End-of-year Message from Mechtild Rössler,Director of UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre

I would like to wish you a very Happy New Year on behalf of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre.

2016 was a year with many challenges: World Heritage sites were threatened by natural disaster, terrorist attacks and ill-advised infrastructure projects. Across the world, we saw cultural and natural heritage on the frontline of conflicts, fueled by violent extremism. Many sites around the world continue to be under serious threat in this turbulent time, and protecting our heritage is as difficult as it has ever been.

But we have also had many high points for World Heritage conservation, including the successful conclusion of the 40^th session of the World Heritage Committee (July and October 2016), where the Istanbul Declaration called for the international community to come together to counter the threat of intentional destruction of cultural heritage. The rebuilding of 14 destroyed mausoleums in Timbuktu with local communities, and the historic decision by the International Criminal Court that the destruction of heritage as a war crime, illustrate how we must respond to such threats: by rehabilitating and restoring heritage and fostering expressions of identity.

World Heritage belongs to all of us. World Heritage embodies a revolutionary idea, a humanistic idea—the idea that people of all cultures and faiths can unite around heritage of outstanding universal value.

The protection of heritage demands clear frameworks, respect for peoples, time, and the very best of international expertise. Many sites and projects are in urgent need of financial support, and yet the resources of the World Heritage Fund are diminishing. We are counting on you to support World Heritage conservation in 2017. We can all play a part in protecting our heritage.

Make a difference: donate today to the World Heritage Fund atwhc.unesco.org/en/donation

On behalf of the whole team at the World Heritage Centre and colleagues at UNESCO, we would like to thank you for your continuous support in safeguarding the world’s precious, irreplaceable and fragile cultural and natural heritage for the generations to come.

All the best for World Heritage conservation in 2017!

Dr Mechtild Rössler

Director

UNESCO World Heritage Centre

　　我代表联合国教科文组织世界遗产中心祝大家新年快乐！

　　2016年是面临许多挑战的一年：世界遗产地受到自然灾害、恐怖主义袭击和不明智基础设施项目的威胁。在世界范围内，我们看到文化和自然遗产处在由极端主义引发的暴力冲突前线。在这个动荡的时期，许多世界遗产地继续遭受严重威胁，保护遗产的任务依然艰巨。

　　但是世界遗产保护事业也有许多亮点，包括第四十届联合国教科文组织世界遗产委员会会议(世界遗产大会)（2016年7月10日）的圆满召开，期间《世界遗产保护伊斯坦布尔宣言》呼吁国际社会齐心协力，抗击恶意破坏文化遗产的行为；在廷巴克图（Timbuktu）与当地社区一起重建了14个被摧毁的陵墓；以及国际刑事法院的历史性裁决战争中破坏文物视同战争犯罪等。这些表明了如何我们应对此类威胁：通过修复、恢复遗产以及遗产识别 。

　　世界遗产属于我们全人类。世界遗产体现了一个革命性理念，一个人文主义的理念——即不同文化背景和宗教信仰的人都可以团结在具有突出普遍价值的遗产周围。

　　遗产保护工作需要明确的框架、对人尊重、时间，以及最好的国际经验。许多遗产地和项目迫切需要资金支持，而世界遗产基金的资源正在减少。我们呼吁大家2017年继续支持世界遗产保护事业，在保护我们的遗产中扮演重要角色。

　　最后，我代表世界遗产中心的全体团队和联合国教科文组织的同事们，感谢大家对保护传世珍贵、不可替代、脆弱的文化和自然遗产工作给予的支持。

祝愿2017年世界遗产保护再创佳绩！

梅希蒂尔德·罗斯勒(Mechtild·Rössler)主任

联合国教科文组织世界遗产中心

（翻译：林琳；校对：曹凤娇、朱海俊）