18 new sites have been added to the UNESCO World Heritage List

Vilnius, July 13 (CTK) - The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has added another 18 significant sites to its list of world cultural and natural heritage. This was reported by the AP agency. The UNESCO list now includes a total of 830 locations, including twelve monuments from the Czech Republic. At the conference in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius, along with the historic city parts of Italian Genoa and German Regensburg, the mining town of Sewell in Chile was also granted status as a part of the world heritage. Newly added to the world cultural and natural heritage list are also the ancient irrigation system Aflaj in Oman, dating back over 2500 years B.C., mining landscapes located in Cornwall and West Devon in the UK, two medieval castles in Syria, the Vizcaya bridge in Bilbao, Spain, and Hala Stulecia in Wrocław, Poland, considered one of the most significant construction projects of the last century.
The natural reserve in the Sichuan province in southwestern China was also designated as an area of exceptional global value, which is home to giant pandas, one of the most endangered animals in the world. According to estimates, more than 30 percent of the global population of these bear family mammals lives in this region.
However, the highest mountain in the world, Mount Everest, did not make the list, despite various ecological movements, including the British Friends of the Earth, calling for its inclusion on the UNESCO World Natural Heritage list. They warn of the dangers posed to the Himalayan region due to global warming, including floods that could be caused by overcrowded Himalayan lakes resulting from melting glaciers. According to a UNESCO spokesperson, the organization currently does not have enough necessary expert studies available but admitted that the issue of including Mount Everest on the list of World Natural Heritage could be discussed at one of the upcoming meetings.
The conference, which will last until Sunday in the Lithuanian capital, is attended by more than six hundred delegates from 182 countries.