109 news
Year2014close
Monday, 22 December 2014
The UNESCO World Heritage Centre and Panasonic Corporation have released the 2015 World Heritage calendar. Featuring stunning photographs of World Heritage sites from around the world, this popular calendar can be used in paper, online and tablet app versions.
UNESCO and Panasonic have been creating wall calendars since 1995 and a web version since 2010. The wall calendar includes brief ...
1 min read
Friday, 19 December 2014
The First World Conference on Tourism and Culture will bring together, for the first time, Ministers of Tourism and Ministers of Culture from around the world, experts and stakeholders from both sectors to explore new models of partnership between tourism and culture (Siem Reap, Cambodia, 4-6 February 2015).
Cultural tourism can contribute to inclusive economic growth, social development ...
2 min read
Friday, 19 December 2014
The Panasonic Corporation in cooperation with UNESCO Office Jakarta organised a launching ceremony of LED Lighting Installment in Prambanan Temple Compounds on 17 December 2014. The ceremony was attended by more than 100 participants representing different stakeholders including the National and Local Government, UNESCO Jakarta and Headquarters, local communities, craftsmen, NGOs, as well as ...
2 min read
Thursday, 18 December 2014
An oil spill occurred in The Sundarbans, Bangladesh on Tuesday, 9 December when a small coastal oil tanker sank after being rammed by another vessel from behind, releasing approximately 400,000 liters of oil in the water.
The Sundarbans was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1997 and is one of the largest mangrove forests in the world. It lies on the delta of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and ...
1 min read
Monday, 15 December 2014
As part of the "World Heritage Eco Learning Program", Panasonic hosted, on 15 December 2015, the "Environmental activity for the next generation” at Budapest World Heritage site.
Panasonic hosted 150 pupils in an extraordinary school excursion on Monday, 15 December 2014.
Children between the ages of 8 and 12, and 20 teachers accompanying them, had the opportunity to view the UNESCO ...
1 min read
Friday, 12 December 2014
A presentation of the “Fragile Venice” study, which touches on some of the most serious future challenges faced by the city of Venice and its Lagoon, will take place today, 12 December (2.30 pm.), in Venice, at the sala del Piovego in the Doge’s Palace. As the city’s urban fabric undergoes deep structural changes, this is the first enquiry of its kind into the wider effects of tourism and ...
2 min read
Thursday, 11 December 2014
Twenty-two conservation architects, engineers, archaeologists, and experts from different regions across Syria, including Damascus, Maaloula, Daraa, Homs and Aleppo, concluded today a three-week training course that aims to enhance their technical skills and introduce them to the recent conservation trends in order for them to secure their endangered built cultural heritage and take the ...
3 min read
Wednesday, 3 December 2014
UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova today called for the creation of “protected cultural zones” around heritage sites in Syria and Iraq. Opening an international conference on threats to cultural heritage and diversity in these countries at UNESCO Headquarters, she suggested a start could be made with the city of Aleppo, and especially the Omeyyad Mosque, a highly iconic site located in the ...
3 min read
Friday, 28 November 2014
On the occasion of the Mediterranean Week of Economic Leaders and in the framework of the XXIII General Assembly of the Association of the Mediterranean Chambers of Commerce and Industry (ASCAME) held on 26 November 2014, UNESCO received an award for promoting Mediterranean cultural heritage in the world and for its efforts to promote the tangible and intangible cultural heritage as a ...
1 min read
Wednesday, 26 November 2014
In 2011, the French Ministry of Culture and Communication (Directorate General of Cultural Heritage – Department of European and International Affairs) launched « e-patrimoines »: a new e-learning training program on tangible and intangible heritage, for nearly a hundred francophone countries. This project was undertaken in partnership with the Agence universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF) ...
2 min read
Tuesday, 25 November 2014
Recent policy and conceptual developments in World Heritage, and in conservation generally, set the stage for new approaches that engage indigenous and local communities in World Heritage. The inclusion of communities as one of the five Strategic Objectives in the World Heritage Convention reflects an increasing demand for community engagement at all stages of the World Heritage process, and ...
2 min read
Thursday, 20 November 2014
The World Heritage Centre expresses its condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Professor Karel Bakker from the Department of Architecture, University of Pretoria (South Africa), and a long-time collaborator on World Heritage, who passed away on 19 November 2014.
Prof. Bakker contributed to numerous World Heritage missions, Heritage Impact Assessments, training workshops, ...
1 min read
Thursday, 20 November 2014
The General Assembly of the States Parties to the World Heritage Convention met for its 1st extraordinary session on 13-14 November 2014 at UNESCO Headquarters under the Chairpersonship of Ms Vera Lacoeuilhe, Permanent Delegate of Saint-Lucia to UNESCO, with the mandate of examining the proposals made by the Open-ended Working Group to revise the Rules of Procedure in order to achieve the ...
3 min read
Tuesday, 18 November 2014
The Convention on Wetlands, also known as the “Ramsar Convention” from the name of the city in Iran where it was signed in 1971, is an intergovernmental treaty which provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and sustainable use of wetland biodiversity and services. It was the first of the modern global multilateral environmental agreements ...
1 min read
Tuesday, 18 November 2014
Amidst alarming reports of increase in acts of vandalism, illicit trafficking and attacks on Libyan cultural heritage, UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova called on all parties to protect Libya’s unique cultural heritage. Her call came in the context of the deterioration of the security situation in Libya and in support of efforts towards an inclusive political dialogue to put an end to the ...
2 min read
Monday, 17 November 2014
Compliance management in the Great Barrier Reef has matured over more than 30 years and is currently one of the most advanced worldwide. Still today, over 30% of all marine World Heritage sites are suffering serious pressure from fishing activities, most of which is illegal and unreported. Monitoring and evaluation of these sites is often costly and the need for a clever intelligence system ...
1 min read
Monday, 17 November 2014
Conserving Cultural Landscapes: Challenges and New Directions is now available from Routledge publishers.
The book is edited by Ken Taylor, Australian National University, Australia; Archer St. Clair, Rutgers University, USA; and Nora J. Mitchell, University of Vermont, USAIt is published as part of the series Routledge Studies in Heritage.
Challenging traditional notions of historic ...
1 min read
Monday, 17 November 2014
Patrimonito takes a stand in a changing global environment
The World Heritage Centre (WHC) is pleased to announce the Call for Proposals for the World Heritage Volunteers (WHV) Campaign 2015. In the framework of the UNESCO World Heritage Education Programme, the WHC leads the Initiative in collaboration with the Coordinating Committee for International Voluntary Service (CCIVS), Open Houses ...
1 min read
Sunday, 16 November 2014
November 15, 2014, marks the official announcement of the design competition to build the new Bamiyan Cultural Centre in Afghanistan. UNESCO, together with the Government of Afghanistan, decided to select the design of the Cultural Centre through an open international competition.
The competition will generate interest in the project and ensure that the winning design is both iconic and also ...
2 min read
Sunday, 16 November 2014
UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova visited Australia’s Great Barrier Reef on the weekend of 15-16 November for a firsthand look at the way the World Heritage site is being managed. Her visit came amidst widespread concerns over the health of the reef, which experts say is threatened by climate change, pollution and other environmental issues that make careful, long-term planning absolutely ...
1 min read
Friday, 14 November 2014
From the 13 to the 15 October 2014, the Paraguay National Commission for cooperation with UNESCO through its Executive Committee for Heritage, the UNESCO Associated Schools Project Network (ASPnet), Paraguay National Secretary of Tourism (SENATUR) and the Paraguay Chamber of Tourism for the Jesuit Missions, with the cooperation of the Ministry of Education and Culture, will hold the 1st Youth ...
1 min read
Friday, 14 November 2014
Supermodel and UN Goodwill ambassador for the Environment Gisele Bündchen narrates the latest film from the World Heritage Marine Programme, which premiered at the World Parks Congress in Sydney, Australia, to a standing-room-only crowd.
Ms Bündchen is a strong supporter of ocean conservation and believes in its critical role in human and ecosystem health. She has given her time and talent ...
2 min read
Friday, 14 November 2014
The Rapid Response Facility (RRF) releases the 2014 legacy report summarizing its lasting impacts of eight years of cooperation with the UNESCO World Heritage Centre and its partners, notably the Franz Weber Foundation and Fauna & Flora International.
The programme provides emergency support to natural World Heritage sites in developing countries. Since 2006, The RRF has given 35 grants ...
1 min read
Friday, 14 November 2014
Sydney, 13 November - UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova today called for a global commitment to “restore, revitalize and safeguard one of the planet’s most precious resources: protected areas”, at the opening session of the World Parks Congress, in Sydney, Australia.
The Congress is organized by the International Union for the Conservation for Nature (IUCN), one of the advisory bodies to ...
2 min read
Thursday, 6 November 2014
With the severe deterioration of the humanitarian and security situation in Iraq, UNESCO has established an Emergency Response Action Plan (ERAP) to address the challenges to safeguarding Iraq’s cultural heritage. The plan was set up at an emergency expert meeting held at UNESCO’s Paris Headquarters on 17 July 2014, which brought together experts from both Iraq and the international community ...
2 min read
Wednesday, 5 November 2014
UNESCO is gearing up for its participation in the 2014 IUCN World Parks Congress (WPC), which will take place in Sydney, Australia, from 12 to 19 November At this edition of the world’s most influential international forum devoted to the planet’s protected areas, over 5,000 participants will formulate the global conservation agenda in the outcome document: "The Promise of Sydney".
It is also ...
2 min read
Tuesday, 4 November 2014
Thanks to the generous support of the French National Commission and Ateliers d'Art de France, UNESCO will participate in the International Cultural Heritage Show at the Carrousel du Louvre, in Paris, France from 6 to 9 November. The Organization will have stand 30 during the four days and will present its activities in the culture sector, particularly concerning cultural heritage. UNESCO ...
1 min read
Wednesday, 22 October 2014
Following the first African World Heritage entrepreneurship training workshops, which took place in Ghana and Senegal in May 2014, an Anglophone Entrepreneurship Field Training Workshop for World Heritage site managers and community representatives from Africa was organized from 22 September to 10 October in Livingstone, Zambia.
This Field Training Workshop was devoted to developing a ...
1 min read
Tuesday, 21 October 2014
The Asian World Heritage Media/Communication Training Workshop for young people: "Passing the Culture Message" was held in Gyeongju, Republic of Korea, from 9 to 13 October 2014. Fourteen participants from the Asia-Pacific region participated in the programme, which included the opportunity to visit and film three World Heritage sites: Gyeongju Historic Areas, Seokguram Grotto and Bulguksa ...
2 min read
Monday, 20 October 2014
The Rapid Response Facility (RRF) has launched an emergency appeal for funds to tackle an upswing in poaching activity in Garamba National Park in Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), a World Heritage site inscribed on the World Heritage List in Danger.
Please donate now to help us give Garamba's dedicated rangers the vital resources they need to protect the Park's ...
2 min read
Monday, 13 October 2014
Stakeholders of the World Heritage property "Dja Faunal Reserve", (DFR) met in Yaoundé (Cameroon) from 24 to 25 September 2014 to evaluate the current situation of threats to the property and to discuss mitigation measures to be taken in response to requests of the World Heritage Committee. They also discussed and agreed upon the framework to be set up to strengthen the coherence and synergy ...
1 min read
Tuesday, 23 September 2014
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 1987, you will be under 28 years of age in 2015.
The Marc de Montalembert Foundation offers a 7000 euros grant for qualifying projects. To present a project an application form must be requested before November 15th 2014. Deadline for ...
1 min read
Monday, 25 August 2014
Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are islands of the Caribbean Sea, the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans. They are some of the most beautiful places on Earth, with atolls of white sand beaches, mountain ranges, historic ports and towns, and agricultural landscapes.
SIDS share similar interests, concerns and challenges, such as marine and coastal management, impacts of climate changes, ...
1 min read
Friday, 15 August 2014
On 15 May 2014, the Government of the Bahamas officially deposited with the Director-General of UNESCO its instrument of ratification of the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage.
The World Heritage Convention has entered into force for this State Party on 15 August 2014, with the Bahamas becoming the 191st State Party to accept this Convention. The ...
Tuesday, 12 August 2014
Recent events in Syria, Iraq, Libya and Mali have highlighted the multiple threats to cultural heritage during crisis, including deliberate attacks, destruction as collateral damage in fighting, the greed of unscrupulous traders and collectors, vandalism of factions that seek to erase the achievements of past cultures.These events have shown the complexity of any intervention to safeguard ...
6 min read
Tuesday, 5 August 2014
As part of the "World Heritage Eco Learning Program", Panasonic hosted, from June 26th to 28th, the "Environmental activity for the next generation” at the Ogasawara Islands - a UNESCO World Heritage site.
During the event, Japanese children from Ogasawara Elementary School and Ogasawara Lions Club, recorded videos in collaboration with "Kids Witness News", a global hands-on video education ...
1 min read
Monday, 4 August 2014
Over the last several weeks, the World Heritage Centre as well as several Permanent Delegations of States Parties to the World Heritage Convention have received messages from an emailing campaign organized by the group of local NGOs “Plataforma Salvar o Tua” expressing its opposition to the construction of the Foz Tua Hydro-Electric Dam project, located in the buffer zone of the World ...
1 min read
Friday, 1 August 2014
On 18 July, site managers of World Heritage sites in Portugal and the Portuguese National Commission for UNESCO signed a cooperation agreement to create the Network of World Heritage Sites in Portugal. The event was hosted by the University of Coimbra (UC) and covered by UC Television Web.
Through this agreement all partners have committed to promoting cooperation between Portuguese World ...
1 min read
Thursday, 31 July 2014
Culture & Development No.11World Heritage in the Caribbean
The results of the Second Periodic Report on the State of World Heritage in Latin America and the Caribbean were presented at the 37th session of the World Heritage Committee held in Phnom Penh (Cambodia), in June 2013. The UNESCO Office in Havana, with the aim of supporting the preparation of a new Action Plan for the Caribbean ...
1 min read
Thursday, 17 July 2014
UNESCO today held a consultation with Iraqi and international cultural heritage experts and agreed on an Emergency Response Action Plan to safeguard Iraq’s rich and diverse cultural heritage.
The Plan is intended to secure the cooperation of all stakeholders, including national and international organizations, humanitarian relief workers in the field, art dealers, international museums ...
2 min read
Thursday, 17 July 2014
[in French only] Le Centre du patrimoine mondial s’inquiète de la recrudescence du braconnage et de la multiplication des attaques armées contre le Parc National, qui ont eu lieu ces deux derniers mois. Ainsi, les autorités congolaises déplorent le massacre de 78 éléphants depuis le mois d’avril 2014, soit environ 4% de l’effectif de ...
Thursday, 10 July 2014
On the occasion of the 38th Session of the World Heritage Committee (Doha, Qatar), the Chairperson of the World Heritage Committee, Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa Bint Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, joined the Director-General of UNESCO, Ms Irina Bokova, and the Chairperson of the African World Heritage Fund, Mr Sibusiso Xaba, at a roundtable discussion on 21 June 2014 featuring interventions ...
1 min read
Wednesday, 2 July 2014
Phase II of “Strengthening Conservation and Management of Lumbini, the Birthplace of the Lord Buddha, World Heritage Property” (2014-2017): Japan continues funding to safeguard Lumbini, Buddha’s birthplace
The Government of Nepal and UNESCO signed an agreement on Monday, 30 June 2014 to implement the three-year second phase of the project “Strengthening conservation ...
2 min read
Tuesday, 1 July 2014
The value of rebuilding Timbuktu, a unique intellectual and spiritual capital rich in cultural treasures, is priceless for both Mali’s post-conflict recovery and for its significance for global patrimony. However $8 million is still required for the actual restoration costs, according to Lazare Eloudou Assomo, UNESCO Representative to Mali and global expert on the iconic World Heritage ...
2 min read
Monday, 30 June 2014
A UNESCO World Heritage site in Danger needs your help! Your donations will help the Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra combat the crisis of poaching of Sumatran elephants. An emergency appeal has been launched by our partner, the Rapid Response Facility (RRF) for local conservation group HAkA.
Please click here to donate.
You can also watch the emergency appeal video by clicking ...
2 min read
Friday, 27 June 2014
Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg (Germany) is receiving applications for the Master’s programme in World Heritage Studies.
CONCEPT
The international Master’s programme World Heritage Studies was developed around the UNESCO Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. Its curriculum reflects diverse approaches to ...
2 min read
Wednesday, 25 June 2014
The inscriptions of the 1000th site and Myanmar’s first property on the World Heritage List, were among the highlights of the 38th session of the World Heritage Committee, which ended today in Doha (Qatar). During its ten-day meeting, the Committee added a total of 26 new sites the List to bring the number of World Heritage Sites to 1007, in 161 countries.
The session, chaired by ...
2 min read
Tuesday, 24 June 2014
In the framework of UNESCO’s Action plan for the safeguarding of Mali’s cultural heritage adopted in February 2013, and as part of the World Heritage Earthen Architecture Programme (WHEAP 2007-2017), the World Heritage Centre has now published the Conservation Manual and the Study on Timbuktu’s Mausoleums.
Both publications compile valuable documentation on this prominent World Heritage ...
1 min read
Monday, 23 June 2014
Doha, 23 June – The World Heritage Committee this morning inscribed properties in the Russian Federation, Costa Rica, Viet Nam, India, Philippines and Denmark on the World Heritage List. It also approved the extensions of a site in China and two transboundary sites in Poland and Belarus, and Denmark and Germany.
The sites discussed include two cultural sites, a mixed natural and ...
5 min read
Sunday, 22 June 2014
Doha, 22 June – Botswana’s Okavango Delta became the 1000th site inscribed on the World Heritage List today. Okavango was inscribed as a natural site by the World Heritage Committee, which is meeting in Doha (Qatar) under the Chair of Sheikha Al Mayassa Bint Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani.
The Committee also inscribed sites in France, Israel, Italy,Turkey and the United States ...
5 min read
Sunday, 22 June 2014
Doha, 22 June –Myanmar made its entry onto the World Heritage List today, with the inscription of its first site, Pyu Ancient Cities. The World Heritage Committee, meeting in Doha (Qatar) under the Chair of Sheikha Al Mayassa Bint Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, also inscribed Iran’s ‘Burnt City” on the List.
Pyu Ancient Cities (Myanmar) includes the remains of ...
2 min read
Sunday, 22 June 2014
Doha, 22 June – The World Heritage Committee, meeting in Doha (Qatar) under the Chair of Sheikha Al Mayassa Bint Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, this morning inscribed four cultural sites in the Republic of Korea, China, and India on the World Heritage List, as well as a section of the Silk Roads network, submitted by Kyrgyzstan, China and Kazakhstan.
The new properties are: ...
4 min read
Saturday, 21 June 2014
Doha, 21 June – The World Heritage Committee, meeting in Doha (Qatar) under the Chair of Sheikha Al Mayassa Bint Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, this afternoon inscribed two new cultural sites and one mixed natural and cultural site on the World Heritage List. They include Qhapac Ñan, Latin America’s first serial property, crossing six countries across the continent.
The new ...
3 min read
Saturday, 21 June 2014
Doha, 21 June – The World Heritage Committee, meeting in Doha (Qatar) under the Chair of Sheikha Al Mayassa Bint Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, has today inscribed the following sites on the World Heritage List.
Erbil Citadel (Iraq) is a fortified settlement on the top of an imposing ovoid-shaped tell (a hill created by many generations of people living and rebuilding on the same spot) ...
3 min read
Saturday, 21 June 2014
Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa Bint Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, Chairperson of the 38th Session of the World Heritage Committee, met today with Ambassador José Manuel Rodríguez Cuadros, Chairperson of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, and Mr. Mauricio Escanero, Chairperson of the Subsidiary Committee of the Meeting of States Parties to ...
1 min read
Friday, 20 June 2014
Doha, 20 June – The World Heritage Committee today began the examination of 36 sites nominated for inclusion on the World Heritage List. The first property discussed was Palestine: Land of olives and vines, Cultural Landscape of Southern Jerusalem, Battir, submitted by Palestine as an emergency nomination.
The Committee approved the inscription of the site on the World Heritage List. It ...
1 min read
Friday, 20 June 2014
This compilation of 40 case studies on the conservation and management of historic cities is now available in hard copy format, in English, French and Spanish.
The compilation is available online in three languages: English, French and Spanish.
This compilation of case studies on the conservation and management of historic cities Developing historic cities: keys for understanding and taking ...
1 min read
Friday, 20 June 2014
The World Heritage Institute of Training and Research for the Asia and the Pacific Region under the auspices of UNESCO (WHITRAP) created a special web site dedicated to the Historic Urban Landscape (HUL).
The Historic Urban Landscape (HUL) is an approach to the management of heritage resources in dynamic and constantly changing environments. It is based on the recognition and ...
1 min read
Thursday, 19 June 2014
Delegates to the 2014 World Heritage Youth Forum held in Doha from 4 to 15 June, made it clear they expect to play a much bigger role in safeguarding the world’s heritage, and proposed a range of projects aimed at getting young people more involved.
The Youth Forum has become an annual meeting held in conjunction with the session of the World Heritage Committee. This year’s Forum was ...
2 min read
Wednesday, 18 June 2014
Doha, 18 June – The World Heritage Committee meeting in Doha (Qatar) today inscribed the Selous Game Reserve (United Republic of Tanzania) on the List of World Heritage in Danger because widespread poaching is decimating wildlife populations on the property. The Committee called on the international community, including ivory transit and destination countries, to support Tanzania in the ...
1 min read
Wednesday, 18 June 2014
Doha, 18 June – The World Heritage Committee meeting in Doha (Qatar) today deferred for 12 months a decision on whether to inscribe Australia’s Great Barrier Reef on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
The Committee’s concerns over the site relate to planned coastal developments, including development of ports and liquefied natural gas facilities. It has asked Australia ...
1 min read
Tuesday, 17 June 2014
Doha, 17 June – The World Heritage Committee meeting in Doha (Qatar) today inscribed the City of Potosi (Plurinational State of Bolivia) on the List of World Heritage in Danger, because of continued and uncontrolled mining operations in the Cerro Rico Mountain that risk degrading the site.
In the 16th century, Potosi was regarded as the world’s largest industrial complex. The ...
1 min read
Tuesday, 17 June 2014
The World Heritage Committee meeting in Doha (Qatar) has found that management and safeguarding of the Ruins of Kilwa Kisiwani and Ruins of Songo Mnara in the United Republic of Tanzania have improved to the point where the site can be removed from the List of World Heritage in Danger.
Located on two islands close to each other just off the Tanzanian coast about 300km south of Dar es ...
1 min read
Monday, 16 June 2014
Since the World Heritage Convention was adopted in 1972, the World Heritage List has continually evolved and is growing steadily.
With this growth, a critical need has emerged for guidance for States Parties on the implementation of the Convention. Various expert meetings and results of the periodic reporting process have identified the need for more focused training and capacity development ...
1 min read
Monday, 16 June 2014
Doha, 16 June – UNESCO and cruise operator Seabourn today announced a six-year, $1 million partnership agreement aimed at reinforcing protection for World Heritage and promoting sustainable tourism.
The partnership will work to foster wider support and understanding in the travel industry and among travelers, for UNESCO’s mission of identifying, safeguarding and promoting ...
1 min read
Sunday, 15 June 2014
Qatar announces $10m donation for new heritage protection initiative.
Doha, 15 June —The Prime Minister of Qatar, Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani, today announced a $10 million donation to a new fund to protect World Heritage sites affected by conflict or natural disaster. The Prime Minister made the announcement during the opening ceremony of the annual meeting of the World ...
3 min read
Thursday, 12 June 2014
UNESCO has welcomed the announcement by SOCO international this week to halt oil exploration activities in the Virunga National Park, a World Heritage Site in Danger in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
In a joint statement with the World Wildlife Fund, the British company agreed “not to undertake or commission any exploratory or other drilling within Virunga National Park unless UNESCO and ...
1 min read
Wednesday, 11 June 2014
Using its revolutionary 360-degree panoramic underwater camera, the Catlin Seaview Survey aims at revealing the hidden wonders of our oceans. This technology will for the first time provide a comprehensive snapshot of the exceptional values of marine sites on the World Heritage List.
Through its dive expeditions, the survey captures stunning imagery every few seconds allowing anyone with ...
1 min read
Tuesday, 10 June 2014
In celebration of World Oceans Day, the World Heritage Centre presents
"A virtual dive in six marine World Heritage sites"
By Richard Vevers, CEO, Underwater Earth
And an address on the World Hertiage Convention and its contribution to ocean conservation by His Excellency Michael Worbs, Ambassador of Germany to UNESCO
Tuesday, 10 June 2014 at 5:30 p.m.
Restaurant, 7th floor, UNESCO, 125 ...
Friday, 6 June 2014
At the occasion of the 38th session of the World Heritage Committee, held from 15 to 25 June 2014 in Doha (Qatar), a special issue of World Heritage is dedicated to Al Zubarah Archaeological Site, inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2013, which flourished as a pearling and trading centre in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, and offers outstanding testimony to an urban trading and ...
1 min read
Thursday, 5 June 2014
From 23 to 24 May 2014, the UNESCO World Heritage Centre in collaboration with the Beijing Zhongkun Investment Group organized the workshop “Strengthening South-South collaboration on World Heritage and Sustainable Tourism” in Hongcun Village, China.
Hongcun Village is one of the Ancient Villages in Southern Anhui inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2000. The event gathered World ...
1 min read
Wednesday, 4 June 2014
On 15 May 2014, the Government of the Bahamas officially deposited with the Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, its instrument of ratification for the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage.
The World Heritage Convention will enter into force for the Bahamas on 15 August 2014, making the island country the 191st State Party to the Convention, ...
1 min read
Monday, 2 June 2014
The report resulting from the workshop held in Oslo, Norway from 1 to 3 April 2014 on the theme “Building capacity to support rights-based approaches in the World Heritage Convention: Learning from practice” is now available (see attachment below).
In April this year an international invitation-only workshop was held for about 30 IUCN, ICCROM and ICOMOS experts representing most ...
1 min read
Wednesday, 28 May 2014
The World Heritage Committee will consider the inscription of 40 sites on UNESCO’s World Heritage List when it meets in Doha (Qatar) from 15 to 25 June under the chair of Sheikha Al Mayassa Bint Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani.
Sites to be considered include five that are extensions to sites already on the List. The state of conservation of existing World Heritage sites will also be ...
4 min read
Wednesday, 28 May 2014
In May 2014, forty participants, including site managers and local community representatives from World Heritage sites in Africa, participated in two separate “Entrepreneurial Training Workshops for World Heritage” in Ghana and Senegal, coordinated by the African World Heritage Fund (AWHF) in partnership with the World Heritage Centre, UNESCO Offices in Accra and Dakar, the Ecole ...
3 min read
Wednesday, 28 May 2014
UNESCO will establish an observatory in Beirut (Lebanon) to monitor and assess the state of Syria’s cultural heritage. The decision was made during an international meeting of experts held at UNESCO from 26 - 28 May. The Observatory will monitor the state of buildings, artefacts and intangible cultural heritage to combat illicit trafficking and collect information to restore heritage ...
4 min read
Tuesday, 27 May 2014
The Kingdom of Buganda, once the largest of all the traditional kingdoms in East Africa, bears an eloquent witness to the living cultural traditions of present day Uganda. At the heart of this legacy lies the former palace of the Kabakas (Kings) of Buganda, built in 1882 and later converted into the royal burial grounds known as the Muzibu Azaala Mpanga.
After the fire in 2010 the main ...
4 min read
Tuesday, 27 May 2014
UNESCO Sites are symbols of our work in support of sustainable development. The international community helps us ensure these sites, of outstanding universal value, function as models of heritage conservation and sustainable human living. In Ethiopia, UNESCO's work includes developing integrated management plans for sites such as Simien Mountains National Park, the Castles of Gondar, and Lake ...
3 min read
Thursday, 22 May 2014
UNESCO has renewed its partnership with NTT Docomo, Dentsu and Evergreen (Japan), with the goal of educating elementary school pupils about World Heritage through dedicated apps for tablets and web content for teachers.
First launched in 2013, the current agreement is extended to spring 2015 with a focus on teaching children in Japanese schools about natural World Heritage through games, ...
Wednesday, 21 May 2014
A practical guide on climate change adaptation for natural World Heritage sites has been published in the latest edition of the UNESCO World Heritage Paper Series, thanks to the generous support of the Netherlands Funds-in-Trust and the Belgian Federal Public Service Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment.
Climate change has become more prominent as a management concern. The World ...
1 min read
Tuesday, 20 May 2014
At its 38th session to be held in Doha, Qatar, from 15 to 25 June 2014, the World Heritage Committee will examine the state of conservation of 150 World Heritage properties. The full reports are now publicly available through the World Heritage State of conservation Information System at the following Web address: whc.unesco.org/en/soc
As part of the reactive monitoring process for ...
1 min read
Monday, 19 May 2014
On the occasion of the 38th Session of the World Heritage Committee (Doha, Qatar), the World Heritage Centre and the African World Heritage Fund are organizing a Roundtable Discussion for African Ministers responsible for World Heritage with the Director General of UNESCO on 21 June.
This Roundtable Discussion will allow African Ministers to share their views on the accomplishments, ...
1 min read
Tuesday, 13 May 2014
The reconstruction of the Tombs of Buganda Kings at Kasubi in Uganda was launched today at a ceremony held on the World Heritage site, which was partially destroyed by fire in March 2010.The project , which is financed by Japan, is being implemented by the Ugandan Government and UNESCO.
The ceremony was attended by several government representatives including Uganda’s Permanent ...
2 min read
Wednesday, 7 May 2014
From 22 to 25 April 2014, government leaders, ocean practitioners, business, science, donors and international agencies came together at the Global Oceans Action Summit for Food Security and Blue Growth. The Summit, hosted by the government of the Netherlands, aimed at identifying solutions, financing mechanisms and mobilizing innovative partnerships to scale up the efforts toward healthy ...
1 min read
Wednesday, 7 May 2014
UNESCO Bangkok Director Gwang-Jo Kim and Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration (DASTA) Director-General Nalikatibhag Sangsnit officially launched the “Cultural Heritage Specialist Guides for the Historic Town of Sukhothai and Associated Historic Towns World Heritage Site” project at a ceremony in Sukhothai on 21 April.
The Historic Town of Sukhothai and ...
1 min read
Wednesday, 23 April 2014
The latest version of the World Heritage map, produced by the UNESCO World Heritage Centre and National Geographic Maps, has now been published in Arabic thanks to support from the Qatar Museums Authority.
The map is an extremely valuable learning and awareness-raising tool that gives a rich and initial contact with the World Heritage concept, allowing UNESCO to communicate its work in this ...
1 min read
Thursday, 17 April 2014
"It is with distress and anger that I learned of the violent attack against Emmanuel de Merode, chief warden of Virunga National Park,” said UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova. “We are following his condition closely and wish him a full and speedy recovery," she added.
“It is unacceptable that professionals like those of the Congolese Institute for the Conservation of ...
1 min read
Tuesday, 15 April 2014
The cultural landscape of the Loire Valley (France) has launched a new promotion and interpretation tool: a geo localized application for Smartphones on the landscape of the Loire valley: "The Loire valley: view from the train “.
This application is a Mission Val de Loire’s initiative with the Centre and Pays de la Loire regions’, in partnership with France’s national ...
2 min read
Tuesday, 15 April 2014
The Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, today expressed deep concern over the destruction caused by fires that have been raging around the city of Valparaiso and pledged the Organization’s support for Chile in safeguarding the Historic Quarter of the Seaport City of Valparaíso inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2003.
“I wish to present my heartfelt condolences ...
2 min read
Monday, 14 April 2014
This manual provides guidance for States Parties and all those involved in the care of World Heritage cultural properties on how to comply with the requirements of the World Heritage Convention. It also aims to help States Parties to ensure that heritage has a dynamic role in society and harnesses, but also delivers to others, the mutual benefits that such a role can create. The English ...
1 min read
Monday, 14 April 2014
Launched on 14 March 2014 in partnership with UNESCO, the rehabilitation work carried out on Sheik Baber Baba Idjé and Sheik Mahamane Al Fullani mausoleums of Timbuktu was completed this week.
Mausoleums, adjacent to the west side of the Djingareyber Mosque, had been razed to the ground by armed rebel groups on 10 July 2012.
Their reconstruction was thus carried out along the ...
2 min read
Tuesday, 25 March 2014
UNESCO has announced the renewal of its partnership agreement with OUR PLACE Publishing Ltd. The New Zealand-based company will continue its mission to photograph and promote the sites inscribed on the World Heritage List.
Our Place has been documenting World Heritage sites around the globe since first partnering with UNESCO in 2007. So far, Our Place has documented over 360 sites in more ...
1 min read
Monday, 24 March 2014
On 24 March, the UNESCO Director-General opened an International Conference in Bergen, Norway, on the UNESCO 1972, 2003 and 2005 conventions, entitled “Synergies for Development -- Using natural and cultural heritage in sustainable development.”
The Conference is organized by the University of Bergen, in cooperation with the National Commission of Norway for UNESCO, the City of Bergen, the ...
2 min read
Friday, 21 March 2014
The URHC project team invites young filmmakers and urban heritage lovers aged between 18 and 30 years to produce a video of 5 minutes or less, expressing their vision of Historic Cairo.
How do you see Historic Cairo heritage? Show us your vision of the historic soul of the Egyptian capital and of its future.Your video could win the opportunity to represent the image of Historic ...
1 min read
Friday, 14 March 2014
Residents of Timbuktu today launched the reconstruction of World Heritage mausoleums damaged by the armed extremists who occupied the north and centre of Mali in 2012.
During the occupation, the extremists began to destroy the mausoleums - important edifices that bear witness to the golden age of Timbuktu as an economic, intellectual and spiritual centre in the 15th and 16th centuries. These ...
2 min read
Monday, 3 March 2014
Today, we celebrate the first World Wildlife Day, proclaimed by the UN General Assembly. Since time immemorial, humanity has marvelled at the wild animals with which we co-exist and on which we depend. Prehistoric peoples have depicted wildlife through rock art and engravings, many of which are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. UNESCO’s global network of World Heritage sites ...
1 min read
Thursday, 27 February 2014
The third edition of The World’s Heritage is available now, published by UNESCO Publishing and Collins. Featuring all 981 entries on the UNESCO World Heritage List, with all the new sites inscribed onto the list by the World Heritage Committee in 2013.
With only the world’s most spectacular and extraordinary sites making it on to the list, The World’s Heritage (third edition) is a beautiful ...
1 min read
Monday, 24 February 2014
On 20 February 2014 in Bukhara, Uzbekistan, a discussion on the requirements of the UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage was organized jointly with the Senate of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the UNESCO Tashkent Office. Mr Sodik Salikhovich Safoev, Head of the Committee on International Relations of the Senate of Oliy Majlis (Parliament) of the ...
2 min read
Thursday, 20 February 2014
In the face of a deteriorating situation inside Syria, the UNESCO Director-General, Irina Bokova, made the following statement :
"The situation in Syria is deteriorating at a rapid pace with incalculable human suffering and loss. Syria’s unique cultural heritage is also subject to tremendous destruction from the conflict. To date, three UNESCO World Heritage Sites -- Palmyra, the Crac ...
1 min read
Tuesday, 18 February 2014
Managers of natural World Heritage sites in Africa met with national coordinators of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Small Grants Programme from several African countries in Limbe, Cameroon from 10 to 14 February to discuss how to involve local communities in the conservation of World Heritage sites. This workshop is part of UNESCO’s Africa Nature Programme, which aims to ...
2 min read
Thursday, 13 February 2014
UNESCO, Malian and international experts have completed the first assessment of damage to cultural heritage in Gao, following the occupation by armed groups of parts of northern Mali. Their work addressed both sites and the cultural practices of local people.
“Urgent measures are required to safeguard the Tomb of Askia World Heritage site before the next rainy season in June,” ...
3 min read
Over 3 million USD pledged for the African World Heritage Fund at African Union Head of State Summit
Wednesday, 12 February 2014
On Friday 31 January 2014, UNESCO joined forces with the African Union Commission to raise awareness and funds for the African World Heritage Fund (AWHF) during the African Union (AU) Heads of State luncheon at the AU Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Participants pledged a total of 3,050,000 USD in support of the AWHF Endowment Fund.
54 Member States of the African Union were invited ...
3 min read
Wednesday, 12 February 2014
The UNESCO World Heritage Centre has taken note of information provided by individuals and civil society organizations concerning the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage site, and thanks them for their considerations and concerns.
The UNESCO World Heritage Centre has received a request from the Australian Government seeking the approval of the World Heritage Committee for a minor ...
1 min read
Tuesday, 11 February 2014
The Banc d’Arguin National Park (Mauritania) and The Wadden Sea (Germany /The Netherlands) are the most critical sites for migratory birds on the East Atlantic Flyway and are intimately connected in a unique and fascinating way.
The Wadden Sea provides support to migratory birds as a staging, moulting and wintering area. Every year, approximately 30% of the estimated 7 million wading birds ...
1 min read
Tuesday, 11 February 2014
The UNESCO/Korea Funds-in-Trust project, “Support for the Preparation of the World Heritage Serial Nomination for the Silk Roads in South Asia,” was officially approved last July 2013 and has now launched operational activities, in the form of consultation and training meetings, both in Nepal and Bhutan in October and November 2013, respectively.
This undertaking will highlight a ...
2 min read
Friday, 7 February 2014
The Regional Secretariat Northwest Europe of the Organization of World Heritage Cities (OWHC), one of the organization’s 8 regional secretariats, has recently published a position paper on “Safeguarding and Further Developing World Heritage Cities”.
Based on the experiences of its member cities, the paper addresses the challenges and experimented hands-on solutions to ...
Monday, 3 February 2014
UNESCO has welcomed confirmation from French-based oil and gas corporation Total that it will refrain from prospecting or exploiting oil and gas in natural sites inscribed on the World Heritage List, saying this was an encouraging sign for World Heritage conservation.
In a letter sent earlier this month to UNESCO, Total’s Directeur délégué, Relations avec les ONG et la Société civile (Vice ...
1 min read
Friday, 31 January 2014
The World Heritage Committee, at its last meeting in June 2013, expressed concern for the Great Barrier Reef and requested Australia ensure that the property remains well protected.
We received a report on the state of conservation from the Australian government this week. We are currently reviewing this report and all other available information regarding developments concerning the ...
Friday, 24 January 2014
The Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, today expressed grave concern about the damage to Egypt’s Museum of Islamic Art, following the reported explosion of a car near the Police Security Directorate, which is located at Port Said Street in Cairo, in front of the main entrance of the Museum.
“I firmly condemn this attack and the destruction it has caused to the ...
1 min read
