UNESCO has inscribed 26 new sites on its World Heritage List, highlighting African heritage and humanity’s shared prehistory.
Mount Mulanje/David Davies from Birmingham, UK/Wikimedia Commons
The announcement came during the 47th session of the World Heritage Committee, held from July 6–16, 2025, at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France, as reported by Arch Daily.
A focus on heritage, climate, and community
The Committee not only reviewed new nominations but also examined the conservation and management of existing sites, addressed climate change impacts on heritage, and approved the extension of two sites to create transboundary natural parks. UNESCO emphasized the role of local communities in safeguarding heritage and strengthening African cultural recognition, while also protecting sites linked to humanity’s prehistory.
What being a UNESCO World Heritage Site means
A UNESCO World Heritage designation signifies a site’s “Outstanding Universal Value,” meaning its cultural or natural importance transcends national borders and is significant to all of humanity. While the designation does not guarantee funding, it often opens doors to financial support for conservation and tourism development. The World Heritage Committee, composed of representatives from 21 States Parties, oversees nominations, monitors site conservation, and manages the World Heritage Fund.
Africa in the Spotlight
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The 47th session highlighted Africa, adding four new sites nominated by local communities and removing three others in Madagascar, Egypt, and Libya from the List of World Heritage in Danger. An extension of a site spanning South Africa and Mozambique created a nearly 4,000 km² transboundary natural park.
With these additions, Africa now has 112 UNESCO World Heritage sites. Guinea-Bissau and Sierra Leone submitted their first nominations, while seven other African countries are expected to submit nominations by 2027.
Local communities at the heart of heritage
UNESCO’s inscriptions aim to protect both tangible and intangible heritage. Local communities play a central role in safeguarding traditions, spiritual practices, and cultural landscapes. This year’s additions include cultural, natural, and mixed sites, reflecting diverse global heritage.
Notable natural and mixed sites
- Coastal and Marine Ecosystems of the Bijagós Archipelago – Omatí Minhô (Guinea-Bissau)
- Gola-Tiwai Complex (Sierra Leone)
- Møns Klint (Denmark)
- Peruaçu River Canyon (Brazil)
- Mount Kumgang – Diamond Mountain from the Sea (North Korea, mixed site)
Full list of newly inscribed properties
- Cambodian Memorial Sites (Cambodia)
- Coastal and Marine Ecosystems of the Bijagós Archipelago – Omatí Minhô (Guinea-Bissau)
- Cultural Heritage Sites of Ancient Khuttal (Tajikistan)
- Diy-Gid-Biy Cultural Landscape of the Mandara Mountains (Cameroon)
- Faya Palaeolandscape (UAE)
- Forest Research Institute Malaysia Forest Park Selangor (Malaysia)
- Funerary Tradition in the Prehistory of Sardinia – The domus de janas (Italy)
- Gola-Tiwai Complex (Sierra Leone)
- Maratha Military Landscapes of India (India)
- Megaliths of Carnac and of the shores of Morbihan (France)
- Minoan Palatial Centres (Greece)
- Mount Kumgang – Diamond Mountain from the Sea (North Korea)
- Mount Mulanje Cultural Landscape (Malawi)
- Møns Klint (Denmark)
- Murujuga Cultural Landscape (Australia)
- Peruaçu River Canyon (Brazil)
- Petroglyphs along the Bangucheon Stream (South Korea)
- Prehistoric Sites of the Khorramabad Valley (Iran)
- Rock Paintings of Shulgan-Tash Cave (Russia)
- Sardis and the Lydian Tumuli of Bin Tepe (Türkiye)
- Archaeological Ensemble of 17th Century Port Royal (Jamaica)
- Colonial Transisthmian Route of Panamá (Panama)
- Palaces of King Ludwig II of Bavaria: Neuschwanstein, Linderhof, Schachen, and Herrenchiemsee (Germany)
- Wixárika Route through Sacred Sites to Wirikuta (Mexico)
- Xixia Imperial Tombs (China)
- Yen Tu-Vinh Nghiem-Con Son, Kiep Bac Complex of Monuments and Landscapes (Vietnam)
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