News

The first Anglophone African Heritage Regional Youth Forum opened today on Robben Island World Heritage site in South Africa. The forum will take place from 29 April until 4 May. This first-of-its-kind forum is co-organized by the African World Heritage Fund (AWHF), the Robben Island Museum (RIM) and the UNESCO World Heritage Centre with support from the Government of South Africa and the ...

Building materials company CEMEX has committed to staying out of World Heritage sites and to building awareness of the need to protect them, following a collaboration with UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre and IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature. The commitment, confirmed in the firm’s 2015 Sustainable Development Report issued this week, is in line with the globally accepted ...

The Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, expressed sadness and anger after the latest violent attack of 23rd April at Garamba National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The attack left three dead and two wounded among the guards of the Park. "I condemn this attack and killing of the guards at Garamba National Park. Once again I commend the courage of the guards who risk their lives to ...

Thanks to a contribution of 4,992 USD from the International Assistance World Heritage Fund, the State Party of Albania organized a training workshop for the development of monitoring indicators for the World Heritage property "Historic Centres of Berat and Gjirokastra”. The workshop took place in Berat, Gjirokastra and Tirana between 27 and 29 April 2016. In 2009, the World Heritage ...

On their return from a technical rapid assessment mission to the Palmyra yesterday, UNESCO’s experts presented their preliminary findings regarding damages to the Syrian Arab Republic World Heritage site. Headed by the Director of UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre, the mission, from 24 to 26 April inspected both Palmyra’s museum and archaeological site. The mission was escorted by United ...

Following years of preparation, the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park received an “in principle” approval as a Particularly Sensitive Sea Area (PSSA) from the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) last week. The endorsement is a major breakthrough in securing protection from the impacts of international shipping for the World Heritage site and a ...

UNESCO has sent a Rapid Assessment Mission to the world Heritage site of Palmyra (Arab Syrian Republic), led by the Director of the World Heritage Centre, from 24 to 26 April 2016. The objective of the mission is to assess the overall state of conservation of Palmyra and identify the emergency safeguarding measures, including drafting a damage assessment of the site and the museum. The ...

From Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Buddha, UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova commended international efforts to combine safeguarding with the balanced development of a spiritual site that represents a universal message of peace, on 19 April 2016. Preceded by Buddhist chanting, Ms Bokova welcomed members of the International Scientific Committee for the Conservation and Management of ...

Every year on 18 April, ICOMOS celebrates the “International Day for Monuments and Sites”, whose establishment was approved by the 22nd UNESCO General Conference in 1983. ICOMOS wishes to dedicate the 2016 International Day for Monuments and Sites to the heritage of sports, since sports have developed from the origin of humankind onwards and have left testimonies to the diversity of ...

The Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, condemns the destruction of the two historic gates of Mesqa and Adad, and parts of the old ramparts of the archaeological site of Nineveh (Mosul). "I condemn the destruction of the gates of Mesqa and Addad, which are new crimes in a long list of attacks against the cultural heritage of Iraq, after the destruction of the winged bull of the Nergal ...

Saying that culture bears the soul of the Nepalese people, UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova launched a new project for the rehabilitation of the Kathmandu Valley World Heritage Site with the Minister of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Mr Ananda Prasad Pokharel, upon her arrival in Kathmandu today. The three-year project is the result of a partnership agreement with Hainan Province ...

The 199th session of UNESCO Executive Board unanimously adopted a decision regarding UNESCO’s role in “safeguarding and preservation Palmyra and other Syrian world heritage sites”, decision supported by the Russian Federation, South Africa, Germany, Belarus, Brazil, China, the United States, France, Greece, India, Italy, Lebanon, Nigeria, Republic of Korea, Palau, Great Britain and Northern ...

In the context of the ongoing destruction and rapidly evolving situation of World Heritage sites in the Syrian Arab Republic, UNESCO held several information meetings in April to assess the situation and discuss the way forward. During an information meeting for all Member States held on 4 April at UNESCO Headquarters, Director-General Irina Bokova recalled the need for a global approach and ...

A regional workshop for strengthening the role of local communities in the management and conservation of World Heritage sites was held from March 27 to 29, 2016 in Mauritania. Organized by the World Heritage Centre and the UNESCO Office for the Maghreb in collaboration with the Banc d'Arguin National Park, this workshop has emphasized the importance of local communities as a major player in ...

The Director General of UNESCO took part in a High Level event on the protection of cultural heritage organized by the Smithsonian Institution, the world’s largest museum and research complex, in Washington DC. She presented UNESCO's role and work in the protection of heritage, both tangible and intangible, in times of conflict, calling for increased cooperation and coordination between all ...

On 18 February 2016, the participants in the first Thematic Expert Consultation meeting on sustainable management of World Heritage properties of Religious Interest focused on South-Eastern and Mediterranean Europe successfully adopted the Conclusions and Recommendations of the meeting. From 16 to 18 February 2016, thanks to the support of Bulgaria, a cycle of Regional Thematic Consultations ...

Mechtild Rössler, Director of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, acknowledges the great efforts of those engaged for World Heritage protection, and calls for civil society as a whole to increase its commitment to protecting World Heritage sites. World Heritage is humankind’s common heritage, and the responsibility for its conservation is shared by everyone.   The World Heritage Centre values ...