News

On 5 July 2023, five new projects in the field of cultural heritage were launched during a kick-off coordination meeting between UNESCO and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Over US$ 10 million will be provided across three years in the framework of the Fund-in-Trust Agreement signed in January 2020 between UNESCO and the Ministry of Culture of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. “The major contribution ...

Site managers from Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Mali, Niger, and Senegal, gathered from 12 to 16 June 2023 in Toubacouta in the Saloum Delta (Senegal) to reaffirm their strong commitment to work towards the Desired State of Conservation of six West African sites to remove them from the List of World Heritage in Danger. This important workshop was hosted by the Government of Senegal, and ...

The final report of the 4th regional workshop on the Role of Visitor Centres in UNESCO Designated Sites has been released online. It provides insight from participants on fostering tourism sustainability and effective visitor management. The workshop, held in Buzau in November, brought together managers from 22 UNESCO sites across 16 European countries, offering a platform to exchange ...

A highly anticipated inception workshop titled "Heritage for Peace: Enhancing Transboundary and Regional Cooperation for Natural and Mixed World Heritage Sites in Asia" was successfully held on 6 July 2023, in an online format. This experts’ workshop marked a crucial step towards promoting transboundary conservation efforts and unlocking the immense potential of Asia's natural and mixed ...

The second online session of the 5th World Heritage Site Managers' Forum was successfully held on 4 July 2023, with active participation from UNESCO World Heritage site managers worldwide. Around 145 participants gathered for this session, resulting in a collaborative and informative gathering. The first part of the session was led by UNESCO, which provided a comprehensive overview of the ...

The Call for Applications for the 2023 Global Awards for World Heritage Education Innovative Cases is now open until the 31st of July.  Introduction Film for 2023 Global Awards for World Heritage Education Innovative Cases play_arrow play_arrow Watch Organizations National Commission of the People's Republic of China for UNESCO Co-organized by: World Heritage Institute of ...

Copenhagen, 3 July 2023 – The city of Barcelona has been officially designated as World Capital of Architecture for 2026 by the Director-General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay. The designation was made on the recommendation of the Joint UNESCO-UIA Committee for the World Capital of Architecture that is presided by the eminent architect, Dominique Perrault. We are pleased to see the baton of the ...

Over 40 students collected environmental DNA (eDNA) samples in the Socotra Archipelago World Heritage site, as part of the global eDNA expeditions UNESCO is currently piloting across 25 marine World Heritage sites to better understand ocean biodiversity and the effects of climate change. From 28 June to 3 July 2023, 44 students aged 11 to 16 years from four schools collected water samples at ...

The 5th World Heritage Site Managers' Forum (WHSMF23), in conjunction with the 45th extended session of the World Heritage Committee, started its first online session on 19 June 2023. This year's Forum, with the theme "Managing World Heritage for the Next 50 Years" is being hosted by the Ministry of Culture of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, represented by the National Committee and the Heritage ...

UNESCO, with its unique mandate in Earth Sciences, plays a vital role in promoting a sustainable world, with geoscience at the core of its mission. A workshop on geoheritage management in UNESCO designated sites will be held on 19 - 22 October 2023 for personnel working with current or aspiring natural UNESCO designated sites. A call for applications is now open until 13 August 2023. UNESCO ...

By developing pioneering resilience strategies, both Ningaloo Coast in Australia and Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System in Belize work to safeguard their World Heritage-listed coral ecosystems from the impacts of climate change and strengthen the resilience of local communities that depend on the reef for their livelihoods. On 18 May 2023, experts in resilience-based management and local ...

In response to the deteriorating security situation at the W-Arly-Pendjari Complex World Heritage property, the States Parties of Benin, Burkina Faso and Niger have agreed to strengthen their cooperation to improve the management and protection of the property through a "Support Initiative for the Sustainable Management of the W-Arly-Pendjari Complex". Financed by the Government of Norway's ...

The International Centre on Space Technologies for Natural and Cultural Heritage (HIST) under the Auspices of UNESCO is calling for case studies on best practices of digital technologies for the conservation and sustainable development of UNESCO-designated sites. Objective The HIST Award on Sustainable Development of UNESCO-designated sites aims at recognizing exemplary efforts by site ...

Each year, between mid-May and early June, UNESCO celebrates three international days focused on subjects that are as vital as they are complementary. This is an opportunity to jointly consider the three systemic pillars of our planet: biodiversity, the environment and the ocean – the latter being the theme of this world day. The ocean connects, sustains and supports us all. However, its ...

UNESCO welcomes Australia’s decision to implement urgent new protection measures to safeguard the Great Barrier Reef recommended by UNESCO. The measures include a ban on fishing with gillnets. The Australian government formalized its commitments in a letter addressed to Audrey Azoulay, the Director-General of UNESCO this week. "The Great Barrier Reef is a fragile jewel of world heritage. ...

On May 30, 2023, UNESCO successfully launched an online International Workshop on the pilot implementation of the Culture|2030 Indicators. The workshop began with a video address by Mr. Ernesto Ottone R., UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Culture, and opening remarks from Ms. Erica Gerretsen, Director of the Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG-INTPA) of the European ...

The Maya Site of Copán is an important archaeological site inscribed on the World Heritage List since 1980. With the support of UNESCO, Honduras has begun a collaborative process to develop an updated management plan for the Maya Site of Copan, an important archaeological site inscribed on the World Heritage List since 1980. This process started between May 17 and 19, 2023, through a ...

UNESCO is concerned about reports of proposed legislative changes at the regional level to the Special Management Plan for the Irrigation Zones in the northern part of the Forest Crown of Doñana (the “Strawberry Plan”), which could threaten the very reasons for the recognition of Doñana National Park as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Doñana has also been a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve since ...

Each year, between the end of May and the beginning of June, three international days serve as a reminder of three vital and interdependent issues on which the future of our planet depends: biological diversity, the environment and the ocean. And with each year comes an even greater need to understand the urgency of coming together and tackling the immense challenge of preserving nature and ...

On 18 May 2023, Tuvalu became the 195th State Party to the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (1972). With this new ratification, the UNESCO World Heritage Convention nears universal recognition, as one of the most ratified legal instruments in the world. Represented by H.E. Samuelu Laloniu, Special Envoy of the Tuvaluan Government, Tuvalu ...