Facing major threats, six new sites join UNESCO’s List of World Heritage in Danger, three of them on an emergency basis

The World Heritage Committee has also decided to inscribe on its List of World Heritage in Danger three sites that had been previously recognized; signaling they are now facing serious threats to the values that justified their inscription in the first place. These are: Ancient City of Taurica Chersonese and its Chora (Ukraine), the Historic Inner City of Paramaribo (Suriname) and Tyre (Lebanon).

The three sites that were nominated for inscription on an emergency basis are:  

Boma-Badingilo Migratory Landscape (South Sudan): A vast expanse of East African savanna, this site hosts the largest known terrestrial mammal migration in the world, and its unique biodiversity makes it an ecosystem of exceptional global significance.  The site also reflects the important cultural, and linguistic diversity of the region with several ethnic groups who have been custodians of this landscape through herding, farming and fishing for centuries and even millennia. The Committee has flagged several serious threats, notably infrastructure development, commercial poaching, and wildlife trafficking and trade, which directly affect the large populations of migratory mammals. A context of persistent insecurity, along with limited institutional and financial capacity, also hinders effective conservation of the site. 

Mount Amel Castles (Lebanon): The five castles that make up this site bear witness to the evolution of defensive systems in the region from the era of the Crusades and Islamic dynasties through to the end of the 19th century. This site, which had already been granted enhanced protection in November 2024 by UNESCO's Committee for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, is currently suffering heavy damage. According to the Committee, the ongoing conflict directly jeopardizes the site's conservation and requires urgent intervention. 

Sebastia (State of Palestine): This site preserves the archaeological record of the successive occupation of the site by different civilizations from at least the 9th century BCE, when Samaria-Sebaste served as the capital of the northern Kingdom of Israel, through the Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine and Islamic periods, with later architectural remains dating to the Crusader era, as well as the Ayyubid/Mamluk and Ottoman periods, when it was one of the designated “Throne Villages”.  The main threat facing the site concerns the planned expropriation and creation of the "Samaria" (Shomron) national park, which could divide the property. In addition to the impact of the conflict in the Middle-East, the site also faces pressures related to development, land-use planning, governance and the erosion of the remains.

Three sites that were already inscribed on the World Heritage List that have now been inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger upon the recommendation of the Committee:  
Ancient City of Tauric Chersonese and its Chora (Ukraine): The Committee noted with the deepest concern that, due to the Autonomous Republic of Crimea (Ukraine) being temporarily occupied by the Russian Federation, the State Party is unable to ensure the site’s protection or guarantee its conservation or management. In this context, it welcomed the partnership between UNESCO and UNITAR/UNOSAT, which has enabled since 2014, regular monitoring of the state of conservation of the site using satellite images. These observations revealed a significant deterioration in the authenticity and integrity of the property, resulting from new construction and large-scale archaeological excavations. Given the State Party’s inability to fulfill its conservation responsibilities, as well as the observed damage to the property’s Outstanding Universal Value, the Committee decided to inscribe it on the List of World Heritage in Danger. It also called for strengthened international cooperation to prevent the illicit trafficking of cultural property originating from the Autonomous Republic of Crimea (Ukraine). 

Historic Inner City of Paramaribo (Suriname): The Committee commended the progress made in the management and conservation of the site, particularly through the development of new management plans, the strengthening of the institutional framework and efforts to prevent fire risks. However, it noted that several construction projects had been carried out without an assessment of their impact on the heritage or consideration of its recommendations. It considered that the new National Assembly hall and the Yogh parking garage detract from the property’s historic urban landscape and result in a significant loss of its authenticity and integrity. The Committee considered that these structures constituted a proven threat to the site’s Outstanding Universal Value. 

 Tyre (Lebanon): The Committee expressed its deep concern over the ongoing hostilities in Lebanon, which continue to pose a threat to the property, and determined that the conditions necessary to ensure the conservation and protection of the property’s Outstanding Universal Value are no longer met. The Committee has commended Lebanon’s efforts to strengthen the mechanisms for protecting the property and recalled that the archaeological sites had been included on the International List of Cultural Property under Enhanced Protection under the 1999 Second Protocol to the 1954 Hague Convention. It also took note of the request submitted by the State Party to inscribe this property on the List of World Heritage in Danger and considered that the ongoing hostilities in Lebanon constituted a direct threat exposing the property to both identified and potential dangers. The Committee urged all parties involved in the hostilities to refrain from any action that could further damage the property and to respect their obligations under international law. 

The World Heritage Committee will continue the examination of additional nominations through July 27.