Day under the theme, ‘Wetlands and Biodiversity,’ is an opportunity to highlight the importance of wetland biodiversity conservation.
The significance of wetland biodiversity was stressed recently by the ...
3 min read
Friday, 31 January 2020
The Director of the World Heritage Centre, Ms Mechtild Rössler, and Mr Miguel Clüsener-Godt, Director of the Man and the Biosphere Programme, express their deep sadness and profound concern following the death, ascertained on 29 January 2020, of Mr Homero Gómez González, manager of a component of the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve (Mexico), property inscribed on the World Heritage List ...
1 min read
Wednesday, 15 January 2020
UNESCO’s International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust will take place on 22 January and focus on the Nazi concentration and extermination camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau, whose liberation took place 75 years ago (27 January 1945). This year, the Organization will mark the anniversary at its Headquarters in Paris with a conference, a ceremony, and two exhibitions ...
3 min read
Tuesday, 7 January 2020
It is with the deepest sorrow that we learned of the passing of Dr Roland Silva, former President of ICOMOS International (1990-1999) and its Emiritus President thereafter.
He died in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on 1 January 2020 at the age of 86 after a brief illness. On this very sad occasion, the UNESCO World Heritage Centre would like to join Dr Silva’s friends from all corners of the world in ...
2 min read
Monday, 6 January 2020
The Director-General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, on Monday received Ahmad Jalali, Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and discussed tensions in the Middle East with particular regard to heritage and culture.
The Director-General recalled the provisions of the 1954 Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict and the 1972 Convention Concerning the ...
1 min read
Monday, 30 December 2019
The World Heritage Centre has launched an Online Consultation with key World Heritage stakeholders on the updating of the “Policy Document on the Impacts of Climate Change on World Heritage properties”. The consultation, which is taking place until 20 January 2020, will gather feedback and comments from key World Heritage stakeholders of the World Heritage Convention on this crucial ...
1 min read
Thursday, 26 December 2019
The World Heritage Centre has been following with attention and concern the situation in the Galapagos Islands, and in particular in the Island of San Cristobal, where a cargo vessel overturned on 22 December 2019, due to the fall of a container crane, causing a 600-gallon oil spill.
According to official sources, the situation has been quickly mastered to avoid possible impacts on the ...
1 min read
Friday, 20 December 2019
Dear friends of World Heritage,
I would like to thank you once again for all of your support over the past year, to help protect our most precious heritage: All of you count! Whether you work in heritage conservation, work at a site, travel as a tourist, or even just visit the heritage places near your home, your awareness and efforts make a difference. It is also important to us to receive ...
2 min read
Wednesday, 18 December 2019
On the occasion of the Forum of Ministers of Culture on 19 November 2019 at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France, the Culture Sector proudly introduces the Culture|2030 Indicators.
The Culture|2030 indicators is a framework of thematic indicators whose purpose is to measure and monitor the progress of culture’s enabling contribution to the national and local implementation of the Goals and ...
1 min read
Tuesday, 17 December 2019
In response to the results of the independent technical review of the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) commissioned by IUCN, the World Heritage Centre expresses grave concern over the state of conservation of Tanzania’s Selous Game Reserve World Heritage site and the impacts of the Rufiji Hydropower on the property.
The review concludes that the strategic environmental assessment of ...
3 min read
Monday, 16 December 2019
From 25 to 29 November 2019, experts from World Heritage marine sites met in Indonesia to support the Komodo National Park with the management of its marine component.
See the pictures
Komodo National Park was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1991 for its outstanding ecosystems and biodiversity. While perhaps best known for the Komodo Dragon, Komodo National Park’s Outstanding ...
2 min read
Monday, 16 December 2019
The seminar "Climate Change, World Heritage and Tourism" was presented at UNESCO Headquarters on 16 December 2019 by Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University in collaboration with UNESCO World Heritage Centre, ICOMOS France and the Association des biens français du patrimoine mondial.
On a global scale, tourism is a factor contributing to climate change, especially when emissions are measured at ...
2 min read
Wednesday, 11 December 2019
International Mountain Day, designated by the United Nations General Assembly in 2003 and celebrated on 11 December, highlights the importance of mountains to life on Earth. ‘Mountains matter for Youth’ is the theme of this year’s International Mountain Day.
The 2019 International Mountain Day’s theme is a great opportunity for young generations, to enhance World Heritage conservation ...
2 min read
Tuesday, 10 December 2019
"Heritage, World Heritage and the Future: Perspectives on Scale, Conservation and Dialogue”
The 14th International Anamed Symposium in cooperation with the UNESCO World Heritage Centre held on 5-6 December at ANAMED, Koc University in Istanbul produced important outcomes for archaeological World Heritage sites.
The challenges affecting the conservation mechanism as well as the ...
1 min read
Monday, 2 December 2019
The Arab World Heritage Young Professionals Forum “empowering youth to build peace through the protection and preservation of heritage” starts today!
The Forum was opened by H. E. Mr Mohamed Zinelabidine, Minister of Cultural Affairs of Tunisia, Dr Mohamed Ould Amar, Director-General of ALECSO; Dr Mechtild Rössler, Director of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre; H. E. Ms Élaine Ayotte, ...
1 min read
Wednesday, 27 November 2019
The 22nd General Assembly of the States Parties to the World Heritage Convention is meeting on 27 and 28 November 2019 at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France, convening the 193 States Parties to the World Heritage Convention, under the chairmanship of H.E. Mr Adam Al Mulla, Ambassador and Permanent Delegate of the State of Kuwait to UNESCO.
During the session, the General Assembly elected ...
1 min read
Saturday, 23 November 2019
In view of the current global pandemic and following the extraordinary measures being taken to tackle the spread of COVID-19 globally, the 2020 Campaign of the World Heritage Volunteers (WHV) Initiative has been postponed to 2021.
Read More
“Fostering Youth Commitment towards World Heritage”
The UNESCO World Heritage Centre is pleased to announce the Call for Projects for the World ...
1 min read
Saturday, 23 November 2019
The World Heritage Centre expresses its concern over on-going bushfires in and around the Gondwana rainforests in Australia and offers its solidarity to the people affected.
The UNESCO World Heritage Centre has been receiving many expressions of concern from the media and civil society over the possible impact of bushfires on the World Heritage property, “Gondwana Rainforests of Australia”, ...
1 min read
Wednesday, 20 November 2019
From 15 to 18 November, an expert meeting was convened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) together with Germany’s Federal Office for Nature Conservation (BfN) and in cooperation with the UNESCO World Heritage Centre on the Isle of Vilm, Germany to discuss how the World Heritage Convention can contribute to the new global agenda for biodiversity conservation.
At the ...
1 min read
Tuesday, 19 November 2019
The 2019 UNESCO-Greece Melina Mercouri International Prize for the Safeguarding and Management of Cultural Landscapes was awarded on 18 November to Instituto do Património Cultural in Cabo Verde for its outstanding contribution to the safeguarding, management and sustainable development of the Natural Park of Cova, Paul and Ribeira da Torre.
The award ceremony took place at UNESCO ...
2 min read
Monday, 18 November 2019
This year’s UNESCO Sultan Qaboos Prize for Environmental Conservation will be awarded to the Bangalore-based Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) in recognition of its socially-just environmental conservation and sustainable development activities, following the recommendation of the international jury of the prize.
The award ceremony will be held in Budapest, ...
1 min read
Saturday, 16 November 2019
Today marks the 47th anniversary of the World Heritage Convention. This Convention protects the world’s most outstanding places, belonging to us all.
Where it all began
The idea of creating an international movement for protecting heritage emerged after World War I. The 1972 Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage developed from the merging of two ...
3 min read
Wednesday, 13 November 2019
The UNESCO World Heritage Centre is closely monitoring the state of conservation of the World Heritage site of Venice and its Lagoon.
Inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1987, Venice faces several threats from overtourism, damage caused by a steady stream of cruise ships, and from the potential negative effects of new developments. The site is also highly vulnerable to the negative ...
1 min read
Friday, 8 November 2019
UNESCO has been at the forefront of exploring and managing the impacts of climate change on World Heritage, and supports World Heritage sites on climate change adaptation and mitigation activities.
The promotion of renewable energy production is of great importance, as this technology is among the key solutions for the mitigation of climate change and the promotion of sustainable ...
2 min read
Friday, 8 November 2019
From 5 to 7 November 2019, a total of 27 participants—including Focal Points, Vice-Ministers, and academics—from 14 countries of the sub-regions of Mexico and Central America and the Caribbean gathered in Havana, Cuba, to analyze and discuss the relevance of their current Tentative Lists.
One of the central objectives of the three-day workshop was to strengthen the understanding of and ...
2 min read
Wednesday, 6 November 2019
On 18 November 2019 at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France, the 2019 edition of the UNESCO-Greece Melina Mercouri International Prize for the Safeguarding and Management of Cultural Landscapes will be announced and the award presented.
Named after the illustrious Greek actress and former Minister of Culture of Greece, Melina Mercouri, the Prize rewards outstanding efforts to protect and ...
1 min read
Thursday, 31 October 2019
The World Heritage Cities Programme supports countries in protecting and managing their urban heritage through theoretical application and technical advice.
More than 315 World Heritage cities function as inhabited urban centres worldwide facing the challenges of balancing heritage conservation with contemporary urban development.'Changing the World: Innovations and Better Life for Future ...
Thursday, 31 October 2019
UNESCO offers its sincere solidarity with the people of Japan, and in particular the residents of Okinawa, who have lost a cultural and historical symbol of the Ryukyu islands. UNESCO stands ready to assist the authorities as needed.
In the early morning hours of 31 October, a number of buildings, including Shuri Castle of the World Heritage site of “Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of ...
1 min read
Friday, 25 October 2019
UNESCO and Expedia Group have signed a global agreement to promote sustainable tourism and heritage conservation through an industry-first Sustainable Tourism Pledge whose pilot phase will be launched in Thailand this year before going global. It is the first collaboration between UNESCO and a global online travel agency.
The Sustainable Tourism Pledge requires tourism industry members to ...
2 min read
Wednesday, 23 October 2019
Recent flooding threatens the World Heritage property of the Historic Town of Grand-Bassam, Côte d'Ivoire. UNESCO is sending a mission to provide technical assistance to national and local authorities in assessing the damage and collecting all the data necessary for the preparation of a risk management plan that better takes account of the flood issue.
On the weekend of 11 to 13 October, ...
2 min read
Saturday, 19 October 2019
The Deputy-Director of the World Heritage Centre, Jyoti Hosagrahar, represented UNESCO at the First meeting of the European Commission Expert Group on Cultural Heritage in Brussels. The event was organized by the European Commission and took place on 15-16 October 2019.
The European Commission Expert Group on cultural heritage was set up with the aim of continuing the spirit of cooperation ...
1 min read
Friday, 18 October 2019
Some 40 female members of the armed forces of Lebanon, Iraq and Jordan, as well as female peacekeepers from the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) came together in Beirut, Lebanon to discuss the protection of cultural property in the event of armed conflict. The workshop, which took place on 1-3 October 2019, was the first UNESCO-organized event specifically focused on female ...
2 min read
Tuesday, 15 October 2019
The first guide for the insurance industry to protect our world’s priceless and irreplaceable assets was launched today at a major event by UN Environment’s Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) in São Paulo, Brazil, convening leading insurers, investors and banks.
The pioneering guide, Protecting our World Heritage, insuring a sustainable future, builds on last year’s launch of the first insurance ...
11 min read
Monday, 14 October 2019
Representatives from the city of Venice, the Italian government, UNESCO and ICOMOS came together at UNESCO Headquarters on 2 October 2019 to discuss the ongoing challenges facing Venice and its surrounding lagoon – an iconic site whose status as a World Heritage property is in jeopardy.
Inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1987, Venice is threatened on several fronts – from overtourism, ...
2 min read
Saturday, 12 October 2019
This year’s World Migratory Bird Day is dedicated to highlighting the problem of pollution with the theme, ‘Protect Birds: Be the Solution to Plastic Pollution.’
Waste and pollution are harmful to many World Heritage sites. Increased tourism means that more people are leaving trash at the world’s most iconic places. World Heritage sites are key stopover sites for birds, so the effective ...
2 min read
Friday, 11 October 2019
International Day for Disaster Reduction promotes a global culture of risk awareness and disaster reduction by celebrating how people around the world are reducing their exposure to disasters.
This year’s theme is based on one Target of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030: ‘Substantially reduce disaster damage to critical infrastructure and disruption of services ...
2 min read
Tuesday, 1 October 2019
The Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority (EWCA) in collaboration with UNESCO Addis Ababa Liaison Office and the UNESCO Regional Office for Eastern Africa organized a four-day technical workshop to strengthen national capacities in preparing World Heritage nomination dossiers for natural heritage sites, which ran from 23 to 27 September 2019 in Gondar Town, Amhara Region, ...
2 min read
Monday, 30 September 2019
On the occasion of the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly, UNESCO participated in several events of the Climate Summit and highlighted the role of education, science and culture in providing sustainable responses.
The Director-General supported the call of six South American countries to conserve and protect the Amazon, the world's first tropical forest, at a high-level ...
1 min read
Friday, 27 September 2019
The theme of this year’s World Tourism Day is, ‘Tourism and jobs, a better future for all.’ Given the booming worldwide travel industry, tourism now generates 10% of the world’s jobs or 313 million employees.Tourism is increasingly a major source of growth, employment and income for many of the world’s countries, and is included in Sustainable Development Goal 8 for its potential to create ...
2 min read
Wednesday, 25 September 2019
The UNESCO World Heritage Centre and the UNESCO Cluster Office in Tehran, in cooperation with the Iranian National Commission for UNESCO and the Iranian Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts, are organizing the 6th meeting of the Coordinating Committee of the Serial Transnational World Heritage Nomination of the Silk Roads from 23 to 26 September 2019 in Hamedan, Iran.
The ...
2 min read
Monday, 23 September 2019
On 18 September 2019, Ms Angelique Songco, Superintendent of Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park World Heritage area was honored with the esteemed 2019 KfW-Bernhard-Grzimek-Preis for her outstanding leadership in conserving the World Heritage marine site.
The award is a tribute to individuals and organizations for their commitment to the preservation of the world’s most precious biodiversity and ...
2 min read
Tuesday, 17 September 2019
The International Workshop on the Practical Application of the Salalah Guidelines for the Management of Public Archaeological Sites was opened by the authorities of the Sultanate of Oman (Office of the Advisor to His Majesty the Sultan for Cultural Affairs), with the Director of the World Heritage Centre, ICOMOS and the Director General of ICCROM.The workshop focused on the application of the ...
1 min read
Wednesday, 11 September 2019
As part of the Third Cycle of the Periodic Reporting Exercise in Africa, over 80 participants from 46 African States Parties with 96 World Heritage properties (53 cultural, 38 natural and 5 mixed) will be meeting at Grand Bassam, Cote-d’Ivoire, from 11 to 14 September 2019, to go through the statutory processes of the World Heritage Convention.
This regional meeting organized by the World ...
2 min read
Wednesday, 11 September 2019
Tourist guides from World Heritage Sites in Iran participated in the “World Heritage Specialist Guide Training Program” in Kermanshah from 04 to 08 August 2019 to upgrade their knowledge of World Heritage Sites and acquire new skills needed to become a specialized World Heritage tour guide.The participants composed a mixed group coming from the Iranian Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and ...
1 min read
Wednesday, 11 September 2019
Two UNESCO World Heritage marine sites with similar conservation challenges signed an official Partnership Agreement to share ideas and best practices. The seeds of the agreement were sown at the 2010 World Heritage marine managers conference, and site-to-site exchanges over the past years were also central in achieving the recent zero emissions target for West Norwegian Fjords ...
2 min read
Tuesday, 10 September 2019
From 4 to 9 September, managers from the 50 marine sites on UNESCO’s World Heritage List gather in a momentous setting to discuss challenges and solutions toward reaching the 2030 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. With the oceans facing existential threats and global targets only a decade away, time is critical. Bringing managers together provides an opportunity to accelerate ...
2 min read
Tuesday, 10 September 2019
The ambitious capacity-building agenda for World Heritage in Mexico and Central America recently saw a major step forward with the first sub-regional workshop held from 26 to 28 August 2019, organized by the Category 2 Centre based in Zacatecas, Mexico.
Representatives from Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Panama, as well as Caribbean participants from ...
1 min read
Tuesday, 10 September 2019
On 7 September 2019 the new visitors centre at the Mill Network at Kinderdijk-Elshout in the Netherlands was formally opened. Officiating the celebration was Princess Beatrix, patroness of the Dutch Windmill Association. After meeting with volunteers from the Kinderijk World Heritage Foundation the Princess opened the building among a spectacular show of music, fountains, and light ...
1 min read
Monday, 9 September 2019
The German city of Dessau is marking the 100th anniversary of the Bauhaus school of design with a new museum featuring exhibits that tie in with the movement’s iconic buildings. Chancellor Angela Merkel opened the Bauhaus Museum Dessau on Sunday, saying the school featured an avant-garde style that “we still really enjoy today.”
The Bauhaus movement was born on 1 October 1919 in Weimar, ...
1 min read
Friday, 6 September 2019
Empowering youth to build peace through the protection and preservation of heritage.
The Arab World Heritage Young Professionals Forum will take place from 2 to 6 December 2019 in Tunis, Tunisia, and will gather up to 38 participants from the Arab States region. The Forum aims to engage and empower youth in the Arab States region in their critical roles as global citizens towards ...
1 min read
Friday, 6 September 2019
Within the framework of the Project for the Preservation and Support of the Tourist Sector (PAST), the UNESCO Office in Port-au-Prince is seeking to recruit a consultant - an expert in the conservation of historical heritage - Senior Coordinator of the Project for the Preservation of Heritage and Support to the Tourist Sector (PAST), hence the attached Terms of Reference.
Any interested ...
Friday, 6 September 2019
[in French only] L’UNESCO et le Ministère de la Culture du Mali ont présenté un plan d’action de 2,2 millions de dollars aux populations du site du Patrimoine mondial des Falaises de Bandiagara en Pays dogon, afin de favoriser un retour à la normale après les violences intercommunautaires ayant affecté le centre du pays.
Dans ce contexte, et après la reconstruction des mausolées de ...
Friday, 23 August 2019
This 23 August, we honour the memory of the men and women who, in Saint-Domingue in 1791, revolted and paved the way for the end of slavery and dehumanization. We honour their memory and that of all the other victims of slavery, for whom they stand.The fight against trafficking and slavery is universal and ongoing. It is the reason for which UNESCO led the efforts ...
2 min read
Monday, 19 August 2019
Audrey Azoulay, the Director-General of UNESCO, will undertake an official visit to Uzbekistan to take part in the International Conference on the Preservation of Tangible and Intangible Cultural Heritage, alongside Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, on 26 August. A significant number of culture and tourism ministers from across the region and beyond are also expected to ...
2 min read
Monday, 19 August 2019
The World Heritage Centre launched today the Arabic translation of the publication “Managing effectively the world’s most iconic Marine Protected Areas. A Best Practice Guide”. There are currently three World Heritage marine sites in the Arab region, in Mauritania, Sudan and Yemen.
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The publication lays the groundwork for a common approach to a more pro-active, future-oriented ...
2 min read
Monday, 12 August 2019
Across the world, young people are faced with inequalities in education. Yet, they are also key actors in the transformation of education that we are calling for.
Their ideas and innovative spirit need to be heard in order to reach our common goas inscribed in Agenda 2030, which is our greatest opportunity to build more inclusive and fair societies. Education is the heart of UNESCO’s action ...
2 min read
Friday, 9 August 2019
Since 1982, the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples has provided us with a unique opportunity to raise global awareness of the contributions made by indigenous peoples towards building peace and developing sustainable and resilient societies.
On this Day, we take steps to recognise and acknowledge indigenous peoples as knowledge-holders who have contributed to the ...
3 min read
Tuesday, 6 August 2019
Seabourn, the world’s leading small ship cruise line, has signed an agreement to extend its official partnership with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in a unique alliance to help protect World Heritage.
The five-year extension will continue to foster wider support and understanding in the travel industry and among travelers for UNESCO’s mission ...
1 min read
Wednesday, 31 July 2019
Thee World Heritage Committee at its 43rd session (Baku, 2019) confirms start of the Third Cycle of Periodic Reporting exercise in the Africa region.The Third Cycle of Periodic Reporting ( a global World Heritage conservation monitoring exercise carried out in six-year cycles, shall begin in this second half of September 2019.
46 African States Parties with 96 World Heritage properties ...
1 min read
Monday, 29 July 2019
On 16 July 2019, US$ 2.9 million (NOK 25 million) were received from Norway as part of a partnership agreement signed last month supporting UNESCO's work in various fields, including heritage preservation.
These funds will be dedicated to the preservation of natural World Heritage sites in Africa. The significant increase in Norway’s contribution vividly demonstrates its commitment to the ...
1 min read
Friday, 26 July 2019
Mangroves are rare, spectacular and prolific ecosystems on the boundary between land and sea. These extra ordinary ecosystems contribute to the wellbeing, food security, and protection of coastal communities worldwide. They support a rich biodiversity and provide a valuable nursery habitat for fish and crustaceans. Mangroves also act as a form of natural coastal defense against storm surges, ...
1 min read
Friday, 19 July 2019
As a side event of the meeting of the World Heritage Committee (Baku from 1 to 10 July), UNESCO and its partners met on 5 July to take stock of the initiative launched in October 2018 to strengthen coral reef adaptation to climate change.
The initiative aims to establish an effective strategy for climate change resilience in five coral reefs inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List: the ...
2 min read
Friday, 19 July 2019
On 3 July 2019, during its 43rd session in Baku, Azerbaijan, the World Heritage Committee inscribed the Islands and Protected Areas of the Gulf of California in Mexico on the List of World Heritage in Danger. One of the main reasons for this decision is the current vulnerable situation of the vaquita species, whose population, according to the most recent scientific evidence, has drastically ...
1 min read
Thursday, 18 July 2019
The 2019 edition of the World Heritage Young Professionals Forum gathered 30 participants from 30 countries to address the global challenge of heritage protection and conservation in the 21st century.
Following the case studies of the World Heritage proprieties in Azerbaijan, the theme of this year’s Forum was chosen as “World Heritage: Local Insights for Global Challenges”.
During the ...
1 min read
Wednesday, 10 July 2019
For the first time, indigenous peoples from across the globe gathered during the 43rd session of the World Heritage Committee in Baku, Azerbaijan, to highlight the importance of indigenous languages for safeguarding World Heritage properties. In an event marking the International Year of Indigenous Languages 2019, the indigenous panelists stressed that without language, there can be no ...
3 min read
Tuesday, 9 July 2019
The city of Fuzhou (China) will host the next session of the World Heritage Committee in 2020. This decision concluded the work of the 43rd session of the World Heritage Committee, meeting in Baku since 30 June.
During this year’s session, the World Heritage Committee inscribed a total of 29 new sites on the World Heritage List (one in Africa, two in the Arab States, ten in the Asia Pacific ...
4 min read
