UNESCO Heritage Sites

The local NGO Amritsar Vikas Manch has demanded from Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to bring pass a resolution in the state Assembly asking the Centre to approach UNESCO for heritage status to the 'holy city' of Amritsar. Heritage status to the holy city Amritsar In a letter written letters to Badal, Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal and a copy to local MP Navjot Singh Sidhu, the NGO asked them to bring the resolution in the upcoming budget session of Vidhan Sabha. Charanjit Singh Gumtala President of the Manch said Chief Minister had given a public statement in 2009 promising that his party would bring this resolution in the Assembly, and after getting approval in the house it will be forwarded to the Centre with request to grant heritage status to the holy city. But even after lapsing of so much time no headway had been made'', stated Gumtala.

UNECSO has included the natural park "Lenskie Stolby" in Yakutia (a region in Siberia) in its World Cultural and Natural Heritage List. This decision was taken after 10 years of inspections. This is already the 25th site in Russia that has been included in this list. The "Lenskie Stolby" Natural Park The name of the park, "Lenskie Stolby", means "pillars on the river of Lena". These are lime rock pillars of a peculiar form, up to 100 meters high, which line the bank of Lena. The site, which attracts many tourists, is situated in about 100 kms from the city of Pokrovsk. The "Lenskie Stolby" natural park occupies nearly 500,000 hectares.

Negotiated with the support of the World Heritage Centre, this 3 year Swiss government financed project entitled "Local Capacities for climate change adaptation and risk management: Manu National Park in - World Heritage Site" was brought to a successful close earlier this month. Fully implemented by the UNESCO Lima office, the project was founded on a strategic alliance with 's National Protected Areas Service. Communities improve their understanding of climate change The project recognized the close link between the conservation of this vast natural World Heritage site, and the well-being of neighbouring communities. It worked on two distinct fronts – the first on the development of a climate change adaptation plan for the Manu National Park (also a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve), and the second on helping neighbouring communities improve their understanding of climate change, its implications on their livelihoods, and on the possible measures they could take to be...

China has successfully listed 43 world heritage sites with the United Nations, the third-highest number in the world, an official said at a conference on the topic on Tuesday. China has established a legal system for cultural relic's protection With more than 500 legal documents coming into play, China has established a legal system for cultural relic's protection, said Li Xiaojie, director of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage at the event, held to mark 30 years since the country's first law for cultural relic's protection was enacted.

Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh on Wednesday condoled the passing away of legendary musician Pandit Ravi Shankar and described him as a national treasure and global ambassador of India's cultural heritage. Pandit Ravi Shankar passed away In his condolence message, Dr. Singh said: "An era has passed away with Pandit Ravi Shankar. He was national treasure and global ambassador of India's cultural heritage." "The nation joins me to pay tributes to his unsurpassable genius, his art and his humility," he added.

Israeli separation wall threatens world heritage site of Battir: The future of an ancient agricultural landscape, incorporating extensive stone-walled terraces and a unique natural irrigation system, could be decided on Wednesday when a petition against the planned route of Israel's vast concrete and steel separation barrier is heard by the high court. Battir terraces to be World Heritage The terraces of the Palestinian village of Battir, near Bethlehem, are expected to be declared a world heritage site by UNESCO, the United Nations' cultural body, in the coming months. But, Friends of the Earth, which filed the petition, says Israel's decision to construct the West Bank barrier through a valley running between the terraces threatens to inflict irreversible harm to the landscape.

We must not destroy our heritage: Last week saw the announcement by Development Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po of the government's acceptance of the redevelopment of a historic mansion by its owner, as well as the reversal of a previous decision to demolish the west wing of the Central Government Offices for redevelopment. Perhaps the joint announcement was made to give the public some good news, in respect of the conservation of the west wing, to compensate for the distressing news of the impending destruction of Ho Tung Gardens on The Peak.

The inclusion of Svalbard in UNESCO's World Heritage list could hamper the Arctic Archipelago's role in future energy projects, industry representatives argue. According to Teknisk Ukeblad, Norway plans to nominate parts of the Svalbard archipelago to the prestigious UN protection list. In addition, a new management plan for the area includes expanded environmental regulations for the area. Strict Environmental Regulations Oil industry representatives now voice skepticism about the status of the islands, which are located in strategic Arctic waters. Stricter environmental regulations could affect future development of local oil and gas-related logistics, bases and supply facilities, they argue. "The protection of the waters east of Svalbard would conflict with important Norwegian geopolitical, industrial and economic interests, Johan Petter Barlindhaug, Board Chairman of the North Energy company, says to TU.no.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu has received the UNESCO/Bilbao human rights prize for contributing towards a "universal culture of human rights. Tutu was on Monday awarded the prize for "his exceptional contribution to building a universal culture of human rights at the national, regional and international levels". The jury highlighted the role he played in building the new non-racial South Africa and his contribution as head of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to national reconstruction which became a model for other post-conflict societies, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) said in a statement.

GOVERNMENT has released over K2.3 billion for rehabilitation of infrastructure at the Victoria Falls World Heritage Site in Livingstone as the country steps up preparations for hosting the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) general assembly in August next year. Livingstone and Victoria Falls Town in Zimbabwe will from August 24 to 29 co-host the prestigious global tourism general assembly which is expected to attract over 4,000 delegates. Tender Process Begun National Heritage Conservation Commission (NHCC) executive director Collins Chipote said the rehabilitation works will include the fencing of the site from the Victoria Falls Bridge to Sun International Hotels and rehabilitation of trails. Mr Chipote said this in response to a press query. The NHCC has already begun the tender process and the works are expected to be completed within three months after contracts are awarded to contracts.

Pakistan's President Zardari tells UNESCO event in Paris that providing education for girls is the best strategy to defeat Taliban. The President pledged $10m (£8m) for girls' education to UNESCO on Monday in the name of a Pakistani schoolgirl shot by the Taliban, saying sending girls to school was the best way to combat extremism. The October attack on Malala Yousufzai The October attack on Malala Yousufzai sparked worldwide condemnation of Taliban efforts to deprive girls of education in Pakistan, which has seen a surge in Islamist militancy over the past decade. At a "Stand Up For Malala" advocacy event at the Paris headquarters of the United Nations' cultural arm, Zardari said he was "deeply moved" to have met the teenager during a visit on Saturday to the British hospital where she is recovering. He reported her progress as "satisfactory".

Traditional Persian musical instrument 'Tar' is slated to be registered on UNESCO's representative list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanities. Persian Tar Following the recent registration of Azerbaijani Tar on the world heritage list, Iran will offer the proposal for registering Persian Tar on the list. "The name of instrument 'Tar', within the collection of traditional Iranian music 'Radif' along with other instruments such as 'Kamancheh' and 'Ney', was registered on UNESCO's list in 2009, but now we are planning to register the name separately", said the director of the Regional Research Center for Safeguarding the Intangible Cultural Heritage in West and Central Asia, Yadollah Parmoun.

Will Pashupatinath Temple Recover from Endanger List? UNESCO, the watchdog of world heritage sites, has warned it will keep the Pashupatinath Temple, one of the World Heritage Sites believed to be more than 25,000 years old, on its endangered sites’ list for failure of government authorities to close the road that passes through the heritage site area. UNESCO Warned Many Times “Despite UNESCO’s warning to keep the temple on its endangered list, the Pashupati Area Development Trust has not cooperated with other authorities to shut the road that cuts through the area,” said Bhesh Narayan Dahal, director-general at the Department of Archaeology. “We have received UNESCO’s verbal warning with the threat to put the shrine on the endangered sites’ list many times,” said Sushil Nahata, member-secretary at the Pashupati Area Development Trust (PADT). “Operation of a public road in the heritage site area is the reason behind this warning,” he said.

The Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, paid tribute to the great Brazilian architect, Oscar Niemeyer, who died on Wednesday, 5 December, at the age of 104. Universal Artist "Oscar Niemeyer helped define the 20th century and lay the foundations for the 21st -- for all this, he deserves the title of universal artist. As a founder of modern architecture, he gave the cities he loved iconic buildings, hundreds of monuments, recognizable among all, in Paris, Sao Paulo, Rio and of course Brasilia, a masterpiece of urban planning and modern architecture, inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 1987.”

On December 13 Three Malta Heritage Sites open for free. Heritage Malta will be opening the Inquisitor's Palace, Ggantija Temples, and Ta' Kola Windmill for free on Republic Day - Thursday next week. Inquisitor’s Palace, Ggantija Temples and Ta' Kola Windmill Situated in the heart of Vittoriosa, the Inquisitor’s Palace is an architectural gem. During the Open Day, visitors will also have the opportunity to view a number of exhibitions including Peasant Costumes: Insights into Rural Life and Society, an exhibition of popular attire of the late 18th, 19th and early twentieth century and their pictorial representations. Another exhibition, Folk Music Exhibition, highlights traditional popular music as an integral part of Maltese identity. Folk instruments on display include: iz-Zaqq, iz-Zafzafa, it-Tanbur, il-Flejguta, iz-Zummara as well as guitars and their moulds. A guided tour of the Inquisitor's Palace will commence at 15.00hrs.

UNICEF and UNESCO launched today a “global online conversation” to ensure that education is effectively addressed as a priority in the post 2015 development agenda. Quality Learning around the globe The consultation aims to bring together youth, civil society, NGOs, academia, governments and the private sector to contribute their experiences and ideas on how to reach better, wider and more equitable access to quality learning around the globe.

The state government is prepared to pay the necessary cost to ensure Danum Valley, Maliau Basin and Imbak Canyon (DaMaI) get recognised as a World Heritage Site (WHS). Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun said the issue of money was secondary to the protection of the three sites which housed many of Sabah’s endangered animal species such as the elephant, orang utans, Sumatran rhinos, banteng and an array of bird species endemic to Borneo.

Opposing the proposal to grant world heritage status to Great Himalayan National Park in Kullu district, an environmental NGO has written a letter to UNESCO demanding rights of local people to be addressed first. Inclusion Not Possible in 2013 World Heritage List Himalayan Niti Abhiyan, in a letter to International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in Switzerland, have said that they oppose the move since locals, who are forest dwellers, depended on the area for their livelihood. Experts from IUCN had recently visited Great Himalayan National Park for its possible inclusion in 2013's World Heritage List. Coordinator of the Abhiyan, Guman Singh, said the NGO's local group had also spoken regarding the matter to the IUCN team which had visited the national park in October this year.

Libya’s rich cultural heritage is being supported by UNESCO a $2.26 million two-year project to conserve historic sites, establish conservation laboratories and train more security staff to protect the country’s treasures. UNESCO Million Dollar Project Roni Amelan, a spokesman for UNESCO, told Libya Herald that projects would focus on training for the benefit of heritage professionals, including support staff and, in particular, security guards. “Priority will be given to the physical protection of cultural heritage sites and museum collections,” Amelan said.

Local officials in southern England claim plans for the $4.8bn Navitus Bay offshore wind farm could jeopardise their area's Unesco World Heritage status. Navitus Bay project Dorset County Council’s planning committee backed the findings of a local impact report on the Navitus Bay project suggesting that the visual effect of the wind farm could hit tourism, and see the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site placed on a Unesco ‘at risk’ register. It is England's only natural site with the designation.