News

Following the liberation of Palmyra, the Director-General of UNESCO, Ms Irina Bokova, discussed with HE Mr Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation, during a telephone conversation on 27 March 2016, the protection and preservation of the cultural heritage of Palmyra. "I stand ready to send a UNESCO emergency assessment experts' mission‎ to map the damages at the UNESCO World ...

"I welcome the liberation of the Palmyra archeological site, martyr city inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, which carries the memory of the Syrian people, and the values of cultural diversity, tolerance and openness that have made this region a cradle of civilization," said the Director General of UNESCO. "For one year, Palmyra has been a symbol of the cultural cleansing ...

As requested by the World Heritage Committee at its 39th session in 2015 (Bonn, Germany), a joint Reactive Monitoring Mission involving the UNESCO World Heritage Centre and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) will take place from 22 to 28 March 2016 to assess the overall state of conservation of the property. The mission will focus on issues that could seriously ...

The Minister of Culture from the Republic of Moldova, Ms Monica Babuc, visited the World Heritage Centre on 17 March 2016 to discuss with the Director, Ms Mechtild Rössler, and her colleagues collaboration on identifying, protecting and transmitting heritage from her country. The topic of economic benefits from sustainable tourism development for local communities was also covered. Currently ...

Today, more than 30% of World Heritage marine sites struggle with unsustainable fisheries. Addressing this challenge has been a core focus of the World Heritage Marine Programme for years, supporting sites around the world in developing capacity like technology-assisted surveillance, and community education and monitoring programs. However, until now, a comprehensive analysis of the impacts ...

On 12 and 13 March, four checkpoints in the central sector of the Virunga National Park World Heritage site located in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (RDC), were attacked by rebel groups during a series of violent clashes. The RDC Armed Forces came to the rescue of the guards of the Congolese Institute for Nature Conservation (ICCN) to restore security to the area. Two ICCN guards were ...

On 8 March the Director of the World Heritage Centre, Mechtild Rossler, met with Sneška Mihailović, Secretary General of Europa Nostra to discuss cooperation between the two organizations. Emphasis was placed on heritage sites under threat and the complementary role of NGOs and civil society in safeguarding World Heritage worldwide. Europe Nostra is a citizens’ movement for the safeguarding ...

Syria possesses a cultural heritage of exceptional richness. Since 2011, this heritage has been seriously affected by conflict in the country, with important monuments, including those registered on UNESCO World Heritage List, facing destruction. Many archaeological sites have been raided and looted by armed groups, aiming for the illegal export of these archaeological objects and artefacts, ...

2015 saw countries across the world agree on the new 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Climate Change Agreement. For UNESCO, these are a single agenda for advancing human rights and dignity, for eradicating poverty, for protecting the planet. Promoting gender equality stands at the heart of this agenda, as a basic human right and a transformational force for more just, ...

Even before the World Heritage Convention of 1972, American historic preservationists understood their work in a worldwide context. Just over fifty years ago the Rains Committee traveled through 8 European countries to study their historic preservation programs. Many of the best ideas they found were enshrined in the 1966 National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA). On the 50th anniversary of ...

// It is increasingly recognized that culture has an essential role to play as a driver of sustainable development, contributing to the eradication of poverty and enhancing social inclusion. Culture helps to define people’s identities and determines the way they shape their future. Gender equality, which is a UNESCO priority, refers to the roles and responsibilities of men and women and ...

Another year of supporting our future heritage leaders The National Trust for Canada is now accepting applications for the Herb Stovel Scholarship Fund. Students studying built heritage and young professionals working in the field are invited to apply by May 27, 2016 for project bursaries or National Trust Conference attendance in 2016 or 2017. To view the Terms & Conditions and to learn ...

Procurement notice: consultancy contract to provide technical assistance to Albanian authorities in the elaboration of a management plan or other documented management system to be part of the nomination file for the extension of the existing World Heritage property “Natural and Cultural Heritage of the Ohrid Region” in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. As a partner in the ...

Procurement notice: consultancy contract to provide technical assistance to Albanian authorities in the elaboration of a management plan or other documented management system to be part of the nomination file for the extension of the existing World Heritage property “Natural and Cultural Heritage of the Ohrid Region” in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. As a partner in the ...

Under the motto “Protection, Prosperity and Conservation”, the Wadden Sea World Heritage and the UNESCO World Heritage and Sustainable Tourism Programme will be represented at the ITB Berlin, the world´s largest tourism fair, from 9 to 13 March 2016 in Berlin, Germany. The World Heritage Wadden Sea can be found in Hall 4.1, booth 227 and offers a varied and interesting programme, with Wadden ...

A severe tropical cyclone struck the Island Nation of Fiji in late February 2016, causing catastrophic destruction and human loss. It is with great sadness that the World Heritage Centre learnt of the tropical cyclone storm that struck Fiji, and wishes to express its deepest sympathy for the human losses as well as for the material damages caused by Cyclone Winston. According to various ...