News

From 4 to 5 May, UNESCO Director-General, Irina Bokova, is travelling to Estonia for an official visit, where she is expected to meet with a number of high level government officials including, the Minister of Foreign Affairs , Ms Keit Pentus-Rosimannus, the Deputy Secretary-General for Planning, Ministry for Education and Research, Ms Kadri Maasik, the Minister for Culture, Mr Indrek Saar, ...

Following an AWF-led great apes conservation workshop in Yaoundé scheduled from April 22nd to 23rd, the AWF will lead a trek initiative from April 25th to May 1st through the center of the Dja Faunal Reserve. One team of rangers from Cameroon and other great apes sites in Central/West Africa will use this opportunity as a field training exercise. At the same time a second team will trek ...

The World Heritage Centre announces with profound sadness the passing on 28 April 2015 of Dr Ronald Van Oers, Vice Director of the World Heritage Institute of Training and Research for Asia and the Pacific Region, a UNESCO Category 2 Centre based in Shanghai, and a colleague of the World Heritage Centre since 2000. Ron was a brilliant professional in the field of heritage. He had a wealth of ...

“As we are receiving more information from the ground, I am deeply aggrieved by the magnitude of human loss caused by the earthquake in Nepal. I am also shocked by its devastating impact on the unique cultural heritage in the country, in particular extensive and irreversible damage at the World Heritage site of Kathmandu Valley”, declared Irina Bokova, the Director-General of ...

The Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, and the Secretary General of INTERPOL, Jürgen Stock, addressed members of the UN Security Council on “Combating the Destruction, Smuggling and Theft of Cultural Heritage” in countries where destruction of heritage, looting and illicit trafficking are used to fuel hatred and finance terrorism. The meeting, convened by the Permanent Missions of ...

The Director-General, Irina Bokova, has expressed her profound sympathy to the government and people of Nepal after the devastating earthquake that struck the country. “I wish to express my sincere condolences following the powerful earthquake that struck Nepal today, causing heavy loss of life and extensive damage, including to historic monuments and buildings of the Kathmandu Valley ...

The endangered chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans, and bonobos found at World Heritage sites in Africa and Asia underscore the importance of these forests and mountain ranges and are highlighted in an infographic released today by the Great Apes Survival Partnership (GRASP) and the World Heritage Centre of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Great ...

A screening of the movie “Virunga” was organized at UNESCO Headquarters, attended by a thousand people, in the framework of the celebration of the 70th anniversary of UNESCO and the United Nations International Earth Day. The screening of the movie took place in the presence of the Director-General of UNESCO, Mrs Irina Bokova, H.E. Mr Bienvenu Lihota Ndjoli, Minister of Environment and ...

UNESCO could not conserve the Crown Jewels of the Ocean without support from public and private partner organizations around the world. In a world that is for 70% oceans, it seems fitting to honor the ocean’s most precious places on Earth Day. This year, we are celebrating Earth Day at a special event hosted in New York City by long-time partner Jaeger-LeCoultre. “Through this partnership, ...

[in French only] Les gestionnaires de Cidade Velha et de plusieurs villes de Cabo Verde, les communautés locales, les experts nationaux et internationaux en charge du patrimoine urbain se sont réunis à Cidade Velha du 15 au 17 avril 2015 pour discuter de l’approche centrée sur le Paysage urbain historique et de la manière dont elle peut contribuer à la gestion et la conservation durable de ...

Towards strengthened governance of the shared transboundary natural and cultural heritage of the Lake Ohrid Region: Local Facilitator, Albania IUCN Programme Office for South-Eastern Europe (SEE) is seeking to recruit an experienced and enthusiastic candidate to join the IUCN SEE team working on the project “Towards strengthened governance of the shared transboundary natural and cultural ...

In 2008 the NGO “Collectif du patrimoine des Comores” launched an inventory and cultural mapping project of the architectural and urban heritage of the Sultanates of the Comoros, with technical and financial support from the World Heritage Centre within the framework of the France-UNESCO Cooperation Agreement. The Comoros put the Historic Sultanates on their Tentative List in 2007. In order ...

UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova today denounced further destruction at the archeological site of Nimrud in Iraq, shown in graphic detail on a video circulating on social media channels. “I condemn this mad, destructive act that accentuates the horror of the situation. It confirms that the terrorists are not only destroying representations of figures and bas-reliefs. With their hammers ...

H.E. Mr Kadir Topbas, Lord Mayor of Istanbul, visited UNESCO on the occasion of the Organization’s 70thanniversary, coinciding with the 30th anniversary of the inscription of the Historic Areas of Istanbul on the World Heritage List. On the occasion of his visit to UNESCO, the Lord Mayor of Istanbul participated in a round-table on heritage conservation in the face of the challenges of urban ...

The Philippines’ Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park is a spectacular reef system in the famed Coral Triangle. The park encompasses 970 km² of coral atolls and deep seas 92 nautical miles from the nearest inhabited island. Managing this vast and remote area requires a focused management plan, and the Marine World Heritage Programme recently connected Site Manager Angelique Songco with Jon Day, ...

In the context of the recent escalation of hostilities in Bosra and Idlib, the UNESCO Director-General, Ms Irina Bokova, reiterates her call for the protection of Syria’s unique heritage. “All Syrians must unite for the protection of their shared cultural heritage.” said the Director-General. “This heritage belongs to all Syrians and to all humanity. I call on all parties to refrain from ...

The differences in culture might be as big as the ocean between them, but Australia and Ecuador are home to two of the world’s best-known natural wonders. Site managers at the Galapagos Islands and Great Barrier Reef are entrusted with the care of vast areas that are vital for wildlife and treasured by people. UNESCO’s World Heritage Marine Programme facilitated an exchange bringing staff ...

UNESCO Director-General, Irina Bokova, launched #Unite4Heritage at Baghdad University – a social media campaign to counter the propaganda of cultural cleansing and the destruction of cultural heritage, to support Iraqi youth and to mobilise young people across the world for its protection. The launch took place in front of students, government ministers and university officials. “Today, we ...

Ngorongoro Conservation Area joins Lake Malawi National Park, Maloti-Drakensberg Park (South Africa and Lesotho) and Mosi-oa-Tunya/Victoria Falls (Zambia and Zimbabwe) in strategic planning for sustainable tourism. The first capacity building workshop in sustainable tourism for the World Heritage site managers, community representatives and tourism industry stakeholders was held at the ...

UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova and French President Francois Hollande today sent a strong message of solidarity to the people of Iraq and Syria, and reiterated the urgent need to safeguard cultural heritage of both countries. President Hollande and the Director-General Bokova met at the Louvre Museum in Paris, which houses several major works reflecting the splendid cultural ...