UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE: 25 NEW SITES
UNESCO Committee expands the List, recognising new African states and underrepresented regions
August 06th, 2026
From the peaks of Mount Olympus in Greece to the modernist architecture of Tashkent in Uzbekistan, the 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee (48COM) added 25 new properties to the UNESCO World Heritage List on 28th July 2026. Among these, three African countries appear for the first time: Comoros, São Tomé and Príncipe (two Small Island Developing States) and South Sudan, making an important step towards a more inclusive and balanced List. The Committee also added six sites to the List of World Heritage in Danger, recognising both their outstanding value and the need for protection.
The evaluation of the newest UNESCO Heritage sites took place in Busan, Republic of Korea from 19th to 29th July. The Committee inscribed 19 cultural properties, 5 natural ones and 1 mixed. The UNESCO World Heritage List now includes 1,273 sites across 173 countries that have ratified the 1972 World Heritage Convention. With the latest inscriptions, the number of States Parties without a World Heritage property has fallen from 26 to 23.
Despite these progress, important regional disparities remain. Although Comoros and São Tomé and Príncipe have now joined the List, more than half of the remaining countries without a World Heritage property are SIDS (Small Island Developing States): Bahamas, Tonga, Nauru, Maldives, Cook Islands and so on. Possibly, the reason behind this is the lack of financial resources and technical expertise to prepare for the nomination, a process that can take years and is very expensive, especially for microstates. Other States lacking representation, including Somalia, Liberia, Burundi, have recently suffered from conflicts.
To address these challenges, the Committee introduced a Landmark Strategy for SIDS and Africa, adopting the World Heritage Strategy for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) 2026-2034, a ten-year program with a budget of US$13 million, aiming at strengthening the capacity of SIDS to identify and protect their World Heritage. This achievement reflects the commitment to ensure a fair representation and recognition of world’s cultural and natural heritage.
Heritage is our legacy from the past, what we live with today, and what we pass on to future generations. Our cultural and natural heritage are both irreplaceable sources of life and inspiration. - UNESCO World Heritage
Here is a list of some of the newly inscribed World Heritage Properties:
- D-Day Beaches, France
- Mount Olympus, Greece
- Alamūt Castle and Related Fortifications, Iran
- Jingdezhen Handicraft Porcelain Industry Sites, China
- The System of Italian-style Condominio Theatres of the 18th and 19th centuries in Central Italy
References:
- https://whc.unesco.org/en/newproperties/?meeting=48COM&mode=list&inscribed=1
- https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/unesco-world-heritage-25-new-sites-inscribed
