June 27, 2003	Friday	Rabi-us-Sani 26,1424

PARIS, June 26: UNESCO is to announce next week during the 27th session of its World Heritage Committee at UNESCO headquarters here the addition of some 30 new sites to the World Heritage List. Unesco spokesman Isabelle Le Fournis said “the list will include the treasures of humanity’s cultural and natural heritage.”

Among the sites expected to receive favourable treatment by Unesco’s special selection committee are those located in Iraq and Afghanistan, where recent wars have wreaked havoc on some of those countries’ most prestigious cultural and historical treasures.

UNESCO director-general Koichiro Matsuura will address the opening session of the week-long (June 30-July 5) event, and a special committee will then examine the 38 nominations that have been made for inscription this year, not to mention the cases of Angkor in Cambodia and of the Minaret and archeological remains of Jam in Afghanistan, which are expected to be placed on the List of World Heritage in Danger.

The sites being proposed for inclusion on the World Heritage list are located in Afghanistan, Argentina, Australia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Chile, China, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Gambia, Germany, India, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Mongolia, Poland, Portugal, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sudan, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, Vietnam, Zimbabwe.

The Committee will also consider nominations for seven extensions of previously inscribed sites in six countries (Brazil, Canada, China, Egypt, Panama, United Kingdom). In addition, the committee will review the list of World Heritage in Danger which currently features 33 sites. These are sites that are vulnerable to serious threats caused by, for example, industry or mining pollution, looting, war, uncontrolled tourism, poaching, etc. The list, which includes sites such as Angkor (Cambodia), the Minaret and archeological remains of Jam (Afghanistan) and Timbuktu (Mali), may be modified by the committee.

To date the 1972 Convention on World Cultural and Natural Heritage protects 730 sites of “outstanding universal value” in 125 States Parties, including 563 cultural and 144 natural sites, and 23 mixed sites. This unique Convention encourages international cooperation to preserve shared cultural and natural heritage.

Its 176 States Parties make it one of the world’s most ratified international agreements. Nations that join it promise to protect sites on the World Heritage list.