UNESCO adds 21 sites to World Heritage List
8/7/2008 17:15
The World Heritage Committee of the United Nations Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) added 21 new sites to its heritage list
yesterday.
Eight of the sites are all cultural sites. They include Melaka and
George Town, historic cities of the Straits of Malacca in Malaysia, which have
developed over 500 years of trading and cultural exchanges between East and West
in the Straits of Malacca.
Also included are the Kuk Early Agricultural Site
in Papua New Guinea, which consists of 116 hectares of swamps in the southern
highlands of New Guinea 1,500 meters above sea-level. The Historic Center and
Mount Titano of San Marino, which dates back to the 13th century, was also
included.
This is the first time that Papua New Guinea and San Marino enter
the World Heritage List.
Other sites are in Croatia, France, Germany, Italy
and Slovakia and include China's Mount Sanqingshan National Park. Other sites
are in Cambodia, Canada, Cuba, France, Iceland, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Mexico,
Switzerland, Italy and Yemen.
The 21-member committee is examining a total 43
cultural and natural sites for inscription in UNESCO's World Heritage List. Four
cultural sites were inscribed Sunday.
As of now, the UNESCO has 876
properties of "outstanding universal value" on its World Heritage List.
The
32nd session of the World Heritage Committee opened July 3 in this eastern
Canadian city and will last until July 10.
Xinhua
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