Unic Press UK: The World Heritage Committee met Friday, inscribing new sites and approving an extension of existing site on UNESCO’s World Heritage List.
The new sites and the extension listed by United Nations Educational, Scientific, Cultural Organization (UNESCO) included:
- Hebron / Al Khalil Old town, Palestine: “This place became a site of pilgrimage for the three monotheistic religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The town was sited at the crossroads of trade routes for caravans travelling between southern Palestine, Sinai, Eastern Jordan, and the north of the Arabian Peninsula”, UNESCO said.
- W-Arly-Pendjari Complex [extension of the “W. National Park of Niger”, Niger], Benin/Burkina Faso: “This transnational extension (Benin, Burkina Faso) to the W National Park of Niger, inscribed in 1996 on the World Heritage List, cover a major expanse of intact Sudano-Sahelian savannah, with vegetation types including grasslands, shrub lands, wooded savannah and extensive gallery forests. It includes the largest and most important continuum of terrestrial, semi-aquatic and aquatic ecosystems in the West African savannah belt. The property is a refuge for wildlife species that have disappeared or are highly threatened. It is home to the largest population of elephants in West Africa and most of the large mammals typical of the region, such as the African Manatee, cheetah, lion, and leopard”, UNESCO said.
Israel kicks
In response to UNESCO’s decision to list Hebron in the West Bank as an endangered Palestinian world heritage site, the Israeli government accused the UN specialized agency of denying “the historical truth and the thousands of years of deep Jewish roots in Hebron.”
In response to UNESCO’s decision to list Hebron in the West Bank as an endangered Palestinian world heritage site, the Israeli government accused the UN specialized agency of denying “the historical truth and the thousands of years of deep Jewish roots in Hebron.”
The prime minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu who appears deeply angered by how things have been playing out, announced Friday that Israel would reduce by an additional $1 million the amount it gives annually to the United Nations in membership. He vowed to protect the site.
