Unesco declares WWI memorials in France and Belgium world heritage sites

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation has added more than 130 World War I cemeteries and memorials across what was once the Western Front to its list of World Heritage sites.

Tombs at the Nolette Chinese Cemetery, the burial place of 849 Chinese workers who died during World War I, in Noyelles-sur-Mer, northern France. The site is one of more than 130 World War I memorials added to Unesco's world heritage list. © AFP / PHILIPPE HUGUEN

As part of its ongoing meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the Unesco World Heritage Committee this week announced the decision to honour World War I sites.

The 139 newly added sites stretch from northern Belgium to eastern France – battle zones where Allied forces engaged in a war of attrition with the German army from 1914 to 1918.

They range from vast cemeteries housing the remains of tens of thousands of soldiers of different nationalities, to humbler graveyards and individual monuments.

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In a statement released on Wednesday, France's defence ministry hailed the decision as a recognition of the "exceptional universal value" of the sites, which it said marked a meaningful counter to the "inhumanity of war".

🔴BREAKING!

Just inscribed on the @UNESCO #WorldHeritage List: Funerary and memory sites of the First World War (Western Front), #Belgium🇧🇪, #France 🇫🇷.

➡️ https://t.co/69Xvi4BtYv #45WHC pic.twitter.com/x2dwYJDELy

— UNESCO 🏛️ #Education #Sciences #Culture 🇺🇳 (@UNESCO) September 20, 2023

Belgium and France have been campaigning to include these sites in Unesco's registry since the early 2010s. 

Unesco says the incorporation of the Great War memorial grounds into the World Heritage List is meant to be a testimony to the legacy of the fallen soldiers.

'Outstanding value to humanity'

Unesco's 2023 list includes sites the panel has deemed "of outstanding value to humanity" and deserving of special protection – including funding and international protection in times of war.

The list previously included 1,157 sites notable for their extraordinary natural wonders or distinctive human contributions. 

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According to Unesco, this year's additions – from the archaeological remnants of Turkey’s ancient city of Gordion to well-preserved Jewish heritage sites in Germany – are aimed at encouraging reflection and admiration for world culture.

(with AP)