More than 50 world sites are hoping for inclusion on the United Nations’ coveted heritage list at a meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, this week, while some incumbents, including Venice and Kyiv, face the risk of a downgrade.
Unesco, the United Nations’ educational, scientific and cultural organisation, keeps the World Heritage list, which it says is a reflection of the planet’s cultural and natural diversity.
The agency meets once a year to update the list, inclusion on which is seen by many countries as crucial for tourism and the ability to source funding for the preservation of sites.
