News

Demonstrating an excellent example of cooperation between managers and staff of two of the globe’s most iconic World Heritage volcano sites, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park in the USA and New Zealand’s Tongariro National Park worked together to assess risk to visitors in what can be inherently dangerous places. At the request of the Conservator, Tongariro Whanganui Taranaki ...

After three successful programme cycles of 4 years each, during the period from 2001 to 2012, the Dutch Government decided to extend the Netherlands Funds-in-Trust for another 4-year cycle during the period 2013-2016, for a total amount of 1.5 million Euros. The implementation report “From Astronomy to Zanzibar – 10 Years of Dutch Support to World Heritage”, published by the World Heritage ...

From 15-16 April 2013, 25 experts from 4 European marine World Heritage Sites were brought together in Tönning (Germany) with the aim to strengthen their cooperation.  Participants included managers from High Coast (Sweden), Kvarken Archipelago (Finland), St Kilda (Scotland) as well as from the Wadden Sea (The Netherlands/Germany). Participants engaged in an intensive exchange on ...

The 2nd South East European (SEE) World Heritage Youth Forum for peace and sustainable development was held from 6 to 11 April 2013 in Zajecar, eastern Serbia, home of the Gamzigrad – Felix Romuliana / Palace of Galerius World Heritage site. At the opening ceremony on 7 April, the message delivered on behalf of Irina Bokova, Director General of UNESCO, stated: "Our theme today is forward ...

UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova expressed her deep distress over reports of the continuing destruction which has severely damaged the ancient city of Aleppo, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1986. Today, the minaret of one of Syria's most famous mosques was destroyed during clashes in the northern city of Aleppo. The mosque, which is located within the UNESCO World Heritage site, has ...

A group of Afghan and international experts working on the safeguarding of Bamiyan (Afghanistan), as well as representatives of the Afghan and Japanese governments and UNESCO, recently released a list of recommendations for further activities to preserve the Bamiyan site. The 11th Expert Working Group meeting for the safeguarding of the cultural landscape and archaeological remains of the ...

7th issue of SPANDREL, Historic Urban Landscape. Biannual publication. 2013 The 7th issue of the SPANDREL journal for the promotion and dissemination of the “Historic Urban Landscape” approach published by the School of Planning and Architecture of Bhopal is now available. Mrs. Savita Raje, Professor and Head of the Department of Architecture as well as the editor of this issue, ...

Once again UNESCO will partner with World Wildlife Fund (WWF) for Earth Hour, one of the world's largest and most well-known environmental campaigns in the world. UNESCO has invited World Heritage sites to participate in this initiative by switching off the lights on the night of Earth Hour: Saturday, 23 March 2013, from 8:30 to 9:30pm local time.  The Earth Hour campaign ...

UNESCO is launching a project to develop a flood risk mitigation plan for the World Heritage Site of Ayutthaya. The launch event at UNESCO Bangkok on 22 March 2013 was attended by key players of Thailand’s national flood risk reduction efforts and representatives from the embassies of Germany, Japan, Portugal and the United States that have been actively involved in Ayutthaya’s ...

On 1st March 2013, UNESCO signed the Plan of Operation with the Government of Uganda for the project “Technical and financial assistance for the reconstruction of Muzibu-Azaala-Mpanga, architectural masterpiece of the Tombs of Buganda Kings at Kasubi, Uganda, World Heritage property in Danger”, generously supported through the Japanese Funds-in-Trust. Inscribed on the World ...

For more than a year now, I have been expressing on behalf of UNESCO my deep concern about the dramatic humanitarian situation in Syria and the threats to the outstanding cultural heritage of the country, which bear testimony to its history and to its cultural identity. I have called upon all those involved in the conflict to ensure the respect and protection of this heritage. The tragedy ...

The field testing of the World Heritage Centre’s field guide for climate change adaptation in natural World Heritage sites was launched last Friday in Nairobi.  Managers from Mount Kenya National Park/National Forest and the Kenya Lakes System in the Great Rift Valley and their civil society partners gathered for a two-day introductory workshop on the field guide. The group will now return ...

Managers from 10 World Heritage sites throughout Africa met at the IUCN ESARO regional offices in Nairobi, Kenya to reflect on and learn more about management effectiveness of natural World Heritage sites in Africa. The Africa Nature project, a collaborative effort by the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, IUCN and the African World Heritage Fund, with financial support from the Governments of ...

The UNESCO Kathmandu Office has recently created a website on Lumbini, the Birthplace of the Lord Buddha, World Heritage property in Nepal: ‘Lumbini: Past, Present & Future’. Lumbini, the birthplace of the Lord Buddha, was inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 1997 because of its Outstanding Universal Value. The values described are that it is the birthplace of ...

An Action Plan for the Rehabilitation of Cultural Heritage and the Safeguarding of Ancient Manuscripts in Mali was adopted at an international experts’ meeting organized by UNESCO and France at the Organization’s Headquarters on Monday. The Action Plan for Mali has three priorities: rehabilitate cultural heritage damaged during the conflict with the active ...

On 10 January 2013, UNESCO and the Fondation Franz Weber of Switzerland signed a five-year agreement to reinforce support for the Rapid Response Facility, and to develop a new project for the sustainable preservation of the Dja Faunal Reserve in Cameroon. The partnership will reinforce the ability of the Rapid Response Facility (RRF) to respond to serious risks to World Heritage sites. ...

The Director-General of UNESCO, together with the Government of France, is organizing an international Day of Solidarity for Mali on 18 February 2013 at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France. This day-long event will begin with an international meeting of experts, charged with developing an action plan for the rehabilitation of Mali’s cultural heritage and the safeguarding of ancient ...

On 7 February, international film stars Clive Owen and Jacques Perrin gave their support to Marine World Heritage: The Crown Jewels of the Ocean, at a special event dedicated to marine site preservation at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris. A short film on marine sites, narrated by Mr Perrin, was also shown. The event presented a 10-year strategy to protect the Crown Jewels of the Ocean, ...

In response to the conflict taking place in the northern regions of Mali since April 2012, UNESCO, in collaboration with the National Directorate of Cultural Heritage in Mali and the International Centre for Earthen Architecture (CRAterre), has produced two publications on the cultural heritage of Timbuktu, Gao and Kidal. The first is an illustrated map with detailed texts in two formats ...

UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova made a visit to Mali on Saturday 2 February with French President François Hollande and the interim President of Mali Dioncounda Traoré. The main aim of the visit was to launch the process of reconstruction and safeguarding of the cultural heritage of northern Mali, including the mausoleums of Timbuktu and the city’s fabulous ...