UN puts 4th-century Gaza monastery on endangered site list

UN puts 4th-century Gaza monastery on endangered site list

Subject: IR

Sec: Int Org

Context:

The Saint Hilarion complex, one of the oldest monasteries in the Middle East, has been put on the UNESCO list of World Heritage sites in danger due to the war in Gaza.

More on News:

• The site which dates back to the fourth century, had been put on the endangered list at the demand of Palestinian authorities and cited the “imminent threats”.
• In December, the UNESCO Committee for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict decided to grant “provisional enhanced protection” — the highest level of immunity established by the 1954 Hague Convention — to the site.

List of World Heritage in Danger:

• The List of World Heritage in Danger is compiled by then United Nations  Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) through the World Heritage Committee according to Article 11.4 of the World Heritage Convention, which was established in 1972 to designate and manage World Heritage Sites.
• Entries in the list are threatened World Heritage Sites for the conservation of which major operations are required and for which “assistance has been requested”.
• The list is intended to increase international awareness of the threats and to encourage counteractive measures.
• Threats to a site can be either proven imminent threats or potential dangers that could have adverse effects on a site.