UNESCO to Review 29 New World Heritage Sites in Istanbul

The UNESCO World Heritage Committee is convening in Istanbul for its 40th session from July 10 to 20, 2016, to evaluate 29 new nominations for the World Heritage List, which already includes 1,031 sites. Among the proposals is the "Refuge of Biodiversity in the Mesopotamian Cities of Iraq," though its urgency is questioned given ongoing destruction by ISIS in Syria, Jordan, Iraq, and Mali, where no concrete protective actions have been taken. Three nominations involve modern and contemporary architects: Le Corbusier for his contributions to the Modern Movement across Argentina, Belgium, France, Germany, India, Japan, and Switzerland; Oscar Niemeyer for the Pampulha complex in Belo Horizonte, a recreational center built around an artificial lake in 1940; and Frank Lloyd Wright for his entire body of work in the United States. The session, chaired by Irina Bokova, will span 11 days of meetings examining extensive dossiers. The article criticizes the gap between UNESCO's bureaucratic processes and the urgent need for protection of heritage under threat from war, terrorism, neglect, and natural forces.