UNESCO/Ukraine – Inscription of Odesa on World Heritage List (25 January 2023)

France welcomes today’s inscription of Odesa (Ukraine), Marib (Yemen) and the International Fair of Tripoli (Lebanon) on UNESCO’s World Heritage List and List of World Heritage in Danger. These inclusions will enable these sites damaged by war situations to be protected by the strictest international standards for heritage assets and to benefit from the conservation policies put in place by UNESCO.

By inscribing Odesa, UNESCO is emphasizing the exceptional value of this port city, its architecture and its history for Ukraine and for humanity. The decision to inscribe Odesa underlines the danger posed to Ukraine’s heritage by the war of aggression waged by Russia since 24 February 2022: 235 cultural sites have been damaged or destroyed as a result of the fighting, according to UNESCO. In this regard, France repeats that any destruction of Ukraine’s heritage is a violation of the 1972 Convention on World Cultural and Natural Heritage.