News

On 2 April 2009 at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris Mr Francesco Bandarin, Director of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, signed an agreement with INRAP, the French National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research (Institut national de recherches archéologiques preventives). The Letter of Intent was signed by Mrs Nicole Pot, Director of INRAP and Mr Jean-Paul Jacob, President of ...

The Liaison Group of the Biodiversity-related Conventions (BLG) is a coordinating mechanism among Conventions for joint activities and shared tools in the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, maximizing outcomes from limited resources in accordance with UN goals. The meeting was hosted by the UNESCO World Heritage Centre and took place at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, ...

This lecture presents a brief history of attitudes to conservation in the 20th Century - the key concepts underpinning the Venice Charter (1964) UNESCO recommendations on historic areas (1976) and the Lahore recommendations on historic cities (1980). Professor Lewcock chronicles these changes in his own experiences in Cairo (1972-1984) and Uzbekistan (1970-1996) and he discusses in detail ...

UNESCO was recently informed of two serious threats at the Marojejy and Masoala national parks in the north of Madagascar, which are part of the recently inscribed Rainforests of Atisnanana World Heritage site. Inscribed on the World Heritage List in June 2007 during the 31st session of the World Heritage Committee, the site is composed of six ...

UNESCO, Egypt and Sudan have started commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Nubia Campaign, a defining example of international solidarity when countries understood the universal nature of heritage and the universal importance of its conservation. The Egyptian and Sudanese governments' request - in April and October 1959 respectively - for UNESCO's help to save the 3,000-year-old ...

From 16 to 19 March 2009, Mr Koïchiro Matsuura, Director-General of UNESCO, paid his third official visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He was accompanied throughout his visit by Mr Ziad Bin Abdullah Aldrees, Ambassador and Permanent Delegate of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to UNESCO. On 17 March, the Director-General was received by HRH Prince Sultan bin Salman Bin Abdelaziz Al-Saud, ...

The World Heritage site of the Tubbataha Reef Marine Park in the Philippines will benefit from the total amount of £13,540 collected through an auction organized in February by the Swiss watch company Jaeger-LeCoultre, within the framework of the partnership with UNESCO's World Heritage Centre and the International Herald Tribune. The purchase of a watch designed to celebrate this ...

18 students from Greenland visited the UNESCO World Heritage Centre on 16 March 2009 to learn more about World Heritage, the Arctic and climate change. They were briefed about the expert workshop on World Heritage and the Arctic (Narvik, Norway, 2007), received a copy of the proceedings (see: /) which were published in 2008 thanks to the generous support of the Prince Albert II Foundation of ...

The International Workshop and Expert Meeting "Starlight Reserves and World Heritage - scientific cultural and environmental values", was held in Fuerteventura, Spain, from 10-11 March 2009. It was attended by 32 participants and experts from 10 countries including representatives of private organizations, companies, the tourism industry, NGOs, scientific bodies and research ...

The International Workshop and Expert Meeting "Starlight Reserves and World Heritage - scientific cultural and environmental values", was held in Fuerteventura, Spain from 10-11 March 2009, and attended by 32 participants and experts from 10 countries. Participants were representatives of private organizations, enterprises, the tourism industry, NGOs, scientific bodies and research ...

"For her work on the evolution of the stars from the birth of the universe to the present time." (Jury Citation, General Public) "For her work on the chemical composition of old stars and its relevance to the formation and evolution of galaxies." (Jury Citation, Scientific Public) Who She Is Professor Barbuy was born in Brazil, and received her doctorate degree from the University of Paris ...

UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Jean-Michel Jarre has agreed to become the Artistic Director of the World Sky Race launched in a partnership between the nongovernmental U.S.-based World Air League and UNESCO's World Heritage Centre. The aim of the World Sky Race is to promote environmental protection and the use of lighter-than-air skyships as a means to reduce pollution and pressures caused by ...

On 23 January 2009, Artist for Peace Ms Missa Johnouchi met with Mr Francesco Bandarin, Directer of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, to present a donation for the preservation of World Heritage sites. The funds, collected during the "World Heritage Torch-Run Concert - A voyage of the heart on the Silk Road from France to Japan" organized by the French Chamber ...

On 22 January 2009, the Anegundi Bridge at the World Heritage Group of Monuments at Hampi collapsed, killing eight construction workers. The unfinished bridge over the Tungabhadra River gave way under the weight of the additional concrete used to complete its construction, only weeks after resumption of the works which had been halted over 9 years ago. The Group of Monuments at Hampi was ...

The Royal Palaces of Abomey in Benin were ravaged by a fire on 21 January 2009 which destroyed several buildings. A brushfire, whose origins are still uncertain, consumed the straw roof and framework of six buildings enclosing two temples to Agasu, as well as the tombs of King Agonglo, King Ghezo, and each king's 41 wives. The fire moved quickly due to the strong harmattan winds which are ...

Dutch and the Flemish Governments join Japan, UCCLA and Portugal in financing the San Sebastian Fortress rehabilitation project On 18 December 2008, the Government of Mozambique and UNESCO signed two plans of operation for projects funded by the Netherlands and Flanders Funds-in-Trusts supporting the rehabilitation of the San Sebastian Fortress. Since its inscription on the World Heritage ...

In the context of the partnership between Jaeger-LeCoultre, The International Herald Tribune and UNESCO, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Manufacture has designed a watch symbolizing its commitment to the World Heritage Marine Programme. The goal of the partnership is to identify, monitor and preserve marine sites around the world, and the Swiss luxury watch manufacturer has designed a limited edition ...

The latest version of the World Heritage map, produced by the UNESCO World Heritage Centre and National Geographic Maps with support from the United Nations Foundation, can now be ordered for a modest fee from the World Heritage Centre website. All proceeds from sales of the maps will go toward the preservation and promotion of World Heritage sites. The map is an extremely valuable learning ...

[in French only] Actualités sur l'avancement des projets cfu : Formation «patrimoine culturel et développement local». Porto Novo, Benin, 18-21 novembre 2008. Séminaire international "Les ponts : de la construction à l'approche patrimoniale". Paris, 26-28 novembre 2008. Atelier technique sur les inventaires du patrimoine culturel dans ...

On 16 January 2009, the Government of the Cook Islands officially deposited with the Director-General of UNESCO, Koïchiro Matsuura, its instrument of ratification, becoming the 186th State Party to adopt the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. The World Heritage Convention will enter into force for this State Party on 16 April ...