Chaine des Puys IUCN recommendation : inscribed
https://www.20minutes.fr/societe/2278935-20180528-patrimoine-mondial-unesco-volcans-a uvergne-bien-partis-obtenir-label

Final IUCN Evaluations are published.

Chaîne des Puys - Limagne fault tectonic arena (France) Inscribe
Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Valley: originary habitat of Mesoamerica (Mexico) Inscribe

Boundary Modification
Jeju Volcanic Island and Lave Tubes (Republic of Korea) Approved/Not Approved

"Approves the minor boundary modification request for the new Upper Geomunoreum Lava Tube System" IUCN

"Does not approve the addition of the other three proposed new component parts to the Jeju Volcanic Island and Lave Tubes (Republic of Korea), namely Suwolbong Tuff Ring, Chagwido Tuff Cone Complex and Socheongul Lava Tube, and recommends the State Party to resubmit these three component parts in the format of a new nomination for an extension of the property." - IUCN

Final ICOMOS Evaluations are published.

Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Valley (Mexico) Deferral on cultural criteria
Thimlich Ohinga Archaeological Site (Kenya) Inscribe
Khor Dubai (United Arab Emirates) Not Inscribe
Naumburg Cathedral (Germany) No Recommendation

"The professional judgement of ICOMOS is that the Naumburg Cathedral does not meet any of the cultural criteria, creating an uncomfortable lack of alignment with the World Heritage Committee's decision." - ICOMOS

Nice to see that ICOMOS cannot be bought. I am curious how the committee will handle this recommendation.


I am happy about this nomination as with any success stories from Africa. I wish we had more of these.

2018 WHC (33)

Africa (2)
- Barberton Makhonjwa Mountains (South Africa) Referral
- Thimlich Ohinga Archaeological Site (Kenya) Inscribe

Arab States (3)
- Ancient City of Qalhat (Oman) Referral
- Al-Ahsa Oasis, an Evolving Cultural Landscape (Saudi Arabia) Not Inscribe
- Khor Dubai, a Traditional Merchants' Harbour (UAE) Not Inscribe

Asia (9)
- Historic Monuments and Sites of Ancient Qunazhou - Zayton (China) Not Inscribe
- Fanjingshan (China) Referral
- The Victorian & Art Deco Ensemble of Mumbai (India) Inscribe
- Age of Trade: Old Jakarta (Indonesia) Not Inscribe
- Sassanian Archaeological Landscape of Fars Region (Iran) Deferral
- Arasbaran Protected Area (Iran) Not Inscribe
- Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region (Japan) Inscribe
- Amami-Oshima Island, Tokunoshima Island, Okinawa Island and Iriomote Island (Japan) Deferral - Withdrawn
- Sansa, Buddhist Mountain Monasteries in Korea (Republic of Korea) Inscribe - 4/7 components

Europe (14)
- Funeral and Memorial Sites of World War I (Western Front) (Belgium, France) Postponement
- Colonies of Benevolence (Belgium, Netherlands) Deferral
- Žatec – the Hops Town (Czechia) Deferral
- Chaîne des Puys et faille de Limagne (France) Inscribe
- Nimes, Antiquity to the present (France) Deferral
- The Jewish Cemetery Hamburg-Altona (Germany) Withdrawn
- The Archaeological Border Landscape of Hedeby and Danevirke (Germany) Inscribe
- Ivrea, industrial city of the 20th century (Italy) Referral
- The Prosecco Hills of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene (Italy) Not Inscribe
- Roșia Montană Mining Cultural Landscape (Romania) Inscribe
- Bikin River Valley [Extension] (Russia) Referral
- The Caliph City of Medina Azahara (Spain) Inscribe
- Gobekli Tepe (Turkey) Inscribe
- Naumburg Cathedral (Germany) No Recommendation

Latin America & Caribbean (2)
- Chiribiquete National Park - "Maloca of the Jaguar" (Columbia) Inscribe
- Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Valley (Mexico) Inscribe N - Deferral - C

North America (3)
- Tr'ondëk-Klondike (Canada) Withdrawn
- Pimachiowin Aki (Canada) Inscribe
- Aasivissuit - Nipisat, Inuit Hunting Ground between Ice and Sea (Denmark) Inscribe

- 33 nominations, yet only 13 are recommended for inscription!
- Is it possible no state party gets (2) inscriptions in 2018? Ironic considering 2019!
- World Heritage Committee battles loom, Naumberg and WWI Sites.

Recommended Inscriptions (13)
Pimachiowin Aki (Canada)
Chiribiquete National Park - "Maloca of the Jaguar" (Columbia)
Aasivissuit - Nipisat, Inuit Hunting Ground between Ice and Sea (Denmark)
Chaîne des Puys et faille de Limagne (France)
The Archaeological Border Landscape of Hedeby and Danevirke (Germany)
The Victorian & Art Deco Ensemble of Mumbai (India)
Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region (Japan)
Thimlich Ohinga Archaeological Site (Kenya)
Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Valley: originary habitat of Mesoamerica (Mexico)
Sansa, Buddhist Mountain Monasteries in Korea (Republic of Korea)
Roșia Montană Mining Cultural Landscape (Romania)
The Caliph City of Medina Azahara (Spain)
Gobekli Tepe (Turkey)

Not withstanding the likely overturned nominations 2018 is interesting for:
- No single vineyards, cathedrals, palaces, castles, etc.
- No country with two inscriptions . . .
- Indigenous heritage
- If at first you don't succeed, try 3 more times . . . France . . .

Recommended Inscriptions (13)

I think 2018 is the first year in which no new countries will get their first inscription either.

I wonder whether anyone of our community has been there already. Seems very much off the beaten track.

I have checked the connection First Inscriptions.
https://www.worldheritagesite.org/connection/First+inscriptions
Allan is indeed right. Every year since 1978 there was at least one first inscription for a member state. This year there are even no candidates for receiving their first inscription. In 2019 Monaco and Rwanda will be such candidates.


We have got a connection for that too:
https://www.worldheritagesite.org/connection/Inscribed+at+third+attempt+or+more
I think Aleppo is that record with an inscription at the fifth attempt. Bolgar, Djoudj, Algier, Longobards and Skogskyrkogarden were all inscribed at the fourth attempt.

Minor modifications approved: Trebic, Jelling, Dubrovnik, Mont-Saint-Michel, Aquileia
Minor modification referred: Kiev
Minor modifications rejected: Kotor/Venetian fortifications

The size of Mont Saint Michel's new buffer zone is really impressive for cultural site!


I really concern for this case, this maybe become a precedent case and a bad tactic by lobbying WHC to recognized its OUV first on the process to overturn "N" to be "D" or "R".

One interesting report from the State of Conservation document:

"Decides to remove Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System (Belize) from the List of World Heritage in Danger"

This is a good news. Maybe it's the right moment for Belize to work on a T list.