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Monday, 20 December 2010
Faced with the growing threat of industrialization of the oceans and the persistent rush for marine resources, managers from the 43 marine sites on UNESCO's World Heritage List met from 1 to 3 December in Honolulu, Hawaii to explore ways of strengthening conservation of the "crown jewels of the ocean".
This first ever meeting of marine World Heritage managers charted the way for a stronger ...
3 min read
Monday, 20 December 2010
In 2008, Jaeger-LeCoultre signed a long-term 'Tides of Time' partnership with the UNESCO World Heritage Centre and the International New York Times, comprising a 3-year international communication campaign in the pages of the International New York Times and online, promoting a number of marine World Heritage sites and issues affecting them. The goal of the partnership is to help defend and ...
Wednesday, 15 December 2010
The United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the US Geological Survey have released a first ever satellite analysis of global mangrove forest coverage. The analysis reveals a total area of 137,760 square kilometers, 12.3% lower than had previously been estimated, and shrinking. For more information, click here.
Mangrove forests grow along tropical ...
2 min read
Thursday, 9 December 2010
[in French only] Vie de la CFU
* Signature d'un accord entre l'UNESCO et l'AFD, 9 novembre 2010, Paris.
* Réunion de bilan technique, 3 février 2011, UNESCO, Paris.
Actualités sur l'avancement des projets cfu :
* Le projet « Niger - Loire : gouvernance et culture » se poursuit au Mali.
* Syrie : Villages antiques du nord. ...
Tuesday, 7 December 2010
Experts from UNESCO's World Heritage Centre and the International Council of Monuments and Sites will arrive in Pompei on 2 December to examine the state of conservation of the World Heritage site. The mission follows the destruction in early November of the Schola Armaturarum and further collapses yesterday and today, including that of a wall at the House of the Moralist.
This advisory ...
1 min read
Monday, 29 November 2010
Three World Heritage sites in Cyprus and a fourth in Italy have been given "enhanced protection" status by the Committee for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, which held its fifth meeting at UNESCO Headquarters from 22-24 November. The sites, which are the first to be granted this status, are Choirokoitia, Paphos (sites I and II) and the Painted Churches of ...
2 min read
Wednesday, 24 November 2010
The UNESCO World Heritage Centre, in cooperation with the University of Witwatersrand, South Africa, organized the international meeting, International Rock Art Archive Working Group, on 17 to 19 November 2010 at the Rock Art Research Institute, Johannesburg, South Africa. The meeting was jointly financed by the University of Witwatersrand and the Spanish Funds-in-Trust.
Twelve international ...
1 min read
Monday, 22 November 2010
In partnership with the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, La Monnaie de Paris is offering a 100,000€ coin set with diamonds in the image of the Taj Mahal, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Part of the proceeds will support the work of the World Heritage Centre.
La Monnaie de Paris has received authorization to sell 29 of them, each weighing one kilogram (2.2 lbs). Designed in partnership with ...
1 min read
Friday, 19 November 2010
The Rapid Response Facility is an emergency small grant programme that provides rapid assistance to counter major threats to wildlife conservation, primarily in UNESCO designated natural World Heritage sites. In the month of November, the Rapid Response Facility awarded grants to stop elephant poaching in stunning Zakouma National Park in Chad, and support petroleum clean-up in the Nile ...
3 min read
Friday, 19 November 2010
The University of the Netherlands Antilles is organizing a course on Caribbean Heritage in Curaçao from 21 to 25 March 2011 for Module 1 and from 28 March to 1 April for Module 2.
This course is for heritage professionals but also students, researchers, decision makers from the Caribbean region.
Participants must be able to operate on an academic level and be working in the area of ...
Tuesday, 9 November 2010
The UNESCO World Heritage Centre would like to express its sincere condolences on the death of Andrzej Tomaszewski, renowned professor of built heritage conservation and former Director of ICCROM. His passing comes as a great loss to the cultural heritage preservation field.
Born in Warsaw, Poland, Prof Tomaszewski graduated from the Warsaw University of Technology with degrees in Art ...
1 min read
Monday, 8 November 2010
With over 250 properties inscribed on the World Heritage List, cities are one of the most abundant and diverse categories of heritage.
This quantity and diversity add to the dynamics of urban heritage conservation, where concepts and approaches are constantly changing and evolving. To stay in the forefront of international views and trends and to contribute to ongoing debates involving ...
1 min read
Tuesday, 2 November 2010
On 2 November 2010, the Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, and Kris Peeters, Minister - President of the Government of Flanders (Kingdom of Belgium), signed an agreement establishing a Trust Fund that will support UNESCO's activities in the field of heritage.
This is the third Trust Fund signed between UNESCO and the Government of Flanders. It bears witness to the trust and interest ...
1 min read
Thursday, 28 October 2010
The Go4BioDiv International Youth Forum for Natural World Heritage Sites took place from 16-29 October in Mt Fuji and Nagoya, Japan, in parallel to the 10th Conference of the Parties (COP) of the Convention on Biological Diversity.
The theme of the forum was "Our Treasures at Risk - World Heritage Sites in Times of Climate Change". Thirty-four young participants represented 23 World Heritage ...
2 min read
Friday, 22 October 2010
From 18 to 29 October, the 10th Conference of the Parties (COP) of the Convention on Biological Diversity is taking place in Nagoya, Japan. The COP marks the 20th anniversary of the Convention and is one of the highlights of the 2010 International Year of Biodiversity. An important objective of the meeting is to adopt a revised and updated Strategic Plan including new biodiversity ...
2 min read
Wednesday, 20 October 2010
A fire that broke out on 11 October 2010 in the Maïdo forest at La Reunion National Park on Réunion Island was the worst the area has seen in twenty years, with roughly 1,000 hectares of the Park affected. Key areas of endemic plants seem to be seriously affected as well as other key micro-habitats for biodiversity. Among wildlife, several rare species are under threat, according to a ...
1 min read
Wednesday, 20 October 2010
The state of conservation of Serengeti National Park was examined at the 34th Session of the World Heritage Committee meeting in Brasilia, in July 2010, and the Committee expressed its utmost concern about a proposed highway in the northern wilderness area of the Serengeti National Park. This proposed highway is a part of Tanzania's Transport Sector Improvement Program (2002-2012). The North ...
1 min read
Wednesday, 20 October 2010
In an effort to involve the young generation in the decision-making process and present their experience in biodiversity conservation, young adults representing natural World Heritage sites around the world have joined the Go4BioDiv International Youth Forum. The Forum is held from 16-29 October at Mt Fuji and Nagoya, Japan, parallel to the Convention on Biological Diversity's 10th Conference ...
2 min read
Tuesday, 19 October 2010
On 14 October 2010, UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova convened Israeli, Jordanian and Palestinian experts for a 'brainstorming meeting' to reactivate the UNESCO Action Plan for the safeguarding of the cultural heritage of the Old City of Jerusalem and its Wall, building on the constructive decision taken at the 34th session of the World Heritage Committee in Brasilia last August.
In her ...
3 min read
Tuesday, 19 October 2010
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 1981, you will be under 30 years of age in 2011.The Marc de Montalembert Foundation offers a 7000 euros grant for qualifying projects.The grant aims to encourage better knowledge and appreciation of the cultural diversity ...
1 min read
Friday, 8 October 2010
The news of a massive toxic spill that occurred 4 October 2010 at an aluminum plant in Hungary has caused great concern in the international community. We deeply deplore the impact of this disaster, especially the loss of lives.
The flood reached the Danube River from the Raab River on 7 October 2010, and while pH levels are diminishing, heavy metals and other substances could have a ...
1 min read
Thursday, 7 October 2010
Promotion of the World Sky Race, an unprecedented race among skyships, blimps and zeppelins to begin in September 2011, was launched on two giant screens in Times Square, New York City on September 30 and October 1, 2010. Scheduled to begin next year in London, the race involves competing teams that will fly around the world in 180 days and return to London. The team with the best ...
1 min read
Tuesday, 5 October 2010
The German Minister of the Environment Hans-Heinrich Sander (Lower Saxony) and the Minister of Fishery Dr Juliane Rumpf (Schleswig-Holstein) received the UNESCO certificate for the transboundary World Heritage site of the Wadden Sea during the inscription ceremony on 2 October 2010 on a boat off the town of Büsum in the Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea National Park. While the World ...
1 min read
Monday, 4 October 2010
In an effort to involve young people in the decision-making process and present their experience in biodiversity conservation, young conservationists representing natural World Heritage sites are invited to an International Youth Forum from 16-29 October at Mt Fuji and Nagoya, Japan. Held in parallel to the Convention for Biological Diversity's 10th Conference of Parties (COP10) in Japan, the ...
2 min read
Thursday, 30 September 2010
The proceedings of the special session "Heritage and Development: diversity as an alternative" held on 18 December 2009 in the framework of the Africités V Summit in Marrakesh, have just been published.
Organized by UNESCO with the support of the France-UNESCO Convention and in collaboration with the International Association of Francophone Mayors (AIMF), the session was opened by Mr ...
1 min read
Thursday, 30 September 2010
UNESCO, in cooperation with the Egyptian Ministry of Culture and the Governorate of Luxor, will organize the first Scientific Committee meeting on the safeguarding project of New Gourna Village in Luxor, Egypt. The UNESCO initiative aims to assist the Government of Egypt in its efforts to preserve this precious heritage situated within the World Heritage property of Ancient Thebes. New Gourna ...
1 min read
Friday, 24 September 2010
One of America's most renowned photographers, Tom Till's work has appeared in magazines such as Time, Life, National Geographic and The New Yorker, as well as in numerous books. Along with his World Heritage collection, Mr. Till has photographed the landscapes, nature and history of more than 60 countries worldwide. The World Heritage exhibit includes photos of 32 sites, taken in 23 ...
Tuesday, 21 September 2010
On 20 September Mr Frédéric Mitterrand, Minister of Culture and Communication, Ms Chantal Jouanno, Secretary of State for Ecology and Mr Yves Dauge, President of the Association of French World Heritage Sites signed a Charter of Commitment for the Management of World Heritage sites in France.
The ceremony took place at the Ministry of Culture and Communication with Dr Mechtild ...
1 min read
Tuesday, 21 September 2010
On 17 September, UNESCO Assistant Director General for Culture Mr Francesco Bandarin signed a three-year Memorandum of Understanding with Ms Francine C. Berkowitz, Director of International Relations of the Smithsonian Institution, creating an unprecedented agreement between the two institutions for cooperation on cultural and natural heritage programmes. Ms Berkowitz signed on ...
1 min read
Thursday, 16 September 2010
According to reports from the Secretary of the Civil Defense of Mexico, the heavy rains and the downpour of the past few weeks have generated severe flooding in the country, including seriously affecting the Tlacotalpan World Heritage site. The storms have also resulted in the forced relocation of almost 8500 people from the city, and at least five persons have been reported killed over the ...
1 min read
Wednesday, 15 September 2010
The Panamanian non-governmental organization FUNDICCEP (Fundación de Desarrollo Integral, Comunitario y Conservación de los Ecosistemas en Panamá), in coordination with the national authorities, has applied to the Rapid Response Facility (RRF) for funding for urgent analysis into the capacity of Río Chiriquí Viejo watershed, near La Amistad Biosphere ...
2 min read
Friday, 10 September 2010
[in French only] Besançon, Chinon, Lorient, Rennes et Strasbourg accueilleront, du 28 septembre au 5 octobre 2010, des représentants de villes et d'Etats indiens afin d'échanger sur les bonnes pratiques en matière de développement urbain global et durable à partir de la prise en compte des centres historiques.
Ce voyage d'études et de visites, ...
Thursday, 9 September 2010
Finland has taken the lead in applying the Enhancing our Heritage (EoH) management effectiveness assessment toolkit to cultural World Heritage sites. Finnish representatives participated in a World Heritage Nordic Foundation regional workshop on management planning for Nordic countries in 2009 in which the EoH toolkit had been presented. They were impressed by the toolkit's ...
2 min read
Wednesday, 8 September 2010
The first preparatory meeting for the Second Cycle of the Periodic Reporting exercise for World Heritage in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) for the Mexico and Central America sub region was held from 6 to 8 September 2010 at the Antiguo Convento Franciscano de Propaganda FIDE, currently the Guadalupe Museum in Zacatecas (Mexico). The meeting coincided with the inauguration of the World ...
1 min read
Wednesday, 1 September 2010
[in French only] * Réunion du Comité Mixte de Coordination de la CFU, 11 mai 2010.
* Départ d'Isabelle Longuet du secretariat de la CFU.
* Valorisation du partenariat avec le Ministère de l'écologique, de l'énergie, du développement durable et de la mer (MEEDDM). Ingénierie de projet en vue de la soumission de projets au Fonds ...
Monday, 30 August 2010
The second phase of the Business Skills for World Heritage programme, designed to develop the business management skills of UNESCO World Heritage site staff, is about to start. The participants of the first team met on 27 August in Borneo (Malaysia), where the training will take place.
Teams from six World Heritage sites will be partnered with business mentors from global energy company ...
1 min read
Monday, 23 August 2010
A new website about Ireland's World Heritage properties and Ireland's Tentative List sites has just been launched.
This website contains information about Brú na Bóinne and Skellig Michael, the two Irish World Heritage sites, and the seven properties inscribed on Ireland's Tentative List. The website also includes galleries of stunning photographs of the properties. ...
Thursday, 12 August 2010
In addition to their dramatic consequences for the affected people, to which the World Heritage Centre expresses its sincere sympathy, the massive floods which have recently struck Pakistan are causing great concern for the state of conservation of the World Heritage property of Mohenjodaro. The Archaeological Ruins at Moenjodaro display the remains of one of the most important urban centre ...
1 min read
Monday, 9 August 2010
For the second time during 2010, news of massive floods across Central Europe is causing great concern to the World Heritage community, for their impacts on the border region between the Czech Republic, Germany and Poland.
In particular, the flooding has affected the castles and gardens of the transboundary World Heritage site of the Muskauer Park / Park Mużakowski (Germany/Poland), a ...
1 min read
Tuesday, 3 August 2010
The Minister of Culture of the Kingdom of Bahrain, Shaikha Mai bint Mohammad Al Khalifa, has been named new Chairperson of the World Heritage Committee. She replaces the Minister of Culture of Brazil, João Luiz da Silva Ferreira, who has chaired the Committee for the past 12 months.
The Committee nominated Shaikha Mai bint Mohammad Al Khalifa by acclamation on the last day of their ...
1 min read
Monday, 2 August 2010
The UNESCO World Heritage Committee meeting in Brasilia today inscribed a natural site in the Russian Federation on the World Heritage List and has approved the Italian extension of a natural site in Switzerland.
The two sites concerned (in order of inscription)
Monte San Giorgio (Italy) (Extension of «Monte San Giorgio », Switzerland)
Monte San Giorgio is a pyramid-shaped, ...
2 min read
Monday, 2 August 2010
The 34th session of the World Heritage Committee meeting in Brasilia since 25 July today finished its consideration of nominations for the World Heritage List and the List of World Heritage in Danger.
Meeting under the Chairmanship of the Minister of Culture of Brazil, João Luiz da Silva Ferreira, the Committee inscribed 21 new sites, including 15 cultural, 5 natural and 1 mixed ...
2 min read
Sunday, 1 August 2010
The World Heritage Committee meeting in Brasilia has today approved extensions to three cultural sites in Austria, Romania and Spain.
The approved extensions include (in order of inscription):
City of Graz - Historic Centre and Schloss Eggenberg (Austria) (extension of "City of Graz - Historic Centre")
Graz is an exemplary model of the living heritage of a central European urban complex ...
2 min read
Sunday, 1 August 2010
The World Heritage Committee meeting in Brasilia has today has inscribed three new cultural sites, including two in Mexico and one in Brazil. It also inscribed three natural sites in China, Kiribati, Reunion Island (France) and extended a site already on the World Heritage List in Bulgaria.
The cultural sites are (in order of inscription):
Camino Real de Tierra Adentro (Mexico)
Camino Real ...
5 min read
Saturday, 31 July 2010
The World Heritage Committee meeting in Brasilia today inscribed the Ngorongoro Conservation Area (Tanzania) as a cultural property on the World Heritage List. The Committee made its decision because of the extraordinary record of human evolution at the site, which spans a vast area of land from the Serengeti National Park in the north-west of Tanzania to the eastern arm of the Great Rift ...
1 min read
Saturday, 31 July 2010
The World Heritage Committee meeting in Brasilia has inscribed sites in Saudi Arabia, Australia, India, Islamic Republic of Iran and, for the first time, a site in the Marshall Islands, as well as the Republic of Korea on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The latest sites inscribed include (in order of inscription):
At Turaif District in ad-Dir'iyah (Saudi Arabia)
This property was the ...
5 min read
Saturday, 31 July 2010
Imperial Citadel of Thang Long-Hanoi (Viet Nam) becomes 900th site on UNESCO World Heritage List
The World Heritage Committee meeting in Brasilia has inscribed new cultural sites in Viet Nam, China, Tajikistan, France, the Netherlands, on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The Committee also agreed to the extension of two cultural properties in Germany, Norway.
The latest cultural sites ...
5 min read
Friday, 30 July 2010
The World Heritage Committee, holding its 34th session chaired by João Luiz da Silva Ferreira, the Minister of Culture of Brazil, inscribed the Everglades National Park (United States) on the List of World Heritage in Danger, because of serious and continuing degradation of its aquatic ecosystem.
The inscription was made at the request of the United States. It's the second ...
1 min read
Friday, 30 July 2010
The World Heritage Committee holding its 34th session chaired by João Luiz da Silva Ferreira, the Minister of Culture of Brazil, has inscribed the Rainforests of the Atsinanana (Madagascar) on the List of World Heritage in Danger because of illegal logging and hunting of endangered lemurs on the site.
The Committee noted that despite a decree outlawing the exploitation and export of ...
1 min read
Friday, 30 July 2010
The World Heritage Committee holding its 34th session in Brasilia under the chairmanship of João Luiz da Silva Ferreira, today inscribed two new sites on the World Heritage List.
The new sites include 1 natural property and 1 mixed (natural and cultural) property.
The natural site is:
The Central Highlands of Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka's highlands are situated in the south-central ...
1 min read
