News

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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, ...

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 ...

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 ...

[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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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. Download Now The publication lays the groundwork for a common approach to a more pro-active, future-oriented ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 (53 ...

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 ...

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, ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...