UNESCO adds Forest Massif of Odzala-Kokoua and the volcanic landscapes and forests encompassing Mount Pelée and Pitons to the World Heritage List, CNN reported.
The deliberations commenced Saturday, marking the beginning of a rigorous assessment of 50 nominated locations all vying for a coveted spot on the prestigious World Heritage List. At the inaugural day of discussions, two sites have officially earned their place on the list: the Forest Massif of Odzala-Kokoua, nestled in the heart of the Congo; and the volcanic landscapes and forests encompassing Mount Pelée and Pitons, situated on the French island of Martinique.
Also under consideration are a Viking fortress in Denmark and 2,000-year-old earthworks in Ohio.
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In addition to adding new sites to the World Heritage List, UNESCO has also added new sites to the World Heritage in Danger List. Amid the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, two iconic Ukrainian cultural sites — Kyiv’s Saint Sophia Cathedral, and the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra — have been added to UNESCO’s list of endangered World Heritage sites. The Saint Sophia Cathedral and the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra monastery complex in Kyiv are the latest Ukrainian additions to this list, as decided during a recent UNESCO World Heritage Committee meeting.
The committee believes that despite the efforts of the Ukrainian government, the “optimal conditions are no longer met to fully guarantee the protection of the Outstanding Universal Value of the property and that it is threatened by potential danger due to the war.” (RELATED: RASHEED WALTERS: Yes, The Ukraine War Is A Territorial Dispute)
“Faced with the risk of direct attack, these sites are also vulnerable to the shockwaves caused by the bombing of the two cities,” UNESCO added.