Jan 01 U.S. and Israel officially withdraw from UNESCO By Thomas Adamson, Associated Press The withdrawals will not greatly impact UNESCO financially, since it has been dealing with a funding slash ever since 2011 when both Israel and the U.S. stopped paying dues after Palestine was voted in as a member state. Continue reading
Jun 23 After volcano eruption, Guatemalans lead their own disaster recovery By Walter E. Little, The Conversation Officially, 110 people died and 197 are missing. But an anthropologist-photojournalist team who lives in the area believe that those numbers are grossly underestimated. Continue reading
Nov 10 UNESCO chief says U.S. 'empty chair' can't last By Thomas Adamson, Associated Press New UNESCO chief Audrey Azoulay has rebuked the U.S. for its decision to withdraw from the U.N. cultural body for alleged anti-Israel bias and says America is "affected by everything" the agency does. Continue reading
Oct 18 U.S., Israel to exit UN agency over alleged anti-Israel bias By Matthew Lee, Thomas Adamson, Associated Press The United States said Thursday it is pulling out of the U.N.'s educational, scientific and cultural agency because of what Washington sees as its anti-Israel bias and need for "fundamental reform." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel plans to… Continue reading
Dec 06 Amid regional instability and rising demand, a historic agreement could protect priceless cultural artifacts By Sandy Petrykowski A new agreement lays the groundwork for the U.S. to impose import restrictions on Egyptian archaeological items to reduce the incentive to traffic antiquities. Continue reading
Aug 05 5 deep sea wonders may become UNESCO World Heritage Sites By Harry Zahn UNESCO wants to expand its list of Word Heritage Sites to include ecosystems within the depths of the open ocean. Continue reading
Jun 01 Watch 7:02 One year after devastating earthquake, Nepal works to repair its cultural heritage By PBS News Hour The massive earthquake that rocked Nepal a year ago killed thousands and displaced many more, but it also left an indelible mark on the nation’s cultural heritage, destroying centuries-old temples and monuments. As rebuilding efforts begin, conflicts are surfacing between… Continue watching
Jul 05 San Antonio Missions among new UNESCO World Heritage Sites By Andrew Mach Five new sites around the world, including the San Antonio Missions in Texas, were awarded UNESCO World Heritage status on Sunday, officials of the United Nation’s cultural and educational body announced during their annual meeting. Continue reading
May 16 Australia to expand shipping curbs around Great Barrier Reef By Rebecca Lee Australia will widen curbs on shipping around the Great Barrier Reef in an effort to protect the endangered coral system, the government said Saturday. Continue reading
May 05 Can workers save Nepal's sacred sites before the monsoons hit? By Laura Santhanam Alongside the feverish push to deliver medical aid and supplies to earthquake-ravaged Kathmandu is another smaller, but nonetheless important effort: protecting Nepal’s most precious temples and monuments from further damage. Continue reading