
Marine World Heritage shares conservation trends at Monaco Blue Initiative
Friday, 20 April 2018

Earth Day 2018: End plastic pollution
Thursday, 19 April 2018

18 April: Celebrating young people on the International Day for Monuments and Sites
Wednesday, 18 April 2018

Scout Guidelines for youth empowerment towards World Heritage
Wednesday, 18 April 2018

#MyAfricanHeritage – Participate in the African World Heritage Day photo contest
Monday, 16 April 2018
The Geneva Declaration ‘Human Rights and Culture Heritage: Committed Cities Working Together’ was adopted in Geneva, Switzerland on 26 March 2018, marking the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The Declaration aims to clarify cities’ obligations in the area of cultural heritage rehabilitation, particularly in relation to intentionally destroyed cultural heritage. ...
The Kenyan National Commission for UNESCO organized a three-day workshop from 26 to 28 March 2018 in Nairobi, Kenya in order to increase youth engagement in the conservation and promotion of World Heritage and Intangible Cultural Heritage.
As a State Party to three important UNESCO Conventions in the field of Culture, Kenya has made the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, ...

UNESCO condemns killing of six guards in Virunga National Park
Tuesday, 10 April 2018
The conservation of wetlands does not only contribute to the safeguarding of biodiversity, it can also support the safeguarding of their cultural and spiritual values. The workshop “The Cultural and Spiritual Significance of Wetlands Supporting the integration of nature and culture in their governance and management” organised by the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN) in ...

Experts build new dynamic for the conservation and revitalization of the Kasbah of Algiers
Thursday, 5 April 2018
From the 13th to the 15th of March 2018, the World Heritage Policy Compendium Working Group met for the second time at UNESCO headquarters in Paris. The meeting was organised in follow-up to the first meeting of the group (December 2017, Paris) and on completion of the Policy Compendium Online Consultation, which was carried out in February and March 2018.
The Policy Compendium initiative, ...
In February and March 2018, the World Heritage Centre carried out an online consultation with key World Heritage stakeholders on the first draft of the World Heritage Policy Compendium. The consultation gathered feedback and comments from key World Heritage stakeholders including States Parties to the World Heritage Convention. For the first time, the online consultation included also UNESCO ...

Call for Applications: 3rd African World Heritage Regional Youth Forum 2018
Monday, 26 March 2018

World Water Day 2018: ‘Nature for Water’
Thursday, 22 March 2018

2017-2018 World Heritage Map Published
Thursday, 22 March 2018

State of Conservation of Aldabra Atoll
Thursday, 22 March 2018

International Day of Forests 2018: Forests and Sustainable Cities
Wednesday, 21 March 2018

Women's Day 2018: Women and conservation
Thursday, 8 March 2018

Release of the publication World Heritage for Sustainable Development in Africa
Wednesday, 7 March 2018

Seminar leads to Recommendations for Site Managers
Tuesday, 6 March 2018

UNESCO launches BIOPALT project to safeguard Lake Chad
Monday, 5 March 2018

Protecting Big Cats: World Wildlife Day 2018
Saturday, 3 March 2018

World Heritage Young Professionals Forum 2018 - Call for Applications
Friday, 2 March 2018
The Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) and UNESCO signed a new agreement this week to supplement the financing of UNESCO’s Heritage Emergency Fund (HEF) with US$2 million.
“More than ever, we need to respond quickly and efficiently to assess, secure and safeguard threatened heritage, said UNESCO’s Director-General, Audrey Azoulay “The Heritage Emergency Fund is a key tool for doing this and I ...
In January 2018, a joint World Heritage Centre / ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring mission took place at the World Heritage property “Nan Madol: Ceremonial Centre of Eastern Micronesia” (Federated States of Micronesia).
The mission was requested by the World Heritage Committee to ‘agree on a Desired State of Conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger ...

UNESCO expresses concern over the state of conservation of Selous Game Reserve (United Republic of Tanzania)
Thursday, 22 February 2018

UNESCO World Heritage Centre expresses support after Cyclone Gita
Thursday, 22 February 2018

UNESCO Commits to Safeguarding Lake Chad
Thursday, 22 February 2018

UNESCO launches flagship initiative to revive the spirit of Mosul
Wednesday, 14 February 2018
The World Heritage Centre has launched an online consultation with key World Heritage stakeholders on the first draft of the World Heritage Policy Compendium. The consultation, which is taking place in February and March 2018, will gather feedback and comments from key World Heritage stakeholders on the draft Policy Compendium, currently being developed by a Working Group of cultural and ...

State of conservation of Historical Monuments of Mtskheta
Thursday, 8 February 2018

Spearheading a global conservation movement: Marine World Heritage 2018 annual report
Tuesday, 6 February 2018
The Earth Skills Network (ESN) is a unique collaboration between Earthwatch, UNESCO, IUCN and the business community. It connects leaders from the business and conservation community through mentoring and skill-sharing opportunities.
The Earth Skills Network provides funded training in:
business planning and effective management practices and,
personal development of leadership ...

World Heritage Centre Director, Mechtild Rössler, pays tribute to Léon Rajaobelina
Friday, 2 February 2018

World Wetlands Day 2018: Wetlands and cities
Friday, 2 February 2018

Joint workshop between UNESCO and FAO GIAHS to strengthen synergies on agricultural heritage
Friday, 2 February 2018

Job vacancy: African World Heritage Fund Executive Director
Wednesday, 31 January 2018

Panasonic World Heritage 2018 Calendar in paper, online and tablet PC app formats now available
Monday, 29 January 2018

World Rowing commits to UNESCO World Heritage sites
Friday, 26 January 2018

State of Conservation of Pirin National Park
Wednesday, 24 January 2018

Davos Declaration a step forward for European urban heritage
Tuesday, 23 January 2018

Experts develop UNESCO tool for managing tourism
Thursday, 18 January 2018

Director of World Heritage Centre welcomes oil moratorium at Belize Barrier Reef
Tuesday, 9 January 2018

Happy New Year 2018
Saturday, 30 December 2017

Sweden provides additional support to UNESCO’s Cultural Conventions and freedom of expression
Friday, 22 December 2017

‘Delhi Declaration on Heritage and Democracy’ adopted at closing session of ICOMOS 19th General Assembly
Thursday, 21 December 2017

Towards a World Heritage Policy Compendium – First Meeting of Experts takes place at UNESCO Headquarters
Tuesday, 19 December 2017
An inter-regional workshop entitled “World Heritage and Sustainable Development: the Role of Local Communities” was organized at the National Museum in Karachi, Pakistan (23-24 November 2017) by the World Heritage Centre in close co-operation with the UNESCO office in Islamabad and the Department of Archaeology of the Government of Sindh Province, Pakistan.
The Workshop, opened by the ...

UNESCO and UNWTO Sign Muscat Declaration on Tourism and Culture: Fostering Sustainable Development
Wednesday, 13 December 2017
The triennial meeting of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), taking place in New Delhi, India from 11-15 December 2017, began with the Scientific Council Meeting on 11 December in the India International Centre, New Delhi. The Opening Ceremony of the ICOMOS General Assembly was held on 12 December 2017 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium-Auditorium in New Delhi.
The ...
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. The theme for 2017, “Mountains under Pressure: climate, hunger, migration”, draws our attention to some of the most critical challenges that mountains and people living in mountain areas are currently facing. It also ...
The UNESCO World Heritage Centre is participating in the Annual Meeting of the International Scientific Committee on Cultural Landscapes in New Delhi, India, on 7–8 December 2017, ahead of the 19th ICOMOS General Assembly (11–15 December 2017).
Organized by the International Scientific Committee on Cultural Landscapes ICOMOS-IFLA (ISCCL) and ICOMOS India, this two-day ISCCL Annual Meeting ...

Inter-Convention synergy in action
Wednesday, 6 December 2017

The World Heritage State of Conservation Information System – 5 Successful Years !
Tuesday, 5 December 2017

Meeting held on Heritage and Environmental Impact Assessment (HIA/EIA)
Tuesday, 5 December 2017
At the request of the Kingdom of Cambodia, the Committee for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, meeting at UNESCO Headquarters, Paris from 29 to 30 November 2017, granted “enhanced protection” status to Angkor, a cultural World Heritage site. Enhanced protection is a mechanism established by the 1999 Second Protocol to the 1954 Hague Convention for the ...

Director of UNESCO World Heritage Centre welcomes expansion of Mexican ocean reserve
Tuesday, 28 November 2017
Just a month after the submission of South Sudan’s first ever Tentative List of potential UNESCO World Heritage sites, UNESCO hosted a workshop on 23 November 2017 in Juba in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, the Ministry of Wildlife Conservation and Tourism, and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) in order to guide the State Party in the preparation of a ...
22nd November – 24th NovemberOrganized by the State Nature Conservancy, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic, Slovak Commission for UNESCO and Carpathian Biodiversity Conservation Foundation, this three day workshop focused on the development of sustainable tourism for the UNESCO World Heritage Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the ...
On 16 November 2017, we celebrate the 45th anniversary of the World Heritage Convention, one of the most powerful international tools for heritage preservation and one of UNESCO's most successful programmes. Almost universally adopted, with 193 signatory countries, the Convention is unique in combining the protection of cultural and natural heritage in one legal instrument. Since its adoption ...

World Heritage Committee’s 42nd session to be hosted by Bahrain
Wednesday, 15 November 2017
On 6 November 2017, The Church of England National Investing Bodies announced the launch of its new policy on investing in extractive industries: “Extractive Industries: Ethical Investment Policy”. The policy acknowledges the positive contribution than mining can make to development but also highlights the ethical importance of protected areas such as World Heritage Sites and the threats that ...

Twelve new members elected to World Heritage Committee
Tuesday, 14 November 2017

World Heritage Volunteers 2018 – Call for Projects
Saturday, 11 November 2017
Recognizing the importance of protecting cultural heritage from attack in times of conflict, Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO, and Fatou Bensouda, Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), today signed a Letter of Intent formalizing and further enhancing their collaboration.
The signing of the Letter of Intent took place in the margins of an international high-level panel ...

UNESCO and Partners stand against Cultural Cleansing and Violent Extremism
Monday, 6 November 2017
In a recent publication on the SDG, the International Petroleum Industry Environmental Conservation Association (IPIECA) recognizes that many World Heritage sites are impacted by industrial activities and operations, including oil and gas exploration and extraction. The report on Mapping the oil and gas industry to the Sustainable Development Goals: an Atlas was co-authored with the United ...

UNESCO and the Principality of Monaco sign strategic partnership in favour of Marine World Heritage
Wednesday, 1 November 2017

Heritage experts meet to examine update of World Heritage policy on climate change
Friday, 27 October 2017

World Heritage Committee launches Third Cycle of Periodic Reporting
Tuesday, 24 October 2017

Liaison Group of Biodiversity-related Convention (BLG) gathers to discuss ways to join forces
Wednesday, 18 October 2017

UNESCO and ICCROM Join Forces to Protect Cultural Heritage
Monday, 16 October 2017

South Sudan overcomes challenges of ongoing conflict to designate potential World Heritage sites
Sunday, 15 October 2017
On 27-30 September 2017, UNESCO, together with the Government of Afghanistan and Tokyo University of the Arts, convened a three-day closed technical meeting followed by a public Symposium in Tokyo, Japan, entitled “The Future of the Bamiyan Buddha Statues: Technical Considerations and Potential Effects on Authenticity and Outstanding Universal Value”. Funded by the Government of Japan within ...

UNESCO and the State Hermitage Museum join forces to protect heritage in conflict areas
Tuesday, 10 October 2017

Call for Applications for Mediterranean Cultural Projects 2018
Tuesday, 10 October 2017

Georgian delegation visits UNESCO’s Headquarters and World Heritage properties in France
Friday, 6 October 2017

Ramsar and World Heritage: lasting cooperation to foster conservation
Thursday, 5 October 2017

Conservation completed on Lion of Al-lāt statue from ancient city of Palmyra, damaged by ISIL
Thursday, 5 October 2017

“World Heritage Coral Reefs” Exhibit opens in Paris
Tuesday, 3 October 2017
Fourteen young people, with common interests in marine biodiversity and climate change, developed two tourist guides for the Coiba National Park in Panama, in the framework of the World Heritage Youth Project on Marine Biodiversity and Climate Change that was organized in January 2016 by the World Heritage Centre in cooperation with MarViva Foundation.
The creation of tourist guides was ...
[in French only] Le Centre du patrimoine mondial de l’UNESCO, et l’Organisation arabe pour l’éducation, la culture et les sciences (ALECSO), ont organisé un atelier de formation pour les pays du Maghreb sur le processus de préparation de proposition d’inscription sur la Liste du patrimoine mondial, à Djerba en Tunisie du 11 au 15 septembre 2017.
Cet atelier régional a été rendu possible ...

Message from the Director of the World Heritage Centre on World Tourism Day
Wednesday, 27 September 2017
The World Heritage Centre has received numerous messages from citizens and NGOs expressing their concerns regarding the announcement by the United Kingdom’s government of the preferred route and tunnel, to widen the highway A303 between Amesbury and Berwick Down that runs across the World Heritage property “Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites”.
The World Heritage Centre is fully ...

Working across borders to protect Eastern Tropical Pacific gems
Tuesday, 26 September 2017

Ministries and customary owners discuss future East Rennell World Heritage site
Tuesday, 26 September 2017

Preliminary evaluations undertaken following earthquakes in Mexico
Monday, 25 September 2017
On 21 September, UNESCO was informed by several sources that military action is intensifying within and around the Archaeological Site of Sabratha in Libya, inscribed on the World Heritage List since 1982. According to reports, military action is growing within and around the property.
In view of this situation, the Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, calls on all parties to cease ...
On 27-29 September 2017, UNESCO will convene a three-day technical symposium in Tokyo, Japan, entitled “The Future of the Bamiyan Buddha Statues: Technical Considerations and Potential Effects on Authentic and Outstanding Universal Value”. This meeting will provide an opportunity to discuss the potential reconstruction of the Buddha statues in the Bamiyan Valley (Afghanistan), which were ...

Director of World Heritage Centre’s Message on the occasion of European Heritage Days 2017
Friday, 15 September 2017

Assessment of damage from hurricane Irma to cultural heritage underway
Friday, 15 September 2017

Workshop on the South Asian Silk Roads Serial Transnational World Heritage Nomination Process
Tuesday, 12 September 2017
Following its ratification of the UNESCO World Heritage Convention in 2016, South Sudan is now preparing its Tentative List of World Heritage sites, which includes Boma National Park.
The Netherlands Funds-in-Trust to UNESCO has granted USD 32,000 to the Republic of South Sudan to support the development and finalisation of a conservation and management plan for Boma National Park in view of ...
Following the fire that ravaged the Tombs of Buganda Kings at Kasubi World Heritage property in 2010, the site was added to the UNESCO List of World Heritage in Danger.
The local community of the Buganda Kingdom have been working hand-in-hand with the Uganda Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities with support from UNESCO to rebuild the Muzibu-Azaala-Mpanga building, which houses the ...
In the framework of the 2nd phase of the UNESCO/Japanese Funds-in-Trust project on “Support for Documentation Standards and Procedures of the Silk Roads World Heritage Serial and Transnational Nomination in Central Asia”, the World Heritage Centre and the UNESCO Office in Tashkent in cooperation with the Principal Department for the Preservation and Utilization of Cultural Objects of the ...

Another fire at the historical Museum’s crafts centre of the Royal Palaces of Abomey (Benin)
Tuesday, 5 September 2017
Within the framework of the project “Support to the reinforcement of the participative management structure of the Qhapaq Ñan, Andean Road System”, a workshop entitled “Heritage Impact Assessments International Workshop” took place in Santiago de Chile from 7 to 10 August 2017. This meeting organized by the National Center of World Heritage Sites of the National Subdivision of Heritage ...

Third Meeting of European World Heritage Associations, 5 and 6 October 2017
Tuesday, 22 August 2017
The World Heritage Centre has learned with great sadness of the recent passing of Wayne Lotter, courageous defender of natural heritage and wildlife, who was attacked by a gunman in Dar-es-Salaam (Tanzania) on 16 August 2017. The Director of UNESCO World Heritage Centre, Dr. Mechtild Rössler, presents her sincere condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of the renowned elephant ...

Reactive Monitoring Mission to "Natural System of Wrangel Island Reserve"
Friday, 18 August 2017
Youth Building Peace
The world has never been so young and it is getting younger every day. The development of any society depends on how well it nurtures its young women and men, how well they are supported.
In 2015, there were 1.2 billion young people in the world, and more than 600 million lived in fragile and conflict-affected contexts. Young people carry the heaviest burdens of ...

World Heritage Centre expresses condolences for victims of earthquake in China
Thursday, 10 August 2017
This year, we celebrate the 10th anniversary of the landmark UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People. This is an opportunity to honour the rights of indigenous peoples and their unique contribution to achieving mutual understanding, peace and sustainable development. Indigenous peoples are custodians and practitioners of unique cultures and relationships with the natural ...

Tubbataha Reefs protected from international shipping impacts
Tuesday, 25 July 2017

State of Conservation of “Białowieża Forest”
Thursday, 20 July 2017
Krakow, Poland, 12 July—The World Heritage Committee, meeting in Krakow since 2 July, closed its annual session today. During the session, the Committee inscribed 21 new sites on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. It also extended or modified the boundaries of five sites already on the List.
The new inscriptions bring to 1,073 the total number of sites on the World Heritage List. Angola and ...

Partners for World Heritage meet in Krakow during 41st Committee Session
Wednesday, 12 July 2017

Gelati Monastery, Georgia, removed from UNESCO’s List of World Heritage in Danger
Monday, 10 July 2017

Three new sites and two extensions added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List
Sunday, 9 July 2017

Eight new sites inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List
Sunday, 9 July 2017
On 7 July, the new donor platform Marketplace for World Heritage went live on the World Heritage Centre website. The webpage was launched at an event held during the 41st World Heritage Committee, which is currently taking place in Krakow, Poland.
Participants attending the World Heritage Committee were invited to explore this innovative new platform, which showcases global priority projects ...

Sites in Cambodia, China and India added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List
Saturday, 8 July 2017

Three sites in Angola, Eritrea and South Africa added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List
Saturday, 8 July 2017
Krakow, Poland, 7 July—The World Heritage Committee, in this afternoon’s session, inscribed natural sites in Argentina and China on UNESCO’s World Heritage List as well as a transboundary site in Mongolia and the Russian Federation. It also approved the extension of the World Heritage site of the Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and the Ancient Beech Forests of Germany, which now ...
The World Heritage Committee meeting in Krakow has inscribed Hebron / Al Khalil Old town (Palestine) and W-Arly-Pendjari Complex (Benin, Burkina Faso) on the World Heritage List during its morning session. The Committee simultaneously added the site of Hebron / Al Khalil to the List of World Heritage in Danger.
The new sites in order of inscription are:
Hebron / Al Khalil Old ...

Historic Centre of Vienna inscribed on List of World Heritage in Danger
Thursday, 6 July 2017

Ethiopian World Heritage site, Simien National Park no longer in danger
Tuesday, 4 July 2017

The World Heritage site of Comoé National Park in Côte d’Ivoire no longer in danger
Tuesday, 4 July 2017
