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Latest news on IUCN's work on World Heritage and other related issues

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Henry Cleere (left) and Jim Thorsell (right) joined by a Vietnamese colleague during an evaluation mission Photo: Jim Thorsell

Henry Cleere, a pillar of the World Heritage Convention
11.09.2018
The IUCN World Heritage Programme mourns the loss of Professor Henry Cleere, who recently passed away at the age of 91. Prof Cleere is remembered as a major figure in the history of the World Heritage Convention and in the conservation of archaeological...
Mount Sanqingshan National Park, a World Heritage site in China Photo: IUCN / Chris Wood

New IUCN report helps choose the right tools to assess how key natural areas benefit people
07.08.2018
IUCN’s World Commission on Protected Areas (IUCN-WCPA) today has issued new guidance to help practitioners assess ecosystem services within important sites for biodiversity and nature conservation. The report reviews nine assessment tools, focussing on their...
Lin, Lake Ohrid, Albania Photo: Christopher Graz

Pearl in a plastic bag
12.07.2018
Lake Ohrid is Europe’s oldest lake, straddling the mountainous border between southwestern Macedonia (FYR) and eastern Albania. It was formed by tectonic shifting over two million years ago and is home to a large number of unique flora and...
Photo: IUCN / Angela Jones

New landmark sites for people, place and identity – IUCN’s key takeaways from the 2018 World Heritage Committee meeting
11.07.2018
Returning from the 42nd World Heritage Committee meeting in Manama, in the Kingdom of Bahrain, Peter Shadie, IUCN’s World Heritage Senior Advisor and head of the IUCN delegation at the Committee, takes a moment to share some reflections on this year’s meeting...
The Ahwar of Southern Iraq: Refuge of Biodiversity and the Relict Landscape of the Mesopotamian Cities Photo: IUCN / Faisal Abu-Izzeddin

Close ties between water and culture highlighted at World Heritage meeting
04.07.2018
Water is at the heart of human existence and development. But how do people manage this precious resource in arid landscapes, such as in the Arab region? What cultural practices have developed over time in wetlands to support communities’ water needs? These...
High mountain pasture Kyrgyzstan Photo: Jens Wunderlich

World Heritage regional consultation process takes off in Central Asia
03.07.2018
Representatives from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan confirmed their commitment to support the identification of natural sites that have the potential to be nominated as World Heritage. IUCN will lead the process in its...
Madison Pearl Edwards Photo: IUCN / Angela Jones

The 12-year-old Belizean girl who spoke up at the World Heritage Committee meeting – interview
03.07.2018
“I respectfully encourage the representatives of each country present to think of my generation in decision-making regarding World Heritage sites – our barrier reef and our planet depend on it.” Thus did Madison Pearl Edwards address the delegates gathered at...
Photo: IUCN / Davis Sheppard

Yemen urged to halt damaging activities in Socotra Archipelago, as advised by IUCN
02.07.2018
Manama, Bahrain – Following IUCN’s advice, the World Heritage Committee has urged Yemen to halt any activity that may negatively impact on the unique wildlife and landscapes of the Socotra Archipelago World Heritage site. The country has been requested to...
Photo: IUCN / Charles Besancon

Photos: new World Heritage sites following IUCN’s advice
01.07.2018
Discover the beauty of the new World Heritage sites inscribed during the 42nd World Heritage Committee meeting, following the advice of IUCN – the official advisor on natural World Heritage. Our experts visited some of the most remote areas in these sites and...
Photo: IUCN Goran Gujic

Lake Turkana listed as ‘in danger’ due to impacts from dam, as advised by IUCN
28.06.2018
Manama, Bahrain, 28 June 2018 (IUCN) – Lake Turkana National Parks in Kenya has been placed on the List of World Heritage in Danger today at UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee meeting, due to impacts from the Gibe III dam. The decision follows the...