News

[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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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: ...

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 ...

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) ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...