News

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

"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 ...

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, ...