On July 7, 2007, seven sites were designated ‘new’ wonders of the world by the New7Wonders, a nonprofit organization that conducted the selection process done through Internet voting. The Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported from Lisbon, Portugal that the announcement of the 7 ‘new’ wonders of the world was made during a celebrity-studded ceremony held at Lisbon’s Stadium of Light on July 7, 2007 "which was broadcast in more than 170 countries to an estimated 1.6 billion viewers."
The 7 ‘new’ wonders of the world are: (1) the Great Wall of China, (2) the Colosseum in Rome, (3) the Taj Mahal in India, (4) the ruins of Petra in Jordan, (5) the statue of Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, (6) the Incan ruins of Machu Picchu in Peru, and (7) the ancient Mayan city of Chichen Itza in Mexico.
The event, however, did not receive support from the UN cultural body that designates World Heritage Sites. On July 9, 2007, the UNESCO issued a statement in its website http://whc.unesco.org/en/news/352 which goes: "In order to avoid any damaging confusion, UNESCO wishes to reaffirm that there is no link whatsoever between UNESCO’s World Heritage programme, which aims to protect world heritage, and the current campaign concerning ‘The New 7 Wonders of the World’." It was earlier reported that the 7 ‘new’ wonders of the world were selected by nearly 100 million Internet and telephone voters. On this basis, the UNESCO statement goes further, thus: "The list of the ‘7 New Wonders of the World’ will be the result of a private undertaking, reflecting only the opinions of those with access to the Internet and not the entire world. This initiative cannot, in any significant and sustainable manner, contribute to the preservation of sites elected by this public." The UNESCO therefore made it clear in its statement why it declined to support the privately-organized process of selection of the 7 ‘new’ wonders of the world.
Even the selection, and eventual designation, of World Heritage Sites by the UNESCO goes through a rigid process of evaluation based on thorough historical, scientific, and cultural studies. The UNESCO has outlined 10 criteria in the selection of World Heritage Sites in its website http://whc.unesco.org/en/criteria/. According to the UNESCO: "To be included on the World Heritage List, sites must be of outstanding universal value and meet at least one out of ten selection criteria, which are as follows:
1) to represent a masterpiece of human creative genius;
2) to exhibit an important interchange of human values, over a span of time or within a cultural area of the world, on developments in architecture or technology, monumental arts, town-planning or landscape design;
3) to bear a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization which is living or which has disappeared;
4) to be an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural or technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates (a) significant stage(s) in human history;
5) to be an outstanding example of a traditional human settlement, land-use, or sea-use which is representative of a culture (or cultures), or human interaction with the environment especially when it has become vulnerable under the impact of irreversible change;
6) to be directly or tangibly associated with events or living traditions, with ideas, or with beliefs, with artistic and literary works of outstanding universal significance. (The Committee considers that this criterion should preferably be used in conjunction with other criteria);
7) to contain superlative natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance;
8) to be outstanding examples representing major stages of earth’s history, including the record of life, significant on-going geological processes in the development of landforms, or significant geomorphic or physiographic features;
9) to be outstanding examples representing significant on-going ecological and biological processes in the evolution and development of terrestrial, fresh water, coastal and marine ecosystems and communities of plants and animals;
10) to contain the most important and significant natural habitats for in-situ conservation of biological diversity, including those containing threatened species of outstanding universal value from the point of view of science or conservation."
According to the UNESCO website http://whc.unesco.org/en/list, the World Heritage List currently includes 851 properties spread across 184 States Parties. Of these, 660 are cultural, 166 natural, and 25 are mixed properties.
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