UNESCO slams new Seven Wonders
UNESCO slams new Seven Wonders
Paris: The chosen ones are happy, others that were worth being included in the list have expressed discontent, and the agency that can set the standards on the issue has disqualified the Seven New Wonders of the World.
Once again, the Paris-based United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has slammed an elite list, “based on the media and lacking coherent arguments."
The governments of France and Egypt, two countries with many sites that are worth being included among the chosen ones, also disagree, claiming that “if they had thought of a group of real humankind heritages."
“France shares the stance of the UNESCO, which has included 851 sites in the list of world humankind heritage sites," including 31 on French territory, said Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Pascale Andreani.
The UNESCO stressed in a press release that it has “a very broad vision of heritage", in which it does not include monuments alone, as in the case of the Seven Wonders contest.
The UN concept covers broader areas such as urban centres, man made landscapes or natural environments.
Christian Manhart, of the UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre, denounced the media nature of the contest launched by Swiss moviemaker and museum curator Bernard Weber, whom he accused of conveying a “negative message to countries whose sites have not been retained."
The new wonders of the world, chosen Saturday, are the Taj Mahal in India, Great Wall of China, Brazil’s Redeeming Christ and the city of Petra in Jordan.
The list also included Rome’s Colosseum, the Inca ruins of Machu (Peru) and the ancient Maya City of Chichen Itza (Mexico).
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