Thursday, September 09, 2010

UNESCO's world heritage sites: a danger list in danger


In its care for precious places, UNESCO is torn between its own principles and its members' wishes and the principles are losing ground. The article examines how politics is infecting danger lists and inscribing sites in the first place. At a recent meeting in Brasilia, some 21 new sites were added to the heritage list-even though the expert advice suggested only 10 were eligible. Some have speculated that UNESCO lacks the resources to monitor its ever growing list of places whilst some see these problems of the heritage list as symptomatic of wider problems. The article is available in the latest issue of the Economist in the HOORC Library.

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