World Heritage Committee 2009
The 33rd session of the World Heritage Committee wrapped up in Seville this week and, as always, made a number of important decisions regarding our international legacy to and preservation of important world sites.
This year a total of 27 new sites were up for inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage List and 13 have been added to the list. This brings the number of natural and cultural sites to 890.
The new additions include The Dolomites (Italy), Stoclet House (Belgium) and The Tower of Hercules (Spain). They have been selected for having outstanding universal value.
UNESCO World Heritage sites are elected by a general assembly of 21 countries serving four year terms and must be of outstanding cultural or natural importance to the common heritage of humanity.
Italy has the most listed World Heritage sites with iconic locations such as the historic centre of Rome and the Venice canals, while 21 per cent of the sites are located in Asia-Pacific. Australia has 17 sites on the list, including the Sydney Opera House, in Carpe Diem’s home city, which has been on the list since 2007.
Speaking on behalf of the World Heritage Committee’s host nation, Spain’s Culture Minister Angeles Gonzalez-Sinde Reig said the most important work of the Committee today is “to revive and raise the flame of culture in the face of crises and uncertainties.”
The 33rd meeting of the Committee has afforded list-status to three news sites deemed to be in need of protection:
• Los Katios National Park in Colombia as part of an international mobilisation against deforestation
• The historical monuments of Mtskheta in Georgia
• The northern hemisphere’s largest barrier reef, Belize, because of mangrove cuttings and excessive development in the area.
María Jesús San Segundo, the Ambassador and permanent delegate of Spain to UNESCO, highlighted that threatened areas must find local strategies for sustainable development.
For more on UNESCO World Heritage Sites visit their website:
http://whc.unesco.org/
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