ABU DHABI, UAE (AFP) — Fifty-five out of a total of 1,052 heritage sites around the world feature on the UN cultural organisation’s World Heritage in Danger list. By listing such sites, UNESCO is seeking to mobilise the international community to protect them. During its 40th session in July, 2016, in Istanbul, UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee added sites in Mali and Uzbekistan to the list, along with Libya’s five world heritage sites which have already […]
Tag: UNESCO
International push aims to protect endangered heritage
by René SLAMA ABU DHABI, UAE (AFP) — Representatives from dozens of countries meet in Abu Dhabi on Friday to discuss the creation of a $100-million fund to protect and restore heritage sites threatened by extremism and conflict. The two-day conference reflects growing international alarm over the destruction of ancient artefacts by Islamic State group jihadists using sledgehammers, bulldozers and explosives. On the eve of the meeting, five Nobel prize winners launched an appeal for […]
Australia promises to spend nearly $1 bln in bid to keep Great Barrier Reef off “in danger” list
CANBERRA, Australia (Reuters) –Australia will spend nearly A$1.3 billion ($965.25 million) over the next five years to improve the well being of the Great Barrier Reef in an attempt to stop UNESCO from classifying the World Heritage Site as “in danger”. In the first progress report to UNESCO – requested by United Nation’s when it stopped short of placing the Great Barrier Reef on an “in danger” list last May – Australia said it will […]
Flatbread, yoga and Georgian alphabet secure spots on UNESCO culture list
JEJU ISLAND, South Korea (Reuters) — A South Korean diving tradition, the ancient Indian practice of yoga and the making and sharing of flatbread are among the new additions to UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list, the organisation announced on Wednesday (November 30) and Thursday (December 1). The U.N. created its list of intangible cultural heritage in 2008 for traditional events, rituals and social practices. To be considered, the tradition should be passed down through […]
Ancient Roman coins unearthed at Japan castle
TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Japanese archaeologists said Wednesday they have for the first time unearthed ancient Roman coins at the ruins of an old castle. The discovery of 10 bronze and copper coins — the oldest dating from about 300-400 AD — in southern Okinawa caught researchers by surprise. It was the first time Roman Empire coins have been discovered in Japan, thousands of kilometers from where they were likely minted. “At first I thought they […]
Myanmar weighs damage after earthquake rattles Bagan pagodas
by Phyo Hein KYAW YANGON, Myanmar (AFP) — Officials picked through the wreckage of toppled spires and crumbling temple walls in Myanmar’s ancient capital Bagan Thursday after a powerful earthquake rattled the top tourist destination, leaving three dead. Clouds of dust settled over the damaged pagodas as officials took stock of the destruction caused by the 6.8 magnitude quake, which struck just south of the famous archaeological site Wednesday, killing two young girls and a […]
Global push to make Mediterranean diet sexy again
by Céline CORNU MILAN, Italy (AFP) — It may be on the UNESCO heritage list, but global experts warn the Mediterranean diet, prized for its health benefits, is losing so much ground to the fast food culture that the decline may be irreversible. Rich in vegetables, fruits, cereals and extra virgin olive oil, the Mediterranean diet is based on a moderate consumption of fish, dairy products, eggs, red wine, and a small amount of meat. […]
Duterte appoints UNESCO advisory member Prof. Jose David Lapuz as CHED Chairman
QUEZON City, Philippines – President-elect Rodrigo Duterte appointed as chairman of the Commission of Higher Education well-known educator and UNESCO commissioner Prof. Jose David Lapuz. Lapuz is one of the 45 member-commissioners of the UNESCO National Commission of the Philippines (UNACOM), on the Committee of Social and Human Sciences and is a member of the UNESCO Advisory Committee on Human Rights and Poverty based in Paris. He is also a professor at the Polytechnic University of the […]
Mt. Hamiguitan World Heritage Park inaugurated in Davao Oriental
SAN ISIDRO, Davao Oriental, May 6 — President Benigno S. Aquino III led the inauguration of the Mount Hamiguitan World Heritage Park in Davao Oriental, which has been declared by UNESCO as the country’s first natural science park. The President unveiled the marker at the foot of the mountain, symbolizing the official opening of the heritage park as a tourist destination in the Davao region. The 27,714-hectare park is the natural habitat of the Philippine […]
DENR commends designation of Albay as UNESCO biosphere reserve
QUEZON CITY, Apr. 29 — Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Ramon J.P. Paje has congratulated the province of Albay on being named a biosphere reserve by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Paje said the designation gives due recognition to the province’s commitment to climate change mitigation and adaptation, as well as biodiversity conservation and sustainable development. “Albay’s recognition as a UNESCO biosphere reserve is a tribute to the outstanding efforts of […]
New Zealand prime minister supports Helen Clark for the United Nations top job
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (Reuters) – New Zealand Prime Minister, John Key, on Tuesday (April 5) threw his support behind his predecessor, Helen Clark, following her announcement she would campaign to be the next United Nation secretary-general. New Zealand submitted a letter on Monday to the president of the 193-member General Assembly formally nominating Clark, who heads the U.N. Development Program, as a candidate to succeed Ban Ki-moon as secretary-general. “There are major global challenges […]
UNESCO adds 20 new sites to list of biosphere reserves
The United Nation’s cultural body UNESCO has added 20 new sites to its network of protected biosphere nature reserves, including two in Canada and two in Portugal. The status was conferred during a two-day meeting in Lima that ended Saturday, which brought the total number of biosphere reserves to 669 across 120 countries. In Canada, the Tsa Tue area in the country’s Northwest Territories that includes the last pristine arctic lake was added to the […]





