How are World Heritage Sites chosen at UNESCO?
First a country has to present a request. Then it has to meet pre-requisite conditions, in a list. This is presented to the UNESCO Committee for World Heritage. The country has a responsibility to protect the listed sites, half paid for by the country, half by UNESCO. Countries must not over-develop the sites in a way that changes the surrounding environment. These sites are important financially. They generate a lot of tourist money. The sites receive all kinds of technical and scientific help from UNESCO and other countries. But if a site that is not properly protected, it can be taken off the list, or listed as endangered. Q. What are Lebanon’s Top Five sites? UNESCO is against things like ‘The 7 Wonders of the World.’ That is not what UNESCO does. Who is to say what heritage is more important? There are no comparisons of sites. There are ‘cultural’ sites (man-made) and ‘natural’ sites (made by nature). That is all. Q. What is your capacity in the Executive Board? The Executive Boar
