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Director-General condemns destruction of vestiges in the Ancient City of Bosra, a Syrian World Heritage site
Thursday, 24 December 2015
The Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, has condemned the destruction of parts of the Ancient City of Bosra during combats in the World Heritage site on 22 December 2015, as confirmed by the Syrian Directorate of Antiquities and Museums. There is fear of further deterioration to the site due to severe damage to the western courtyard adjacent to Bosra’s 2nd century Roman theatre and to ...
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Almaty Agreement adopted in the Fourth meeting of the Coordinating Committee on the World Heritage Serial Nomination of the Silk Roads
Tuesday, 22 December 2015
Following the Fourth meeting of the Coordinating Committee on the World Heritage Serial Nomination of the Silk Roads in Almaty, Kazakhstan, 24-25 November 2015, more than 50 representatives and experts from twelve countries together with UNESCO representatives, international experts and representatives of IICC Xi’an (China), Secretariat of Silk Roads Coordination Committee,  today released a ...
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A Grazing Pressure Reduction Strategy updated for Simien Mountains National Park
Monday, 21 December 2015
A new strategy has been devised to reduce grazing pressure on the Simien Mountains National Park (Ethiopia) (SMNP) World Heritage site and its surroundings through measures that harmonize grazing and conservation needs. SMNP in northern Ethiopia is a spectacular landscape, where massive erosion over millions of years has created jagged mountain peaks, deep valleys and sharp precipices ...
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French Marine Protected Areas Agency steps up World Heritage Conservation
Monday, 21 December 2015
The work at the World Heritage Marine Programme would not be possible without the help of its partners and donors. This month, the Marine Programme welcomes a new partnership with the French Agency for Marine Protected Areas.  France’s support will scale up our peer-to-peer learning platforms for managers and grow our on-the-ground capacity for marine conservation around the world. World ...
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The Management of Natural Heritage in Support of Sustainable Development: An Institutional Challenge in the Arab States
Monday, 21 December 2015
The World Heritage Centre organized an international meeting on natural heritage protection and management in the Arab States on 21 December at the UNESCO Headquarters.   The meeting entitled “The Management of Natural Heritage in Support of Sustainable Development: An Institutional Challenge in the Arab States” was co-chaired by Mechtild Rössler, Director of the Heritage Division and World ...
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World Heritage Centre Director Mechtild Rossler discusses impact of climate change on World Heritage sites
Saturday, 19 December 2015
In the framework of the 21st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP21), Mechtild Rössler, Director of the World Heritage Centre, highlights the importance of understanding climate change and its impact on UNESCO World Heritage sites. “Climate change concerns all of us.  It concerns World Heritage sites, especially islands in the Pacific ...
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#FestiveVirunga Matching Challenge Launches Today!
Friday, 18 December 2015
Virunga National Park, a World Heritage site in Democratic Republic of the Congo, has launched a #FestiveVirunga appeal to raise funds for the park’s incredible rangers. And now there is a matching challenge - for just 1 week, for every dollar you give to the park, a private donor will be giving 2 more! In true #TeamVirunga spirit, we would be so grateful if you would consider sharing this ...
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International Conference on “Culture for Sustainable Cities” (Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China, 10-12 December 2015)
Friday, 18 December 2015
On 12 December 2015, the participants of the International Conference on “Culture for Sustainable Cities” (10-12 December 2015, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China) adopted the “Hangzhou Outcomes”, culminating in nine key recommendations to build on the power of culture for sustainable urban development. The International Conference on “Culture for Sustainable Cities” in Hangzhou, People’s ...
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The European Commission supports a new phase of the Central Africa World Heritage Forest Initiative
Friday, 18 December 2015
The European Commission continues its support of the Central Africa World Heritage Forest Initative (CAWHFI) by allocating 5 million Euro over the course of three years. The CAWHFI project is part of the World Heritage Programmes: “Natural World Heritage in the Congo Basin” and implemented by the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, since 2004. This programme is initiated in the form of a ...
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UNESCO Jakarta participates in the “UNESCO Regional Conference on Harmonizing Actions to Reduce Risks for Cultural Heritage in Asia and the Pacific”
Friday, 18 December 2015
UNESCO in partnership with Think City, a community-based urban rejuvenation organization in Penang, held a conference entitled “UNESCO Regional Conference on Harmonizing Actions to Reduce Risks for Cultural Heritage in Asia and the Pacific” from 7 - 9 December 2015 at Hotel Jen in Penang, Malaysia. The conference provided a platform from which to raise awareness across several disaster, ...
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United Nations exhibition highlights the protection of cultural heritage
Wednesday, 16 December 2015
On 15 December, the Representatives of Italy, Jordan, UNESCO, INTERPOL, UNODC officially opened an exhibition on the protection of cultural heritage that will be displayed at the United Nations Headquarters from 14 to 24 December. The exhibition is co-organized by Italy, Jordan, UNESCO, INTERPOL and UNODC with the aim to highlight the new partnership to act together against destruction and ...
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Malagasy government stepping up the conservation of the Rainforests of the Atsinanana
Friday, 11 December 2015
On 7 December 2015, during the COP 21, the Malagasy Minister of the Environment, Ecology, the Sea and the Forests, Ralava Beboarimisa, met with Edmond Moukala, Chief of the Africa Unit of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, to discuss progress made in implementing recommendations from the World Heritage Committee regarding the conservation of the Rainforests of the Atsinanana. The Minister ...
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Call for Participants: Regional Youth Forum for World Heritage in Africa (Deadline 31 January 2016)
Friday, 11 December 2015
UNESCO is pleased to announce the Call for Participants for the Regional Youth Forum for the World Heritage in Africa, which will take place 28 April to 4 May 2016 on Robben Island World Heritage property in South Africa. The deadline for applications is 31 January 2016. Part of the World Heritage Education Programme, this African Youth Forum seeks to provide a sustainable platform to ...
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Congonhas Museum will be inaugurated at World Heritage site
Wednesday, 9 December 2015
On 15 December, UNESCO in Brazil, the Institute of Historical and Artistic Heritage (IPHAN) and the Municipal Government of Congonhas will inaugurate one of the most important projects for preserving the country's memory: the Museum of Congonhas. The institution comes with the objective of enhancing perception and interpretation of the multiple dimensions of the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus de ...
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Qatar Development Fund boosts UNESCO Heritage Emergency Fund
Tuesday, 8 December 2015
The Qatar Development Fund (QDF) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) signed today their first Memorandum of Understanding to support the implementation of UNESCO’s programme for the protection of cultural and natural heritage in emergency situations. The MOU provides a $2 million grant as part of a 2014 pledge by H.E. the Prime Minister of the ...
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COP21: President of Kiribati reaffirms commitment to World Heritage conservation
Monday, 7 December 2015
At COP21 on 5 December 2015, the President of Kiribati, Anote Tong, met with Mechtild Rössler, Director of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre. The President made a presentation at the event "UNESCO sites: a climate change observatory ", where he spoke of his strong commitment to World Heritage conservation. He described progress made with fishery regulations at the Phoenix Islands World ...
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Improved Safeguarding for Cultural Heritage Threatened by Armed Conflict and Natural Disasters Aim of Regional Conference
Monday, 7 December 2015
Armed conflict and natural disasters pose a dire threat to cultural heritage throughout the Asia-Pacific region. News stories are becoming all too frequent of priceless cultural treasures being damaged or lost forever and there are currently few measures in place to mitigate the effects of and recover from these dangers – even UNESCO World Heritage sites too often lack these ...
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COP21: Director of UNESCO World Heritage Centre meets with Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
Saturday, 5 December 2015
On 5 December 2015, Director of UNESCO World Heritage Centre Mechtild Rössler met with Mr Braulio Ferreira de Souza Dias, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) to discuss synergies among biodiversity-related Conventions, and joint work on reporting mechanisms. Both agreed to envisage to report to their statutory bodies and to prepare for joint events at the World ...
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International Expert Meeting on the Responsibility to Protect as applied to the Protection of Cultural Heritage
Thursday, 3 December 2015
UNESCO organized an International Expert Meeting on the Responsibility to Protect as applied to the Protection of Cultural Heritage from 26 to 27 November 2015. The primary purpose of the meeting was to discuss the concept of Responsibility to Protect and its possible application to the protection of cultural heritage. Participants included 22 distinguished specialists and practitioners ...
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2015-2016 World Heritage Map Published
Thursday, 3 December 2015
The latest version of the World Heritage map, produced by the UNESCO World Heritage Centre and National Geographic Maps with the generous support of Turkey, can now be ordered from the World Heritage Centre website. The featured image on the Map presents the Historic Areas of Istanbul in Turkey, country hosting the next session of the World Heritage Committee in July 2016. This poster-sized ...
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Government of Belize bans offshore oil exploration at Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System World Heritage site
Wednesday, 2 December 2015
At its cabinet meeting yesterday, the Belize government approved a policy that will legally ban offshore exploration in all seven areas that make up the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System World Heritage area. The decision will effectively exclude the entire World Heritage area from any future oil exploration and make the site consistent with the World Heritage Committee’s position that oil ...
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Striving toward Sustainable Tourism at the World Heritage sites in Southeast Asia
Wednesday, 2 December 2015
In the framework of the project entitled “The Power of Culture: Supporting Community-Based Management and Sustainable Tourism at World Heritage Sites in Malaysia and Southeast Asia” made possible thanks to support from the Government of Malaysia via the Malaysia Funds-in-Trust (MFIT) under the Malaysia-UNESCO Cooperation Programme (MUCP), UNESCO is spearheading a new approach to sustainable ...
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COP21: German Environment Minister meets with Director of UNESCO World Heritage Centre
Monday, 30 November 2015
On 29 November 2015, Barbara Hendricks, Federal Environment Minister for Germany, met with Mechtild Rössler, Director of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre at the occasion of COP21. Discussion focused on collaboration in the field of natural heritage through capacity-building workshops on Vilm Island, bilateral support for World Heritage projects, as well as key issues for cultural heritage ...
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Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation joins Marine World Heritage
Friday, 27 November 2015
The Arctic stretches across the top of the planet, spanning 5.5 million square miles. Its icy waters are home to wildlife found nowhere else, including bowhead whales, narwhals, and walrus. The Arctic is also ground zero for climate change. Rising temperatures and melting sea ice are opening up new shipping routes and potential oil and gas developments. IUCN, International Union for the ...
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Regional heritage management training centre - Lucio Costa Centre establishes its governance offices
Friday, 27 November 2015
On 26-27 November 2015, at a meeting held within the framework of a signed agreement between Brazil and UNESCO the first Board of Directors of the Regional Heritage Management Training Centre – Lucio Costa (CLC), a Category 2 Centre, was established under the auspices of UNESCO. Representatives from the Brazilian Government, the General Directorate of UNESCO, from the Portuguese-speaking ...
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Stepping up capacity to assist East Rennell’s removal from Danger List
Thursday, 26 November 2015
The Solomon Islands host a chain of coral atolls in the western Pacific, about 1800 kilometers northeast of Australia. The southernmost island in the group is Rennell Island. At 86 kilometers long and 15 kilometers wide, Rennell is the largest raised coral atoll in the world. East Rennell, on the southern end of Rennell Island, was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1998 for its role as ...
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Marine World Heritage at COP21
Thursday, 26 November 2015
Beginning next week, world leaders are convening in Paris for the 21st Conference of Parties (also known as the 2015 Paris Climate Conference). Their goal: to achieve a universal agreement on climate, aimed at keeping global warming below two degrees centigrade. The Marine World Heritage Programme will be there to share climate change concerns from the 47 ocean places around the world that ...
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Director of UNESCO World Heritage Centre visits Ha Long Bay, Viet Nam
Wednesday, 25 November 2015
On 24 November 2015, at the occasion of a visit to Viet Nam to attend the celebration of the 70th anniversary of UNESCO, Mechtild Rossler, Director of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, visited Ha Long Bay World Heritage site. Accompanying her were Mr. Le Hoai Trung, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Chairman of Viet Nam National Commission for UNESCO, and Mr. Pham Sanh Chau of the ...
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20th General Assembly of the World Heritage Convention adopts new policy on sustainable development
Monday, 23 November 2015
On 19 November 2015, the 20th General Assembly of the States Parties to the World Heritage Convention adopted a Policy on the integration of a sustainable development perspective into the processes of the Convention. The overall goal of the policy is to assist States Parties, practitioners, institutions, communities and networks, through appropriate guidance, to harness the potential of ...
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HIA & EIA Discussion held at World Heritage General Assembly Side Event
Friday, 20 November 2015
The World Heritage Centre, with the participation of ICOMOS, IUCN and ICCROM, organized a side event on Heritage Impact Assessments (HIAs) and Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) on the occasion of the 20th session of the General Assembly of States Parties to the World Heritage Convention (UNESCO Headquarters, 18-20 November 2015). More than 80 representatives of States Parties to the ...
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Reactive Monitoring Mission to the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage property (Australia)
Thursday, 19 November 2015
A reactive monitoring mission by IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) and ICOMOS (International Council on Monuments and Sites) to the assess the state of conservation of the “Tasmanian Wilderness” World Heritage site will take place from 23 to 29 November, at the invitation of Australia and in keeping with the request made by the World Heritage Committee at its 39th session ...
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Nine new members elected to World Heritage Committee
Thursday, 19 November 2015
The 20th General Assembly of the States Parties to the World Heritage Convention met from 18 to 20 November 2015 at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France, under the chairmanship of H.E. Mr Jose Filipe Mendes Moraes Cabral, Ambassador Extraordinary and plenipotentiary of Portugal to France, convening the 191 States Parties to the World Heritage Convention.  During the session, the States ...
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UNESCO Director-General condemns the murder of a guard at Okapi Wildlife Reserve, World Heritage site
Thursday, 19 November 2015
On November 13, 2015, a guard of the Congolese Institute for the Conservation of Nature (ICCN) was the victim of an attack that cost him his life at the Okapi Wildlife Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage site in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). He was deployed to a post at Zunguluka, one of the entrances to the park, when he was targeted by a group of armed militiamen (Mai Mai). "I ...
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World Heritage Youth Project on Marine Biodiversity & Climate Change in Panama: Call for Participants
Thursday, 19 November 2015
The UNESCO World Heritage Centre is pleased to announce the Call for Participants for the Caribbean World Heritage Youth Project on Marine Biodiversity & Climate Change in Panama. The UNESCO World Heritage Centre in cooperation with Mar Viva Foundation will organise the Youth Project from 25 (arrival 24) to 29 (departure 30) January 2016 in Panama. We welcome the participation of all ...
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TV weather presenters interpret climate change impacts on World Heritage sites
Thursday, 19 November 2015
The World Meteorological Organization is launching a series of climate change videos featuring TV weather presenters ahead of the COP21 climate conference (21st Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) to be held in France from 30 November to 11 December 2015. If humanity’s greenhouse gas emissions continue to increase, the ...
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May 5th: African World Heritage Day
Wednesday, 18 November 2015
On 16 November 2015, the 38th Session of the General Conference of UNESCO adopted a resolution proclaiming May 5th as African World Heritage Day, in conjunction with the 10th anniversary of UNESCO’s decision to create the African World Heritage Fund (AWHF) (2006-2016). This Resolution, in line with UNESCO’s Priority Africa programme, is aimed to increase international awareness of African ...
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Director of UNESCO World Heritage Centre meets with Haitian Minister of Culture
Wednesday, 18 November 2015
On 17 November 2015, the Director of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, Mechtild Rössler and her team met with the Haitian Minister of Culture, Ms Dithny Joan RATON. Discussions focused on strengthening cooperation in the field of World Heritage, including projects at the Citadel (of the National History Park – Citadel, Sans Souci, Ramiers World Heritage site) and the need to revise the ...
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The Director-General of UNESCO expresses solidarity with France following the attacks in Paris
Saturday, 14 November 2015
The Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, today condemned the attacks, unprecedented in the history of France, perpetrated in Paris on 13 November. Ms Bokova said, “On behalf of UNESCO and in my own name, I present my most heartfelt condolences to the people of France and to all the mourning families so terribly bereft by these barbaric acts. This crime affects us all. It represents an ...
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UNESCO celebrates 10 years of achievements of the African World Heritage Fund
Friday, 13 November 2015
On the occasion of the 38th session of the General Conference of UNESCO, Ms. Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO, Mr Stanley Mutumba Simataa, President of the 38th session of the General Conference, and His Excellency Mr. Jean-Marie Adoua, President of the African Group, hosted a side event to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the creation of the African World Heritage Fund (AWHF) and ...
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Director of UNESCO World Heritage Centre meets team from the European Bank for Reconstruction (EBRD)
Friday, 13 November 2015
The Director of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre has met with the team from the European Bank for Reconstruction and exchanged views on heritage impact assessments related to World Heritage properties, especially for consultations on cultural heritage within ESIA processes. Participants from the EBRD included Debbie Cousins, Team Leader for Environmental and Sustainability; Elizabeth Smith, ...
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Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities gives $200,000USD for Arab States World Heritage sites conservation
Thursday, 12 November 2015
On 12 November 2015, H.E. Shaikha Mai Bint Mohammed Al-Khalifa, President of the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities and Chairperson of the Board of the Arab Regional Centre for World Heritage (ARC-WH), presented a contribution of $200,000 USD to Mounir Bouchenaki, Director of ARC-WH to support the implementation of  the Arab States Regional Programme. Mechtild Rössler, Director of ...
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UNESCO and IUCN welcome new no-go pledge for World Heritage sites by Tullow Oil
Thursday, 12 November 2015
UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre and IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature, the official advisory body on natural World Heritage, have welcomed a new commitment by British company Tullow Oil plc to stay out of World Heritage sites. The firm had received a licence to explore for oil in an area overlapping Kenya’s World Heritage-listed Lake Turkana National Parks. The World ...
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World Heritage Centre Director and Panama Minister of Environment discuss conservation issues in Coiba National Park
Wednesday, 11 November 2015
On 10 November 2015, World Heritage Centre Director Mechtild Rössler, and Panama Minister of Environment Mirei Endara, met for the first time since the establishment of the new government in Panama. The meeting focused on conservation issues in Coiba National Park and its Special Zone of Marine Protection and the forthcoming mission to the transboundary site (with Costa Rica) Talamanca ...
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Modern Heritage: Director of UNESCO World Heritage Centre meets with DOCOMOMO Chair
Wednesday, 11 November 2015
The meeting between Mechtild Rössler, Director of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, and Ana Tostões on 10 November 2015 focused on conservation and documentation of Modern Heritage worldwide and allowed to strengthen the links between the World Heritage Centre and DOCOMOMO (International Committee for Documentation and Conservation of buildings, sites and neighborhoods of the modern ...
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Syrian Antiquities Director attends General Conference and meets with UNESCO Director-General to discuss heritage protection
Monday, 9 November 2015
Today Mr Mamoun Abdulkarim, Director-General of Antiquities and Museums (DGAM, Syrian Arab Republic) met with UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova, Assistant Director-General for Culture Francesco Bandarin, and Director of the World Heritage Centre Mechtild Rössler, as well as experts in the field of heritage conservation. Discussions focused on the state of the art of cultural heritage in ...
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2015 WHITRAP Asia-Pacific Region Training on the Historic Urban Landscape (HUL)
Monday, 9 November 2015
Pacific Region Training on HUL in Shanghai (China) 14-17 December 2015 The 2015 WHITRAP Asia-Pacific Region Training on Historic Urban Landscaoe (HUL) aims to update professionals on the what, why and how of HUL with the latest developments in the field. Furthermore, through this training course, WHITRAP seeks to strengthen and expand the specialist network for HUL in this area of the world ...
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Exceptional cooperation for updating Cabo Verde’s Tentative List
Friday, 6 November 2015
On 22 October 2015, the UNESCO Regional Office in Dakar united 31 experts, site managers, advisory body and community representatives in Cabo Verde to update the national Tentative List of natural and cultural properties Cabo Verde is considering nominating for future UNESCO World Heritage inscription. A success story The first Cabo Verde’s Tentative List, submitted to the World Heritage ...
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World Heritage Volunteers 2016 - Call for Projects
Wednesday, 4 November 2015
The World Heritage Centre (WHC) is pleased to announce the Call for Projects for the World Heritage Volunteers (WHV) Campaign 2016. In the framework of the UNESCO World Heritage Education Programme, the Initiative is led by the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (WHC) in collaboration with the Co-ordinating Committee for International Voluntary Service (CCIVS), European Heritage Volunteers (as a ...
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Emergency support for elephant crisis in DRC
Wednesday, 4 November 2015
The Rapid Response Facility has made an emergency grant to Garamba National Park, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to help tackle the continuing elephant poaching crisis there. Over 215 elephants have been killed in the past 18 months, and the park’s elephant population is now estimated to have fallen to between 1,100-1,400 individuals. If the poaching continues unchecked, it could lead to ...
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Published: Our Common Heritage: the Finnish National World Heritage Strategy 2015 – 2025
Tuesday, 3 November 2015
The Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture has published a positive strategic plan for the preservation of world’s heritage for the next ten years.  The publication entitled Our Common Heritage focuses mainly on the national strategy for heritage preservation, but encourages also the collaboration on Nordic and international levels, particularly with properties in the developing ...
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Korean National Commission for UNESCO donates 100,000 USD to World Heritage Fund
Monday, 2 November 2015
On 1st November 2015, the Korean National Commission for UNESCO announced a donation of 100,000 USD to the World Heritage Fund. The announcement was made at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris by the Korean National Commission Secretary-General, Mr Dong-seok Min, in the presence of UNESCO Director-General, Ms Irina Bokova, and the Director of the World Heritage Centre, Ms Mechtild Rössler. The ...
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International Course on First Aid to Cultural Heritage in Times of Crisis
Monday, 2 November 2015
Many different types of professionals respond to an unfolding crisis.This course provides strategies for interlocking culture specialists with humanitarian specialists during an emergency situation and aims to unify these sometimes conflicting perspectives. The course imparts practical skills and knowledge for taking simple measures to secure and stabilize endangered cultural heritage during ...
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Scientists convene in Paris to explore World Heritage in High Seas
Thursday, 29 October 2015
Christmas Eve 1968 might seem like a strange date to mark as a pivotal point in our understanding of Earth. Yet it was on that date that William Anders of Apollo 8 took the first color photo of earth from afar rising above the grey surface of the moon. Now nearly five decades later we have realized we live on an ocean world and yet protection of the open ocean – the high seas - has still ...
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Proposal for wind park offshore from Dorset and East Devon Coast World Heritage site rejected
Monday, 26 October 2015
UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre welcomes the U.K. government's decision to reject the planning permission for the Navitus Bay Wind Park proposal offshore from the World Heritage property Dorset and East Devon Coast, often referred to as Jurassic Coast. This decision followed a detailed application review process which took into consideration the importance of the World Heritage site inscribed ...
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A 7000 Eur Grant for a Project Awarded to a young person from the Mediterranean
Wednesday, 21 October 2015
Call for Applications for Cultural Mediterranean Projects. The Marc de Montalembert grant - 7000 euros - helps young people from countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea and below 28 years of age to undertake a project corresponding to a personal vocation and dedicated to the cultures or arts and crafts of the Mediterranean. Since 1994 Twenty five projects have been implemented by winners ...
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Albania supports UNESCO's efforts for the Lake Ohrid region
Thursday, 8 October 2015
The Albanian government has joined the EU in supporting UNESCO’s project aimed at the sustainable development of the Lake Ohrid region, a transboundary region in Albania and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Two-thirds of Lake Ohrid is inscribed as a World Heritage site on the Macedonian side of the lake. The protection of this site would be further reinforced by extending World ...
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Shell’s departure ends oil threat to Arctic gem
Tuesday, 6 October 2015
On September 27, six weeks after it began exploratory drilling off the Northwest Coast of Alaska, Royal Dutch Shell announced that it is abandoning its quest for Arctic oil. Shell’s decision to cease operations in the Chukchi Sea is excellent news for the Natural System of Wrangel Island Reserve nearby. The Natural System of Wrangel Island Reserve is the only marine World Heritage site in ...
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Biodiversity Award of Prince Albert III of Monaco Foundation given to Emmanuel de Merode, Director of Virunga National Park
Monday, 5 October 2015
During the eighth Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation Awards prize-giving ceremony, held in Monaco on 2 October 2015, H.S.H. Prince Albert II presented the Biodiversity Award to Emmanuel de Merode for his outstanding commitment to the preservation of the biodiversity of the Virunga National Park, one of five World Heritage sites of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Each year, the ...
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UNESCO Director-General condemns the destruction of the Arch of Triumph in Palmyra - "Extremists are terrified of history"
Monday, 5 October 2015
The Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, strongly condemned the destruction of the Arch of Triumph in Palmyra, a civil monument two thousand years old and symbol of the city inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. "This new destruction shows how extremists are terrified by history and culture – because understanding the past undermines and delegitimizes their claims – and embodies an ...
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Turin to build on EXPO theme by showcasing sustainable management of UNESCO designated territories
Monday, 5 October 2015
From 13 to 16 October 2015, Turin will host the 3rd World Forum on Local Economic Development and launch the EXTO-EXPO 2015 programme. Within this framework, the Centro Studi Silvia Santagata-Ebla (CSS-Ebla, Turin, Italy), is organising, with the support of the UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe, Venice (Italy), the pilot edition of a capacity-building workshop on the ...
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State of conservation of Venice and its lagoon (Italy)
Sunday, 4 October 2015
In October 2015, a joint UNESCO/ICOMOS/RAMSAR reactive monitoring mission will take place to the World Heritage site "Venice and its lagoon”(Italy), as requested by the World Heritage Committee to assess current conditions at the property. The World Heritage property of Venice and its lagoon was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1987. The UNESCO World Heritage Centre closely follows ...
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Joint Statement by the Liaison Group of the Biodiversity-related Conventions on the occasion of the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit 25-27 September 2015
Tuesday, 29 September 2015
Biodiversity and sustainable development are inextricably linked. Biodiversity, at the level of ecosystems, species and genes, forms the foundation of the Earth’s life support systems and provides the services that underpin human lives and prosperity. Our social and economic well-being depends on biodiversity, as does our future. World leaders are now gathered at United Nations Headquarters ...
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UNESCO to develop capacities of World Heritage site managers in Romania
Monday, 28 September 2015
Sustainable planning and management of tourism is one of the most pressing challenges facing the World Heritage Convention today and is the focus of the UNESCO World Heritage and Sustainable Tourism Programme. The workshop on “Protecting World Heritage: Disaster Risk Management and Sustainable Tourism Planning” in Romania will set the basis for the development of a value-based management ...
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World Tourism Day, 27 September 2015: “One Billion Tourists, One Billion Opportunities”
Sunday, 27 September 2015
The UNESCO Heritage Division and its World Heritage Centre is very pleased to participate in World Tourism Day, especially given the collaboration of the World Heritage Convention with the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), in efforts to develop sustainable tourism. World Heritage sites are the most outstanding cultural and natural places in the world, so they are often among the most ...
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Impunity for war crimes against cultural heritage must stop
Saturday, 26 September 2015
New York, 26 September — The Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, today welcomed transfer of an alleged extremist to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague to be tried for destroying religious and historical monuments in Mali. "I commend Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda and the authorities of Mali and Niger for transferring the first suspect to the ICC accused of the war crime of ...
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Second Transboundary Meeting for Lake Ohrid region
Wednesday, 23 September 2015
The second Transboundary Platform Meeting of the project “Towards strengthened governance of the shared transboundary natural and cultural heritage of the Lake Ohrid region” will take place on 2 October 2015 in Ohrid, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. This initiative is part of a total of six meetings that aim to support the Albanian and Macedonian governments in their efforts to ...
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Mechtild Rössler appointed Director Division for Heritage & World Heritage Centre
Tuesday, 22 September 2015
Mechtild Rössler has been appointed Director of the Division for Heritage and the UNESCO World Heritage Centre. An expert in both cultural and natural heritage and the history of planning, Ms Rössler was appointed in 2013 to the post of Deputy Director of the World Heritage Centre. Since 2014, as Deputy Director of the Division for Heritage, her tasks included overseeing teams of the ...
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West Norwegian Fjords and Glacier Bay join forces to strengthen conservation in marine World Heritage
Monday, 21 September 2015
Last month, the Marine World Heritage Programme traveled to Norway to facilitate an exchange between the West Norwegian Fjords - Geirangerfjord and Nærøyfjord and Glacier Bay National Park. These two marine World Heritage sites share a challenge and an opportunity: both are popular cruise ship destinations and are threatened by pollution from tourism traffic. In Glacier Bay, a competitive ...
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Jaeger-LeCoultre helps Cocos Island National Park fight poaching
Monday, 21 September 2015
Illegal fishing threatens 30% of Marine World Heritage sites, and resources for monitoring and enforcement are always a challenge. Thanks to long-time World Heritage partner Jaeger-LeCoultre, Cocos Island National Park’s efforts to fight illegal fishing recently got a major boost. The Swiss watch manufacture donated 30,000 euros, raised through the auction of diving watches inspired by World ...
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UNESCO workshop “African World Heritage: challenges, opportunities and prospects” held 9-11 September 2015
Thursday, 17 September 2015
Following the 39th session of the World Heritage Committee and in view of the 10th anniversary of UNESCO/African Union launching of the African World Heritage Fund (AWHF), the World Heritage Centre brought together African heritage experts to reflect on the implementation of the World Heritage Convention in the Africa region at a two and half day workshop held at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris ...
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1st Youth Regional Forum for World Heritage in Asia: Call for Participants
Monday, 14 September 2015
The UNESCO World Heritage Centre is pleased to announce the Call for Participants for the First Youth Regional Forum for the World Heritage in Asia. The UNESCO World Heritage Centre and Cambodian National Commission for UNESCO will organize the forum from 25 November to 3 December 2015 in Siem Reap, Cambodia. We welcome the participation of all interested young future experts. The forum ...
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New Episode of Patrimonito’s World Heritage Adventures Available
Sunday, 13 September 2015
The thirteenth Episode of the Patrimonito cartoon films on the theme of World Heritage and Biodiversity is now available. The plot is set in the World Heritage site of the Sundarbans National Park located in India. The Sundarbans contains the world’s largest area of mangrove forests and is home to numerous rare and endangered species, including tigers, mammals, birds and reptiles. In this ...
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Corps established to strengthen security in DRC National Parks
Tuesday, 8 September 2015
The World Heritage Centre congratulates the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) for the establishment of a Corps with the aim of securing national parks. On 15 June 2015 the DRC published decree n° 15/012 on the establishment of a Corps in charge of securing national parks (Corps en charge de la sécurisation des Parcs Nationaux, or CorPPN) and related nature reserves. The CorPPN will ...
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World Heritage Site Management Workshop in Belgium
Tuesday, 8 September 2015
The City of Brussels recently hosted a workshop entitled "Inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List: New perspectives for local development", which took place on 8 September 2015 at Brussels City Hall in the World Heritage site of La Grand-Place, Brussels (Belgium). The workshop focused on issues specific to site management for properties inscribed on the World Heritage List. Expert ...
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Bhutan 2015: Workshop and Forum on the Cultural Landscape and Sustaining its Significance
Monday, 7 September 2015
UNESCO World Heritage Centre and UNESCO New Delhi Office, in close collaboration with the Department of Culture of the Royal Government of Bhutan, held the 2015 Bhutan Workshop and Forum on Cultural Landscape and Sustaining its Significance (22 July to 7 August 2015). This activity was financially supported by the NGO Oriental Cultural Heritage Sites Protection Alliance (Paris, France) and ...
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Director-General Irina Bokova expresses consternation at the destruction of the Temple of Bel in Palmyra
Tuesday, 1 September 2015
The Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, expressed profound dismay as she condemned the destruction of the Temple of Bel in Palmyra, one of the most important 1st century CE religious monuments in the Middle East, a construction unique in its design. “The destruction of Palmyra constitutes an intolerable crime against civilization but 4,500 years of history will never be erased,” the ...
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Director-General of UNESCO Irina Bokova firmly condemns the destruction of Palmyra's ancient temple of Baalshamin, Syria
Monday, 24 August 2015
The Director-General of UNESCO firmly condemns the destruction of the ancient temple of Baalshamin, an iconic part of the Syrian site of Palmyra, a UNESCO World Heritage site. “The systematic destruction of cultural symbols embodying Syrian cultural diversity reveals the true intent of such attacks, which is to deprive the Syrian people of its knowledge, its identity and history. One week ...
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Director-General Irina Bokova deplores the loss of two leading scholars of Syrian antiquity
Friday, 21 August 2015
The Syrian cultural heritage community suffered two immense blows within one week with the murder of archaeologist Khaled Assad in Palmyra and the killing of the Assistant Director of laboratories at the Directorate General of Antiquities and Museums Qasem Abdullah Yehiya. “I am both saddened and outraged to learn of the brutal murder of Khaled Asaad, who oversaw antiquities at the UNESCO ...
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Director-General Irina Bokova condemns the destruction of the Mar Elian monastery in Syria
Friday, 21 August 2015
The Director-General of UNESCO strongly condemns the destruction of the Mar Elian monastery located in the Syrian town of al-Qaryatayn. The monastery is a major pilgrimage site for Syria’s Christian community, with yearly festivities in honor of Saint Elian drawing thousands of visitors. “The intentional targeting and systematic destruction of the cultural heritage of Syria is reaching ...
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Building capacity in the Galapagos Islands to strengthen fisheries compliance
Friday, 14 August 2015
World Heritage marine sites are only as effective as their compliance programs, and marine protected areas around the world struggle to combat illegal fishing. With limited resources available for surveillance and compliance, it is vital to have good systems in place to identify hotspots and track violations. In the four Marine World Heritage sites that make up Eastern Tropical Pacific ...
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World Heritage Volunteers 2015 Action Camps welcome the International Youth Day on 12 August
Tuesday, 11 August 2015
On the occasion of International Youth Day, over ten Action Camps will be carried on in the framework of the World Heritage Volunteers 2015 campaign. Most of these Action Camps are  led youth from all around the world. This year, the theme of International Youth Day is Youth Civic Engagement. World Heritage Volunteers (WHV) campaign for 2015 seeks to mobilize and involve young people and ...
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Job Vacancy: Deputy Director, World Heritage Institute of Training and Research for the Asia and the Pacific Region (WHITRAP Shanghai)
Friday, 7 August 2015
Job Vacancy: Deputy Director of the World Heritage Institute of Training and Research for the Asia and the Pacific Region under the auspices of UNESCO, Shanghai Center The World Heritage Institute of Training and Research for the Asia and the Pacific Region under the auspices of UNESCO, Shanghai Center (WHITRAP Shanghai) announces the vacancy of the position of Deputy Director, from 1 August ...
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State of conservation of Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland)
Tuesday, 4 August 2015
Over the last several months,the World Heritage Centre has been receiving numerous messages from citizens and NGOs expressing their concern regarding the A303 tunnel project, located within the boundaries of the World Heritage property “Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites”, and the adverse impact it may have on the landscape, archaeological remains, and hydrogeology and ecology of the ...
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UNESCO and Iraq launch project for conservation of World Heritage site of Samarra
Wednesday, 29 July 2015
UNESCO and Iraq today signed an agreement for the Conservation and Management of the World Heritage site of Samarra Archaeological City, which will start with the restauration of the Great Mosque and Al-Malwiyah Minaret. The site has been on UNESCO’s List of World Heritage in Danger since 2007. The agreement was signed at UNESCO’s Headquarters in Paris by Ahmed Abdullah Abed Abed, Iraqi ...
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Vacancy: Integrated Management Planning Capacity Building Expert
Tuesday, 28 July 2015
European Union and UNESCO initiative: "Towards strengthened governance of the shared transboundary natural and cultural heritage of the Lake Ohrid Region" IUCN Regional Office for Eastern Europe and Central Asia (ECARO) is seeking to contract a consultant to develop and implement an integrated capacity-building programme with particular emphasis on management effectiveness, transboundary ...
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Historic Local community meeting in New Caledonia to strengthen World Heritage conservation
Monday, 20 July 2015
From 3 to 4 July 2015, almost 120 people that are involved in the management of the World Heritage site Lagoons of New Caledonia: Reef Diversity and Associated Ecosystems (France) met on the island of Ouvéa (Gossanah tribe) to share best practices. Unique management system Today, 13 management committees are set up across New Caledonia. They regularly exchange views, opinions and proposals ...
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Director-General praises the people of Timbuktu for the reconstruction of the city’s mausoleums
Sunday, 19 July 2015
Timbuktu, Mali, 19 July—The Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova yesterday visited Timbuktu whose mausoleums have been rebuilt three years after they were destroyed by armed groups. During her visit, Ms Bokova paid tribute to the local communities without whom the reconstruction could not have been carried out. The Mayor of the city and the Imam of the Great Mosque of Djingareyber met ...
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Aggtelek National Park, Hungary celebrates 20 years on World Heritage List
Friday, 17 July 2015
Aggtelek National Park (ANP) was established in 1985 to protect the uniquely rich natural and cultural heritage in the region, and in particular the Gömör-Torna karst aquifer and geologic formations. The first of Hungary's national parks, it later added equestrian tourism and environmental education programmes to its already popular cave tours and surface tours. In 2007, the ANP Directorate ...
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Emergency Action Plan for the Safeguarding of Yemen’s Cultural Heritage announced
Thursday, 16 July 2015
UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova today announced an Emergency Action Plan for the Safeguarding of Yemen’s Cultural Heritage upon the conclusion of a two-day expert meeting held at UNESCO. The plan responds to the continued threat the ongoing conflict poses to the country’s tangible and intangible cultural heritage. “It is evident that the destruction of their culture directly affects the ...
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Call for applications for the new edition of the Masters in "World Heritage and Cultural Projects for Development” - English and Spanish
Thursday, 16 July 2015
The call for applications for the new edition of the Masters in "World Heritage and Cultural Projects for Development", offered by the University of Turin, the Polytechnic of Turin, (University of Barcelona for the Spanish edition)  and the International Training Centre of ILO, in collaboration with the UNESCO World Heritage Centre and ICCROM, is now open. The programme is intended for ...
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UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova Presents World Heritage Certificate to President Peña Nieto of Mexico
Thursday, 16 July 2015
Director-General Irina Bokova presented the President of Mexico, HE Enrique Peña Nieto, the certificate of inscription to UNESCO’s World Heritage List of the Aqueduct of Padre Tembleque Hydraulic System during his official visit to UNESCO Headquarters today. The presentation of the certificate took place in the context of an official ceremony in the presence of the Chairperson of the ...
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Private Sector partners for World Heritage meet in Bonn during 39th Committee session
Thursday, 9 July 2015
A World Heritage partners’ event and panel discussion took place on 2nd July hosted by the German Television Deutsche Welle in Bonn, on the occasion of the 39th session of the World Heritage Committee. The Partners' event, following a successful first edition in Doha in 2015, provided a platform for discussing private sector partners’ contributions to World Heritage conservation and ...
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World Heritage Committee announces 2016 meeting in Istanbul, 24 new sites inscribed in Bonn
Wednesday, 8 July 2015
The World Heritage Committee ended its meeting today announcing it will hold its next session in Istanbul, Turkey, from 10 to 20 July 2016. During this year’s session the Committee, which was chaired by Maria Böhmer, Minister of State at the German Federal Foreign Office and member of the Bundestag, inscribed 24 new sites on UNESCO’s World Heritage List and approved extensions to three ...
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UNESCO takes World Heritage to Archeologists
Tuesday, 7 July 2015
From July 1 to 3, 2015, University of Zimbabwe hosted the Biennial Conference of the Association of Southern African Professional Archaeologists (ASAPA). With the financial support of UNESCO Office for Southern Africa (ROSA) and other partners, UZ successfully met the challenge of gathering a large number (approximately 250) of professionals and students from Southern African Region and ...
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Sites in Japan, Turkey, Mexico, Uruguay inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, extension of Spanish site approved
Sunday, 5 July 2015
The World Heritage Committee this afternoon approved the inscription of four cultural sites on the World Heritage List: Sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution: Iron and Steel, Shipbuilding and Coal Mining in Japan, Ephesus in Turkey, Aqueduct of Padre Tembleque Hydraulic System in Mexico, and Fray Bentos Cultural-Industrial Landscape in Uruguay. The Committee also approved the ...
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Sites in Norway, Germany, Israel, UK and USA inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List
Sunday, 5 July 2015
The World Heritage Committee this morning approved the inscription of five cultural sites on World Heritage List: Rjukan-Notodden Industrial Heritage Site in Norway, Speicherstadt and Kontorhaus District with Chilehaus in Germany, Necropolis of Beth She’arim—a Landmark of Jewish Revival in Israel, The Forth Bridge in Scotland (United Kingdom) and San Antonio Missions in the United States of ...
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Sites in Denmark, France and Turkey inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List
Saturday, 4 July 2015
The World Heritage Committee this afternoon approved the inscription of five cultural sites on World Heritage List. Two Danish sites were added to the List: Christiansfeld, a Moravian Church Settlement and The Par Force Hunting Landscape in North Zealand. The Climats, terroirs of Burgundy and Champagne Hillsides, Houses and Cellars, both in France, were also inscribed alongside the Diyarbakir ...
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Sites in China, Iran, Mongolia and Singapore inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List
Saturday, 4 July 2015
The World Heritage Committee this morning approved the inscription of six cultural sites on World Heritage List: Tusi Sites (China), Susa, Cultural Landscape of Maymand (both in the Islamic Republic of Iran), Singapore Botanic Gardens (Singapore), Baekje Historic Areas (Republic of Korea), Great Burkhan Khaldun Mountain and its surrounding sacred landscape (Mongolia). Tusi sites (China) — ...
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Sites in Italy, Jordan and Saudi Arabia inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List
Friday, 3 July 2015
The World Heritage Committee inscribed three new cultural sites on the World Heritage List this afternoon: Arab-Norman Palermo and the Cathedral Churches of Cefalú and Monreale in Italy; Baptism Site “Bethany Beyond the Jordan” (Al-Maghtas) in Jordan and Rock Art in the Hail Region of Saudi Arabia. Arab-Norman Palermo and the Cathedral Churches of Cefalú and Monreale (Italy)—Located on the ...
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Irina Bokova condemns latest destruction of cultural property from the site of Palmyra in Syria
Friday, 3 July 2015
The Director-General of UNESCO firmly condemned the destruction of cultural property at Palmyra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, particularly damage to funerary busts and the famous Lion Statue of Athena, located at the entrance of the museum of Palmyra. "These new destructions of cultural goods of the site of Palmyra reflect the brutality and ignorance of extremist groups and their disregard ...
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World Heritage Committee approves extensions to two natural sites in South Africa and Viet Nam and inscribes Jamaica’s first site on UNESCO’s World Heritage List
Friday, 3 July 2015
The World Heritage Committee this morning approved the extension of two natural sites inscribed on the World Heritage List: Cape Floral Region Protected Areas in South Africa and Ke Bang National Park in Viet Nam. The Committee also inscribed Blue and John Crow Mountains in Jamaica, a mixed site, i.e. one that is both cultural and natural. With this inscription Jamaica enters the World ...
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Yemen’s Old City of Sana’a and Old Walled City of Shibam added to List of World Heritage in Danger
Thursday, 2 July 2015
The World Heritage Committee today inscribed two sites in Yemen on the List of World Heritage in Danger: the Old City of Sana’a and the Old Walled City of Shibam. The Old City of Sana’a sustained serious damage due to armed conflict in the country. The neighbourhood of al Qasimi near the famous urban garden of Miqshamat al Qasimi sustained particularly serious damage. The 12th century ...
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The Iraqi site of Hatra added to the List of World Heritage in Danger
Wednesday, 1 July 2015
The World Heritage site of Hatra in Iraq has been inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger due to damage inflicted to the property by armed groups. During debates today, many World Heritage Committee members voiced concern about the state of Iraqi heritage following acts of intentional destruction. They also declared their willingness to help Iraq as soon as the situation on the ...
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UNESCO and UNITAR-UNOSAT team up to protect cultural heritage with geo-spatial technologies
Wednesday, 1 July 2015
UNESCO and UNITAR (the UN Institute for Training and Research) have signed an agreement to protect cultural and natural heritage sites with the latest geo-spatial technologies.  It was signed at the annual meeting of the World Heritage Committee in Bonn, Germany, and will be delivered through UNITAR’s Operational Satellite Applications Programme (UNOSAT). The strategic partnership will ...
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Colombia’s Los Katíos National Park removed from List of Heritage in Danger
Tuesday, 30 June 2015
Significant improvements in the management of Los Katíos National Park in Colombia have allowed for the site to be removed from the List of World Heritage in Danger. The World Heritage Committee decided to lift danger listing for the property in recognition of steps taken by the national authorities to reduce illegal extraction of timber and overfishing. The site was placed on the List of ...
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Reconstruction of Timbuktu mausoleums nears completion
Tuesday, 30 June 2015
Three years after their destruction by extremists, the Timbuktu mausoleums are nearly restored through the extraordinary work carried out by local craftsmen and with international support. The announcement came at an event held in Bonn as part of the World Heritage Committee session taking place in the German city. “The reconstruction of the mausoleums in Timbuktu is a fine example of the ...
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Special Issue of World Heritage Review on Iraq
Tuesday, 30 June 2015
Iraq, a country in turmoil within a very unstable region, is fighting a cultural battle in the real sense of the word. This special issue of World Heritage magazine presents the key heritage sites of Iraq, reflecting on their historical significance and importance for the Iraqi people and the world, as well as efforts by UNESCO and other stakeholders to protect these sites from destruction, ...
[in French only] 1 min read
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Chairpersons of six UNESCO Culture Conventions meet
Tuesday, 30 June 2015
On 29 June, during the 39th session of the World Heritage Committee in Bonn, Germany, the Chairs of the six UNESCO culture conventions* met for the first time to discuss ways to work together more effectively. In the context of the 70th anniversary of UNESCO, this provides a unique opportunity to reflect on the future of the Organization’s standard-setting action in the face of contemporary ...
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Launch of global Unite for Heritage Coalition in Bonn
Monday, 29 June 2015
Bonn, 29 June—The Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, today launched the Global Coalition, Unite for Heritage, during the 39th session of the World Heritage Committee meeting in Bonn, Germany. The campaign is designed to strengthen the mobilization of governments and all heritage stakeholders in the face of deliberate damage to cultural heritage, particularly in the Middle East. “The ...
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World Heritage Committee opens with an appeal to protect cultural heritages sites targeted for destruction
Sunday, 28 June 2015
Bonn (Germany) - An appeal for the international community to counter the new threat of violent extremism and cultural cleansing was issued at the opening of the World Heritage Committee, which opened its session in Bonn, Germany, today. The Committee will remain in session until 8 July under the chair of Maria Böhmer, Minister of State at the German Federal Foreign Office and member of the ...
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Managing effectively the world’s most iconic marine protected areas: A Best Practice Guide
Thursday, 25 June 2015
The publication launched today, “Managing effectively the world’s most iconic Marine Protected Areas. A Best Practice Guide” lays the groundwork for a common approach to a more pro-active, future-oriented management of marine protected areas (MPAs) around the world. The step-by-step guidance shows how defining a clearer vision of what MPAs can and should look like in another 10 to 20 years ...
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Great Apes Emphasize Biosphere Importance
Thursday, 25 June 2015
Chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans are essential to the visibility and viability of many biosphere reserves across Africa and Asia, according to an infographic release today by the Great Apes Survival Partnership (GRASP) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Man and the Biosphere (MAB) programme. Great apes are found in 21 Biosphere Reserve, ...
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In memoriam: Professor Chahryar Adle
Wednesday, 24 June 2015
The World Heritage Centre and the History and Memory for Dialogue Section of UNESCO have learned with deep sadness of the recent passing of Professor Chahryar Adle, a long-time collaborator of UNESCO. Chahryar Adle (1943-2015) was an archaeologist and Iranologist, and a member of the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS). He was also President of the International Scientific ...
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World Heritage in Germany: Game created for young people
Tuesday, 23 June 2015
Kulturweit, a volunteer organization of the German Commission for UNESCO and the German Federal Foreign Office, has designed a card game called “World Heritage in Germany-Memory”. The inspiration came from Kulturweit members who were delegates to the 2014 World Heritage Youth Forum held in Qatar. The goal of the game is to teach young people about German World Heritage sites. The German ...
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[in French only] Formation internationale "Construire ensemble l'avenir des sites patrimoniaux,élaborer et mettre en œuvre une gestion durable", 5ème édition, 29 juin - 10 juillet 2015
Thursday, 18 June 2015
[in French only] Du 29 juin au 10 juillet 2015, 13 gestionnaires de sites patrimoniaux issus de 11 pays (Burkina Faso, Colombie, Comores, Côte d’Ivoire, France, Irak, RDP Lao, Mali, Moldavie, Sénégal, Togo) participeront à la 5ème édition de la formation internationale intensive "Construire ensemble l'avenir des sites patrimoniaux. Élaborer et mettre en œuvre une gestion durable" organisée ...
[in French only] 3 min read
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Sourcebook on national level cooperation among the biodiversity-related conventions published
Wednesday, 17 June 2015
UNEP has published a Sourcebook of Opportunities for Enhancing Cooperation among the Biodiversity-related Conventions at National and Regional Levels, available for download at wcmc.io/Sourcebook. The aim of the UNEP Sourcebook is to provide national focal points of the biodiversity-related conventions and other stakeholders with options to achieve enhanced implementation of the conventions ...
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World Heritage Volunteers 2015 and #UNITE4HERITAGE
Monday, 15 June 2015
The World Heritage Centre is pleased to announce the Call for Participants for the World Heritage Volunteers 2015 and #Unite4Heritage common action. This common action aims to encourage young people from the Arab States[1] countries to take part in one of ten selected World Heritage Volunteers Action Camps 2015, at locations around the world. The aim of this action is to respond to the ...
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The Director General of UNESCO condemns the destruction of historic buildings in the Old City of Sana’a, Yemen
Friday, 12 June 2015
In the early hours of 12 June 2015, the Old City of Sana’a, a UNESCO World Heritage site, was hit by a bombing raid. Several houses and historic buildings were destroyed, causing human casualties. Among the buildings destroyed was the magnificent complex of traditional houses in the Al-Qasimi neighborhood, bordering an urban garden (Miqshama), near the Sailah water channel. “I am profoundly ...
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State of Conservation of the Historic Centre of Vienna (Austria)
Thursday, 11 June 2015
The World Heritage Centre is receiving correspondence from many NGOs and concerned citizens regarding a proposed high-rise project, and other matters, within the boundaries of the World Heritage property “Historic Centre of Vienna”. The World Heritage Centre is aware of this situation and is following the issue closely with the State Party, as well as the Advisory Bodies to the World ...
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UNESCO raises safety concerns on the reopening of Kathmandu Valley World Heritage Site
Thursday, 11 June 2015
The devastating earthquakes of 25 April and the aftershocks that followed have heavily damaged the monuments and sites within the Kathmandu Valley World Heritage property, as well as an enormous amount of other cultural sites in the northwestern area of Nepal. Currently closed to tourists and the general public, the three monument zones - Hanumandhoka (Kathmandu) Durbar Square, Swayambhu and ...
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Second Cycle of Periodic Reporting in Europe
Thursday, 11 June 2015
The Second Cycle of the Periodic Reporting Exercise in the Europe and North America region was launched at the 36th session of the World Heritage Committee (Saint Petersburg, 2012). In Europe, 49 States Parties and 432 World Heritage properties (382 cultural, 41 natural, 9 mixed) participated in the Second Cycle of the Periodic Reporting Exercise (2012-2015). The exercise was coordinated by ...
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Relais & Châteaux and SeaWeb Europe celebrate Marine World Heritage on World Oceans Day by promoting sustainable seafood
Monday, 8 June 2015
As the world’s population grows, demand for fresh seafood is rising, and stocks are being stretched to the limit. Climate change impacts further stress the food chain. Marine World Heritage sites can provide a buffer against this pressure. They allow fish to grow and multiply safe from major disturbance, and boost the resilience of the oceans unique ecosystem. Today, many of the world's ...
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World Heritage Committee to meet in Bonn 28 June to 8 July
Friday, 5 June 2015
The World Heritage Committee will examine proposals to inscribe 37 properties on UNESCO’s World Heritage List when it meets at the international conference centre of Bonn (Germany) from 28 June to 8 July. The upcoming 39th session of the World Heritage Committee will be chaired by Maria Böhmer, Minister of State at Germany’s Federal Foreign Office, and member of the Bundestag. Nominations ...
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UNESCO Expert Workshop: Conservation of Mural Paintings – Research, Access and Conservation
Tuesday, 2 June 2015
A three-day meeting in Berlin brought together experts from around the world to discuss the current practices for mural painting conservation and led to the adoption of new Guidelines. Within the framework of the UNESCO/Republic of Korea Funds-in-Trust Project for the Preservation of the Koguryo Tombs and Mural Paintings in the DPRK, the UNESCO Expert Workshop: Conservation of Mural ...
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UNESCO Director-General condemns airstrikes on Yemen’s cultural heritage
Tuesday, 2 June 2015
The Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, has condemned the airstrikes on the ancient city of Marib in Yemen and is calling on all parties involved in the conflict to refrain from targeting the country’s unique cultural heritage. UNESCO has received information on damage caused to the Great Dam of Marib by an airstrike during the night of 31 May. According to reports received, the ...
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“Saving the cultural heritage of Iraq” ‒ Director-General welcomes Adoption of the UN General Assembly Resolution
Thursday, 28 May 2015
UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova addressed today’s Plenary Meeting of the UN General Assembly, which adopted unanimously a resolution on “Saving the cultural heritage of Iraq”. The resolution, presented jointly by Germany and Iraq, was cosponsored by a total of 91 Member States, focuses on the fight against the destruction of cultural heritage and attacks against the cultural diversity ...
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1st Management Planning Workshop in Korça, Albania, to improve transboundary management at Lake Ohrid
Wednesday, 27 May 2015
The 1st Management Planning Workshop to protect the transboundary Lake Ohrid region took place on 25-26 March in Korça, Albania. The workshop is part of the project “Towards strengthened governance of the shared transboundary natural and cultural heritage of the Lake Ohrid region”, a UNESCO initiative funded by the European Union and the Ministry of Environment of Albania to safeguard the ...
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Vice Premier of China Asserts Significance of UNESCO for Dialogue and Peace
Friday, 22 May 2015
The Vice Premier of the People’s Republic of China, Ms Liu Yandong, pledged her country’s ambition to push her Government’s broad collaboration with UNESCO “to new heights” during a meeting with Director-General Irina Bokova in Qingdao on 23 May, on the eve of the International Conference on ICTs and post-2015 Education. On behalf of the Chinese Government, Ms Yandong congratulated UNESCO on ...
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Mauritania, Philippines and Australia apply for better protection for marine World Heritage sites at International Maritime Organisation
Thursday, 21 May 2015
Worldwide shipping traffic has increased 300% since 1992, and this growing industry does not leave World Heritage marine sites immune to its impact. The International Maritime Organization (IMO)—the United Nations specialized agency with responsibility for the safety and security of shipping and the prevention of marine pollution by ships—can provide special protections for particularly ...
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UNESCO Director-General calls for immediate cessation of hostilities in Palmyra
Wednesday, 20 May 2015
The Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, has called for an immediate end to hostilities in Palmyra (Syria) following reports from several sources that armed extremist groups have infiltrated the World Heritage site, where fighting is now ongoing.  “I am deeply concerned by the situation at the site of Palmyra. The fighting is putting at risk one of the most significant sites in the ...
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State of conservation of Venice and its lagoon (Italy)
Tuesday, 19 May 2015
The UNESCO World Heritage Centre is receiving messages expressing concern about the state of conservation of the World Heritage property "Venice and its lagoon” (Italy), inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1987. The UNESCO World Heritage Centre closely follows the state of conservation of the property with the Italian authorities. The World Heritage Committee, at its 38th session in ...
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“We must save Palmyra" says UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova
Thursday, 14 May 2015
The Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, today expressed her deep concern over reports of fighting near Palmyra, endangering the local population and posing an imminent threat to the site, inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage list. Irina Bokova called for the immediate cessation of fighting. According to several sources, armed extremist groups raided the city of Tadmur, home to the ...
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UNESCO launches emergency response plan to safeguard Yemen cultural heritage
Wednesday, 13 May 2015
Amid reports of several cultural heritage sites being damaged across Yemen, UNESCO Office for the GCC and Yemen has developed a series of emergency response activities aimed at safeguarding Yemeni cultural sites and monuments of universal values from the ongoing conflict in the country. Over the past few days, UNESCO received reports from cultural institutions and experts in Yemen of severe ...
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UNESCO Director-General calls on all parties to protect Yemen’s cultural heritage
Tuesday, 12 May 2015
Amid alarming reports about bombing of the World Heritage Site of the Old City of Sana’a, UNESCO’s Director-General calls on all parties to protect Yemen’s unique cultural heritage. Over the past few days, UNESCO received reports of severe damage to significant cultural heritage sites in Yemen. According to several media reports and official sources, the old city of Sana’a, Yemen’s capital, ...
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Director-General Signs Condolences Book for Nepal
Thursday, 7 May 2015
On 6 May, the Director-General expressed her sincere condolences to the Government and people of Nepal in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake that struck the country on 25 April by signing a message in the condolences book opened at the Embassy, in the presence of the Ambassador and Permanent Delegate to UNESCO, Ms Ambika Devi Luintel. “I wish to say how deeply aggrieved I am by the ...
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#Unite4Heritage: United Nations University joins UNESCO campaign to protect heritage in danger
Wednesday, 6 May 2015
The United Nations University (UNU) and UNESCO today brought together scholars, archeologists, historians and writers to discuss ways of opposing the widespread destruction of cultural heritage in Iraq, Syria and other countries in conflict. The symposium, entitled "Mobilization for heritage: Iraq, Syria and other countries in conflict," took place at the Organization’s Paris ...
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State of conservation of the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve (Mexico)
Wednesday, 6 May 2015
The UNESCO World Heritage Centre is receiving petitions expressing concern about the state of conservation of the World Heritage property Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve (Mexico), inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2008. The World Heritage Committee, at its next session (Bonn, Germany, 28 June - 8 July 2015), will examine the state of conservation of the property. The draft decision ...
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Director-General meets Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia
Tuesday, 5 May 2015
On 4 May, during her official visit to Estonia, the Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia, Ms Keit Pentus-Rosimannus. The Minister congratulated the Organisation on the occasion of its 70th anniversary and noted strong satisfaction with the reform led by the Director-General, to increase efficiency. The Minister highlighted the Estonian ...
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Attacks against Cultural Heritage – What can UNESCO do?
Monday, 4 May 2015
On 4 May, on the occasion of her official visit to Estonia, the Director General, Ms Irina Bokova, gave a lecture at the Estonian Academy of Arts on “Attacks against Cultural Heritage – What can UNESCO do?”, in the presence of the Rector of the Academy Professor Signe Kivi, and the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Republic of Estonia to UNESCO, H.E. Mr Marten Kokk. The lecture ...
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Director-General on Official Visit to Estonia
Monday, 4 May 2015
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, ...
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Director-General meets Estonian Minister of Culture
Monday, 4 May 2015
On 4 May, the Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, met with the Minister of Culture, Mr Indrek Saar. The Minister congratulated UNESCO on the 70th anniversary of its creation, underlining the enduring importance of the Organisation today. He also thanked the Director-General for her leadership, also in reforming the Organisation, and in the strong cooperation with Estonia. The ...
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The African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) trek in the Dja Faunal Reserve
Thursday, 30 April 2015
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 ...
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In memoriam: Dr Ronald Van Oers
Tuesday, 28 April 2015
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 ...
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UNESCO to assess the impact on Nepal’s cultural heritage of the devastating earthquake
Monday, 27 April 2015
“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 ...
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"Culture stands on the front-line of conflict - it should be at the front-line of peace building,” Director-General states to UN Security Council
Monday, 27 April 2015
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 ...
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UNESCO Director General expresses distress after earthquake in Nepal
Saturday, 25 April 2015
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 ...
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Great Apes Infographic Highlights World Heritage Importance
Friday, 24 April 2015
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 ...
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Virunga: a challenge for conservation and sustainable development
Thursday, 23 April 2015
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 ...
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Jaeger-LeCoultre brings spotlight on marine World Heritage on Earth Day
Wednesday, 22 April 2015
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, ...
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[in French only] L’approche basée sur le paysage urbain historique contribue à la conservation durable de Cidade Velha
Wednesday, 22 April 2015
[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 ...
[in French only] 2 min read
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Vacancy: Local Facilitator to the Advisory Bodies
Wednesday, 15 April 2015
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 ...
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Inventory and cultural mapping of Sultanate’s architectural and urban heritage
Tuesday, 14 April 2015
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 ...
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UNESCO Director-General condemns destruction at Nimrud
Monday, 13 April 2015
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 ...
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Mayor of Istanbul and the Director-General celebrate the 30th anniversary of the inscription of the Historic Areas of Istanbul on the World Heritage List
Wednesday, 8 April 2015
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 ...
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New management plan at Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park puts focus on Outstanding Universal Value
Tuesday, 7 April 2015
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, ...
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The Director-General of UNESCO calls for all Syrians to commit to the safeguarding of cultural Heritage in Bosra and Idlib
Thursday, 2 April 2015
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 ...
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Peer learning between Galapagos Islands and Great Barrier Reef
Monday, 30 March 2015
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 ...
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#Unite4Heritage campaign launched by UNESCO Director-General in Baghdad
Saturday, 28 March 2015
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 ...
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Ngorongoro Conservation Area sets path for sustainable tourism
Tuesday, 24 March 2015
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 ...
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“We stand together” to protect Iraq's cultural heritage, says French President with UNESCO Director-General
Wednesday, 18 March 2015
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 ...
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UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova expresses solidarity with Tunisia following deadly attack at Bardo Museum
Wednesday, 18 March 2015
UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova today condemned the deadly attack at the Bardo Museum in Tunis, and expressed her support and solidarity with Tunisia and the families of the victims. Ms Bokova spoke of the assault during a meeting with French President Francois Hollande at the Louvre Museum in Paris. The two leaders were addressing media on the destruction of cultural heritage by ...
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Save Virunga’s elephants
Wednesday, 18 March 2015
“The Elephant Collaring Project Team” from Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is an initiative which aims at strengthening the safeguarding of elephants using radio tracking with specially designed elephant collars. The Park’s goal is to reach 120,000 USD in donations, within 10 weeks. Donate now to Virunga National Park to reinforce vital resources needed to ...
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First Management Planning Workshop to begin for transboundary Lake Ohrid region
Wednesday, 18 March 2015
The first management planning workshop in a series of five will take place on 25 and 26 March 2015 in the Korça region, Albania. The workshop is carried out in the framework of the 36-month European Union-funded project “Towards strengthened governance of the shared transboundary natural and cultural heritage of the Lake Ohrid region”. The project is designed to address the main threats ...
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Launch of Website – Germany looking forward to hosting World Heritage Committee
Tuesday, 17 March 2015
Upcoming 39th session due to take place in Bonn, Germany. The annual highlight for the World Heritage community is drawing near: From 28 June to 8 July approx. 1200 delegates, observers and NGO-representatives from 191 countries will gather in Bonn, Germany, to attend the 39th session of the World Heritage Committee. During its session last year in Doha, Qatar, the Committee elected Minister ...
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Resiliency and Cultural Heritage discussed at the World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction
Tuesday, 17 March 2015
UNESCO, in partnership with the Japanese Agency for Cultural Affairs (ACA), the Japanese National Institutes for Cultural Heritage (NICH), ICCROM and ICOMOS has organized a special session on "Resilient Cultural Heritage" within the framework of the Third United Nations World Conference Disaster Risk Reduction (WCDRR), which has taken place between 14 and 18 March at Sendai, Japan. The ...
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UNESCO mobilizes the international community to end cultural cleansing in Iraq
Wednesday, 11 March 2015
Since the beginning of the conflict in Iraq, in addition to the tragic loss of human life and the humanitarian crisis associated to the persecution of cultural and religious minorities, cultural heritage has been the target of intentional destruction. The goal has clearly been to erase the history of the country along with the identities and diversity of its people. UNESCO Director-General ...
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Minister of State Böhmer condemns destruction of Iraqi cultural sites in Nimrud by the ISIS terrorist group and calls for peace in Iraq
Monday, 9 March 2015
Minister of State at the Federal Foreign Office and Chair of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee Maria Böhmer issued the following statement in Berlin on 9 March following the destruction of Iraqi artefacts in Nimrud by the terrorist group ISIS: “The ongoing barbaric attacks perpetrated by the ISIS terrorist group in Iraq are devastating. In particular the abductions in Tikrit, the burning ...
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"Destruction of Hatra marks a turning point in the cultural cleansing underway in iraq" say heads of UNESCO and ISESCO
Saturday, 7 March 2015
Since the beginning of the conflict in Iraq, in addition to the tragic loss of human life and the humanitarian crisis associated to the persecution of cultural and religious minorities, cultural heritage has been the target of intentional destruction, with the aim of erasing the history of the country and thus undermining the peaceful coexistence of diverse communities. Attacks against the ...
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UNESCO Director General condemns destruction of Nimrud in Iraq
Friday, 6 March 2015
“I condemn in the strongest possible manner the destruction of the archaeological site of Nimrud site in Iraq. This is yet another attack against the Iraqi people, reminding us that nothing is safe from the cultural cleansing underway in the country: it targets human lives, minorities, and is marked by the systematic destruction of humanity’s ancient heritage,” said UNESCO Director General ...
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Director-General welcomes UN Security Council statement on destruction of artifacts at Mosul Museum
Saturday, 28 February 2015
The Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, has welcomed the UN Security Council's statement denouncing the attack on the Mosul Museum. "This statement is a strong testiment to the unity of the international community regarding the tragic destruction of irreplaceable heritage for all mankind," said the Director-General. "The members of the Security Council have reaffirmed the deep ...
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UNESCO Director-General welcomes the reopening of the Baghdad Museum
Saturday, 28 February 2015
"The reopening of the Baghdad Museum is a powerful symbol, coming in the wake of the destruction perpetrated in Mosul. To fight violent extremism and attacks against cultural heritage, we need more than ever to nurture the power of culture, supporting its fundamental role for dialogue and for social cohesion in Iraq and around the world." "I welcome this historic reopening, coming just a few ...
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March 3rd is World Wildlife Day
Friday, 27 February 2015
"It is time to get serious about wildlife crime" This year’s theme for World Wildlife Day is right in line with one of the key goals of the World Heritage Convention: protecting sites which are home to threatened plant and animal species. These invaluable sites are threatened more than ever, and illegal human activities such as poaching and illegal logging are some of the most worrisome. ...
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UNESCO calls for mobilization to stop "cultural cleansing" in Iraq
Friday, 27 February 2015
“I was filled with dismay by images of the attack on the Mosul Museum, as well as on other archaeological sites in the Nineveh region in Iraq,” said the Director General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova. She spoke at a press conference following the release of a video showing the devastation of the Mosul Museum in Iraq. Terrorists based in Iraq defaced many statues and bas-reliefs with an ...
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Director-General requests UN Security Council meeting on destruction of heritage in Mosul
Thursday, 26 February 2015
“I am deeply shocked by footage released today showing the destruction of statues and other artefacts of the Mosul Museum. I condemn this as a deliberate attack against Iraq’s millennial history and culture, and as an inflammatory incitement to violence and hatred,” said the Director General. “This attack is far more than a cultural tragedy – this is also a security issue as it fuels ...
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International Conference on Archaeological Parks and Sites held in Oman 23-25 February 2015
Wednesday, 25 February 2015
A major international conference was organized by ICOMOS Oman at Dhofar University in Salalah, Sultanate of Oman to review archaeological heritage identification, management, and conservation, and to explore new approaches. Among the participants were experts from different parts of the world, representatives from Ministries and heritage agencies, Ambassadors of UNESCO Member States, the ...
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Call for expression of interest for the evaluation of the African World Heritage Fund
Wednesday, 18 February 2015
Established as a Category II Centre under the auspices of UNESCO in October 2009, the African World Heritage Fund (AWHF) is an inter-governmental organisation which was jointly initiated by the African Members States of UNESCO and the African Union. Its mission is to support the effective conservation and protection of natural and cultural heritage of outstanding universal value in Africa. ...
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World Heritage Young Experts Forum 2015 in Germany “Towards a Sustainable Management of World Heritage Sites”
Wednesday, 18 February 2015
Prior to the 39th session of the World Heritage Committee, a Young Experts Forum will be held from 18 to 29 June 2015 in the Upper Middle Rhine Valley World Heritage site and in Bonn, former capital of Germany. Young heritage experts from around the world from 20 to 30 years old will exchange ideas and provide input to the theme of this year’s Forum Towards a Sustainable Management of World ...
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UNESCO Director-General welcomes UN Security Council Resolution to step up protection of cultural heritage in Syria and Iraq
Thursday, 12 February 2015
The Director-General of UNESCO, Ms Irina Bokova, welcomed the adoption of a new UN Security Council Resolution 2199 that condemns the destruction of cultural heritage and adopts legally-binding measures to counter illicit trafficking of antiquities and cultural objects from Iraq and Syria. “The adoption of resolution 2199 is a milestone for enhanced protection of cultural heritage in Iraq ...
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UNWTO/UNESCO World Conference on Tourism and Culture gathers Ministers of Tourism and Culture for the first time
Wednesday, 11 February 2015
Over 900 participants, including over 45 Ministers and Vice Ministers of Tourism and Culture, international experts, speakers and guests from 100 countries, gathered at the UNWTO/UNESCO World Conference on Tourism and Culture in Siem Reap, Cambodia, to explore and advance new partnership models between tourism and culture (4-6 February 2015). Tourism, moving more than one billion people ...
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Banc d’Arguin National Park inspires young people to preserve World Heritage
Tuesday, 10 February 2015
With support from UNESCO’s World Heritage Marine Programme, the Banc d’Arguin National Park in Mauritania organized a series of educational activities for students from four local schools who are located in the park. Throughout 2014, about 100 students participated in three-day excursions in which they learned about the biodiversity, the socioeconomic importance of the Park and the need to ...
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Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) Director General, job vacancy
Tuesday, 10 February 2015
The secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) is currently recruiting a Director General (DG).  SPREP is the regional organisation established by the Governments and Administrations of the Pacific charged with protecting and managing the environment and natural resources of the Pacific. It is based in Apia, Samoa, with about 95 staff and an annual budget of USD $20 ...
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Ecuador intensifies actions to reduce risks from ship stranding in Galápagos Islands
Friday, 6 February 2015
On Wednesday, 28 January, the cargo ship Floreana stranded near San Cristobal, an island that is part of the Galápagos islands World Heritage site. The vessel transported 1,400 tons of cargo and 50,000 liters of fuel among other, potentially hazardous, products. Accordingly to early government reports, products leaked from the ship. Actions are being taken to define the impacts on the marine ...
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2014-2015 World Heritage Map Published
Friday, 6 February 2015
The latest version of the World Heritage map, produced by the UNESCO World Heritage Centre and National Geographic Maps with the generous support of Germany, can now be ordered for a modest fee from the World Heritage Centre website. The featured image on the Map presents the Upper Middle Rhine Valley in Germany, country hosting the next session of the World Heritage Committee in June ...
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UNESCO and Panasonic inspire pupils in Fujian, China, to become ambassadors of World Heritage protection
Tuesday, 3 February 2015
Since their first agreement signed in 2011, UNESCO and Panasonic have worked together to educate young people about  protecting natural and cultural heritage. Long-term success of the program depends on the children of today, hence their involvement is of key importance. As part of the cooperation with UNESCO, Panasonic China hosted 50 pupils and teachers in a school excursion from 3 to 6 ...
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World Heritage stakeholders come together to develop a sustainable tourism strategy for Mosi-oa-Tunya/Victoria Falls
Monday, 2 February 2015
World heritage site managers and tourism stakeholders from Zambia and Zimbabwe came together for the first time to initiate the process to develop a sustainable tourism strategy for the Mosi-oa-Tunya/Victoria Falls World Heritage site. The workshop was held in Livingstone, Zambia from 22 to 24 January 2015. The workshop takes place within the framework of the UNESCO World Heritage and ...
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World Heritage N° 74: Disasters and resilience
Monday, 2 February 2015
Issue 74 of World Heritage magazine World Heritage sites are exposed to a wide variety of natural and human-induced hazards, such as earthquakes, cyclones or fires, which can have devastating effects on their value as well as on the lives and assets of the communities concerned. This issue explores the risks that sites are exposed to and different aspects of disaster risk management, ...
[in French only] 1 min read
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Bamako conference urges emergency action to safeguard manuscripts
Friday, 30 January 2015
Storage conditions of ancient manuscripts smuggled out of Timbuktu to Bamako in 2012 must be improved rapidly to avoid decay, concluded participants at an international conference, held from 28 to 30 January in the national capital. They also called for the adoption of an emergency plan to preserve the manuscripts in the long-term. The conference was attended by academics; representatives of ...
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Experts and practitioners draft policy on World Heritage and sustainable development
Wednesday, 28 January 2015
From 22 to 24 January 2015, UNESCO, in cooperation with the Vietnamese authorities, hosted a workshop on World Heritage and sustainable development at the Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex in Viet Nam. The workshop responded to the request by the World Heritage Committee at its 36th session in Saint Petersburg to develop a policy on the integration of sustainable development into the ...
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Belize agrees to Chart Road Map solving Critical Conservation Issues to remove Belize Barrier Reef from Danger List
Tuesday, 27 January 2015
Following a week-long constructive discussion with UNESCO's World Heritage Centre and IUCN, the government of Belize agreed to start talks on critical conservation challenges related to the removal of the Belize Barrier Reef from the World Heritage List in Danger.  From 19-23 January 2015, UNESCO's World Heritage Centre, in cooperation with the International Union for the Conservation of ...
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Celebrating World Wetlands Day: 2 February 2015
Thursday, 22 January 2015
2 February each year is World Wetlands Day. It marks the date of the adoption of the Convention on Wetlands on 2 February 1971, in the Iranian city of Ramsar on the shores of the Caspian Sea. Each year since 1997, government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and groups of citizens at all levels of the community have taken advantage of the opportunity to undertake actions aimed at ...
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Safeguarding Mali’s ancient manuscript collections, an international conference in Bamako
Wednesday, 21 January 2015
Nearly two years after armed groups occupied northern Mali and destroyed cultural heritage there, an international conference will take place in the capital, Bamako, from 28 to 30 January to examine the long-term conservation of the country’s invaluable ancient manuscript collections. UNESCO’s Office in Bamako, Mali’s Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research and the Ahmed Baba ...
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Earthwatch launches its 2015 Business Skills Transfer Programme
Tuesday, 20 January 2015
Once again this year Earthwatch is offering funded training and mentoring in organisational and business management practices to protected areas in Africa. The application period is now open until 27th February 2015. The Programme is looking to recruit 6 protected areas, who will each nominate 3 members of staff for training during a 10 day residential training course in October 2015. This ...
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Announcement for Internship Opportunities (South Africa and Benin)
Tuesday, 20 January 2015
Internship Opportunities in South Africa and Benin, from 1 April until 30 September 2015. Two internships will run in 2015, one at the African World Heritage Fund (AWHF) in Midrand (South Africa) and one at EPA in Porto-Novo (Benin). AWHF was launched in 2006 to support African State Parties in implementing the UNESCO Convention on the protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. ...
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Another Fire at the Royal Palaces of Abomey World Heritage site in Benin
Sunday, 18 January 2015
On 14 January 2015, a fire has once again ravaged the Palace of the King Houégbadja in the Royal Palaces of Abomey World Heritage property in Benin. Thankfully there were no victims. Despite the efforts of firefighters, all of the thatched roofs of the palace complex were burned. As they were built from fire-resistant earthen architecture, the walls of the palace buildings were spared. The ...
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French National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research (INRAP) provides expertise to UNESCO in the framework of the France-UNESCO Cooperation Agreement
Wednesday, 14 January 2015
In the framework of the France-UNESCO Cooperation Agreement (an agreement for the protection and enhancement of monumental, urban and natural heritage, between the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and the Government of France) UNESCO has technical and financial assistance at their disposal through the following Ministries of France: Ministry of Culture and ...
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The Polynesian Voyaging Society embarks on a worldwide voyage through marine World Heritage sites
Thursday, 8 January 2015
Nainoa Thompson and the Mālama Honua Worldwide Voyage (sponsored by Hawaiian Airlines) are embarking on a 3-year trip that will take them to 13 marine World Heritage sites. The voyage is taking place with Hōkūle'a and Hikianalia, sister canoes who are both sailing on parallel sail plans in 2015-2017. UNESCO and the Polynesian Voyaging Society signed a partnership agreement that will ...
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Online Travel Itinerary launched about World Heritage sites in the United States
Wednesday, 7 January 2015
The National Park Service's newest online travel itinerary highlights the 22 World Heritage sites located in the United States. The project includes fun facts and interesting background information about sites across the country, from the Statue of Liberty to Hawaii Volcanoes, which have universal significance. The World Heritage sites in the United States itinerary is the 60th in the ...
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Director-General Presents World Heritage Certificates to Turkey
Tuesday, 6 January 2015
On 6 January, during her official visit to Turkey, the Director-General participated in a ceremony to present the World Heritage Certificates for the newly inscribed sites of “Pergamon Multi-layered Cultural Landscape” and “Bursa and Cumalıkızık: the Birth of an Empire” on the UNESCO World Heritage List, in the presence of H.E. Ömer Çelik, Minister of Culture and Tourism. The ceremony took ...
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