On November 23, 1972, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO) adopted a document which has become one of the
most significant in the world in terms of protection of the world's natural and cultural heritage. The Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage
(complete text) defines what constitutes a resource of world significance, describes some of the dangers threatening
such sites, and recommends protective strategies.
As of December 1998, there are 582 properties which the World Heritage Committee has inscribed on the World Heritage List, including 445 cultural, 117 natural
and 20 mixed properties, in 114 countries.
The complete list of sites is here. A significant number of these sites are located in the 8 circumpolar nations.
The mountains of Kluane National Park, part of the largest internationally protected area in the world. This view is from
the middle of Kluane Lake, 6 miles from the nearest road.
|
We in the North are extremely lucky in that the isolation of many of the sites helps protect them. Of the sites throughout the world which are now listed as being
in danger, including Everglades and Yellowstone National Parks in the United States, none are in the North.
The list that follows is the complete inventory of Northern World Heritage sites as of December 1998. There are 2 links to most of the sites - although they are
supposed to be 'mirror' sites, they actually have quite a few differences. They are listed by country and date, in the order in which they were accepted by UNESCO.
Canada
(only those sites in the Yukon, Northwest Territories and Labrador)
Finland
Norway
Russian Federation
Sweden
United States
(only the site in Alaska)
In 1994, UNESCO established the "Interregional World Heritage Education Pilot Project" to increase the awareness of students of the issues facing natural
and cultural resources such as the ones listed above.
The potential of the plan was gauged by the success of the first International World Heritage Youth Forum, which was held in Bergen, Norway in 1995, and has greatly expanded since that time,
now involving schools in 90 countries.
Part of that initiative, the The Baltic Sea Project has 200
schools in Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the Russian Federation and Sweden working on projects to help them understand
more fully the complexities of the world they live in.
If you'd like to subscribe to an email news and discussion list for World Heritage issues,
you can join the WH NEWS Mailing List by simply sending an e-mail to majordomo@world.std.com
with the words "subscribe whnews" (without the quotation marks) in the body of the message.
More
Northern History Links
More
Nature & Environment Links
