Sources: BBC
UNESCO officially adds several inscriptions to its intangible cultural heritage list, including French baguettes, Korean talchum dance, and Chinese tea making. 2022-11-30
Malaysian Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Nancy Shukri announces that the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage has listed pantun and wangkang on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists. This marks the first time that Malaysia has gained UNESCO recognition along with other countries, as the pantun was jointly nominated with Indonesia and the wangkang ceremony was jointly nominated with China. 2020-12-17
More than 850 million students are not attending school due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to UNESCO. 2020-03-18
The Carnival of Aalst in Belgium goes ahead despite UNESCO withdrawing its recognition of the event as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity because of Jewish caricatures. 2020-02-23
Reggae music is added to the UNESCO Representative list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. 2018-11-29
United Nations cultural authority UNESCO awards imprisoned Egyptian photojournalist Mahmoud Abu Zeid the 2018 Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize, drawing criticism from Egypt. Abu Zeid faces the death penalty. 2018-04-23
UNESCO's executive board approves the "Occupied Palestine" resolution which reaffirms the cultural heritage of Palestine, especially East Jerusalem, and criticizes certain Israeli actions regarding the Palestinian territories. For the land in Jerusalem where the Al-Aqsa Mosque stands, the board uses only Islamic naming terms without also mentioning Jewish or Christian historical references. 2016-10-18
An Islamic state attack on a Kurdish Nowruz festival (New Year's Day) kills 45 people. 2015-03-20
A fire breaks out in the bell tower of Moscow's Novodevichy Convent, established in 1524 and added to UNESCO's World Heritage Sites. 2015-03-15
A UNESCO World Heritage site is destroyed by Muslim fighters in Timbuktu. The mausoleum of Sidi Mahmoud Ben Amar is destroyed. The fighters are said to have ties with al-Qaida. 2012-06-30