UNESCO CALLS FOR PROTECTION OF THE WORLD’S HERITAGE

Smash Hits
India
July 3, 2008

Quebec City (Canada), July 3 (DPA) The United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) has called for a stronger
commitment to protecting the world’s cultural and natural treasures.

At the opening of the 32nd meeting of Unesco World Heritage commission
here Wednesday, Panel president Christina Cameron of Canada said
the protection of extraordinary cultural accomplishments and natural
phenomenon was an important contribution to sustaining communities
and preserving quality of life.

Quebec is a World Heritage site, which is celebrating its 400th
anniversary as the oldest European settlement in North America. Canada
is chair of the current 21-country committee that also includes
Bahrain, Brazil, Cuba, China and the US.

‘World Heritage sites, which are protected and shared with others, can
promote our understanding of the diversity of cultures and ecological
systems,’ she said.

During the nine-day gathering, the UN organization will consider
applications for new designations in 41 countries, and discuss heritage
sites that have lost their lustre through negligence, lack of funds
or natural disaster.

The focus of debate as early as Friday will be one of Germany’s most
historic and scenic areas of 18th and 19th century significance,
the Dresden Elbe Valley.

German authorities had decided to build a bridge in the heart of
the well-known landscape against the advice of Unesco, which urged
a tunnel. Warnings were issued about the site’s status in 2006 after
the decision to build the bridge was taken.

No site has ever been delisted from the programme.

In all, 30 of 851 World Heritage sites are considered endangered.

Cambodia is seeking designation for a millennial temple, Preah Vihear,
dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva, but Thailand is challenging the
move. A 1962 World Court ruling awarded the temple to Cambodia, but
part of the land it sits on belongs to Thailand, where some people
argue for a two-county heritage listing of site.

Thailand Tuesday formally withdrew its support for Cambodia’s
designation, in keeping with an Administrative Court order made over
the weekend. It is unclear whether the government change in stance
on the listing will derail Cambodia’s proposal.

The temple is perched on a mountain range that defines the
Thai-Cambodian border.

Among other applicants are five countries seeking their first sites
on the Unesco list – Saudi Arabia, Kyrgyzstan, Papua New Guinea,
San Marino and Vanuatu.

Among Eastern European countries, Albania, Croatia, Czech Republic,
Bulgaria, the Russian Federation and Slovakia are applying for
recognition of special sites, and Hungary and Slovakia have a joint
application for designation of a network of fortifications where the
Danube and Vah rivers converge in Komarno.

In the Middle East, applicants include Yemen for its Socotra
Archipelago; Saudi Arabia for archaeological site al-Hijr; Iran for
the Armenian monastic ensembles in its Azerbaijan province; and Israel
for the triple-arch gate at Dan and the Baha’i holy places in Haifa
and western Galilee.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress