The Sado mines are believed to have started operating as early as the 12th century and produced until after World War II.
| Photo Credit: AFP

A network of mines on a Japanese island infamous for using conscripted wartime labour was added to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage List on July 27 after South Korea dropped earlier objections to its listing.

The Sado gold and silver mines, now a popular tourist attraction, are believed to have started operating as early as the 12th century and produced until after World War II.

Also Read: Assam’s Charaideo Moidam included in UNESCO World Heritage list 

Japan had put a case for World Heritage listing because of their lengthy history and the artisanal mining techniques used there at a time when European mines had turned to mechanisation.

The proposal was opposed by Seoul when it was first put because of the use of involuntary Korean labour during World War II, when Japan occupied the Korean peninsula.

UNESCO confirmed the listing of the mines at its ongoing committee meeting in New Delhi on July 27 after a bid highlighting its archaeological preservation of “mining activities and social and labour organisation”.

“I would like to wholeheartedly welcome the inscription… and pay sincere tribute to the long-standing efforts of the local people which made this possible,” Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa said in a statement.

The World Heritage effort was years in the making, inspired in part by the successful recognition of a silver mine in western Japan’s Shimane region.

South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said it had agreed to the listing “on the condition that Japan faithfully implements the recommendation… to reflect the ‘full history’ at the Sado Gold Mine site and takes proactive measures to that end.”

Historians have argued that recruitment conditions at the mine effectively amounted to forced labour, and that Korean workers faced significantly harsher conditions than their Japanese counterparts.

“Discrimination did exist,” Toyomi Asano, a professor of history of Japanese politics at Tokyo’s Waseda University, told AFP in 2022.

“Their working conditions were very bad and dangerous. The most dangerous jobs were allocated to them.”

Also added to the list on July 27 was the Beijing Central Axis, a collection of former imperial palaces and gardens in the Chinese capital. The UNESCO committee meeting runs until July 31.

New Delhi:

Heritage is not just history but a “shared consciousness” of humanity, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday while encouraging people to leverage heritage to enhance global wellbeing and forge deeper connections. 

In his address at the opening ceremony of the 46th session of the World Heritage Committee (WHC) at the Bharat Mandapam here, PM Modi also underlined the universality of heritage and said whenever one looks at historical sites, “our mind rises above current geopolitical factors”.

Heritage is not just history. It is a shared consciousness of humanity. We must leverage it to enhance global well-being and forge deeper connections. pic.twitter.com/v50YJUFV0M

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 21, 2024

He also announced that India will contribute USD 1 million to the UNESCO World Heritage Centre which will be used for capacity building, technical assistance and conservation of world heritage sites. He also underlined that this money will be useful for the countries of the Global South.

PM Modi made the announcement in the presence of UNESCO Director General Audrey Azoulay and a large number of delegates from around the world.

India is hosting the key event of the UNESCO for the first time. It is being held from July 21-July 31.

PM Modi was joined on the dais by Azoulay, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, and Vishal V Sharma, chairperson of the WHC and ambassador and permanent representative of India to UNESCO, among others.

Applauding the WHC, the prime minister said that hosting this programme is a matter of pride for India and asserted that “India’s vision is ‘Vikas Bhi, Virasat Bhi'”.

He highlighted that North East’s historic ‘Moidams’ — a mound-burial system of the Ahom dynasty in Assam — has been nominated for inclusion in the World Heritage List.

This will be India’s 43rd World Heritage Site and North East India’s first to get the status of cultural world heritage, he said and expressed belief that ‘Moidams’ with its unique cultural significance will become more popular and gain more traction in tourism sector after bagging a place in the coveted list.

PM Modi emphasised that the session is being hosted in India which is one of the oldest living civilisations in the world. “India is so ancient that every point of time in the present moment is a reflection of its glorious past.” The world knows Delhi as India’s capital, but it is the centre of thousands of years of heritage and one can find heritage and history at every step of the way, he said. He cited the example of the ancient Iron Pillar which has been rust-free till now, giving a glimpse of India’s metallurgical prowess in the past.

“India’s heritage is not just history, it is also science. In India’s heritage, one also witnesses a glorious journey of top-notch engineering,” he asserted.

The meeting is being attended by more than 2,000 delegates from over 150 countries.

Underlining the significance of heritage, the prime minister said, “Heritage is not only history, it is a shared consciousness of humanity. Whenever we look at historical sites, our mind rises above current geopolitical factors.” “Heritage is not just history. It is a shared consciousness of humanity. We must leverage it to enhance global well-being and forge deeper connections,” PM Modi posted on X later.

In his speech, PM Modi further said, “It is India’s clarion call to the world to come together to promote each other’s heritage and amplify the spirit of human welfare, encourage tourism and create more job opportunities through the 46th World Heritage Committee meeting.” He also said that ancient sites of Lothal and Dholavira in Gujarat show advancements that such old civilisations had in that era. India’s history and Indian civilisation are much older and broader than the common perception of history, PM Modi said.

He mentioned findings in the past in Uttar Pradesh’s Sinauli, where copper age findings are closer to Vedic Age rather than the Indus Valley Civilisation. He talked about the discovery of a 4000-year-old horse-driven chariot. Such discoveries stress that in order to know India, there is a need for new ways of looking at the past, he said.

Prior to the inauguration, the prime minister visited an exhibition at the Bharat Mandapam that showcases some of the artefacts brought back to the country. Till date, more than 350 artefacts have been brought back, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said in a statement on Saturday.

Wearing a saree, the director general of UNESCO was also present along with PM Modi during his visit to the exhibition.

In his address at the inaugural ceremony, the PM also spoke of the exhibition and said the return of the ancient artefacts reflects global liberalism and a feeling of respect towards history.

He said the 46th WHC session is taking place in “one of the most ancient living civilisations of the world”.

He lauded the engineering feats that the ancient heritage sites represent, as he cited the Kedarnath temple in Uttarakhand and the Brihadishvara temple built by the Cholas.

He said there was there was a phase in history when heritage was neglected in the pursuit of development, but this generation has more awareness.

PM Modi mentioned projets such as Kashi Viswanath Corridor, Ram temple, modern campus of the new Nalanda university.

He urged all foreign guests and dignitaries to explore India during their stay in the country.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday announced that India will contribute one million dollars to the UNESCO World Heritage Centre to provide support for heritage conservation in countries, especially of the Global South.

Speaking at the inauguration of the 46th session of the World Heritage Committee at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi today, PM Modi said that India considers the preservation of global heritage as its responsibility, and hence, is providing support for heritage conservation not only in India but also in countries of the Global South.

#WATCH | Delhi: At the 46th Session of the World Heritage Committee, PM Narendra Modi says, “…To know India, new thinking free from concepts is needed. I appeal to all of you to become a part of the new understanding of history that is developing in the light of new facts.… pic.twitter.com/9VmiFeKdth

— ANI (@ANI) July 21, 2024

“India considers the preservation of global heritage as its responsibility, and hence, we are providing support for heritage conservation not only in India but also in countries of the Global South. India is assisting in the conservation of many heritages like Angkor Wat in Cambodia, Cham Temples in Vietnam, and Bagan Stupa in Myanmar. In this direction, I am making an announcement. India will contribute one million dollars to the UNESCO World Heritage Centre. This grant will be used for capacity building, technical assistance, and the conservation of world heritage sites,” PM Modi said.

“A certificate programme in world heritage management has also started in India for young professionals,” he added.
The Prime Minister also appealed everyone to come together to advance each other’s heritage.

“Today, through the 46th session of the World Heritage Committee, India’s appeal is to come together to advance each other’s heritage. Let us unite for the expansion of human welfare sentiments. The world has also seen a time when heritage was ignored in the race for development, but today’s era is much more aware,” PM Modi said.
He also asserted that India’s vision is both development and heritage.

“In the past 10 years, India has touched new dimensions of modern development and has also pledged to take pride in its heritage. Be it the Vishwanath Corridor in Kashi, the construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya, or the modern campus of the ancient Nalanda University. Numerous such works are happening across the country. Today, the benefits of Ayurveda are reaching the entire world, but it is India’s scientific heritage,” he added.

PM Modi also pointed out that India’s heritage is not just history, it is also science.

“In India’s heritage, one can witness a glorious journey of top-notch engineering. Just a few hundred kilometers from Delhi, at an altitude of 3500 meters, is the Kedarnath Temple. Even today, that place is so geographically challenging that people have to walk a lot or go by helicopter. It is astonishing that the construction of the Kedarnath Temple was done in the 8th century. Its engineering took into account the harsh environment and glaciers,” he said.

“There are various centers of heritage in the world, but India is so ancient that every point of the present narrates a story of a glorious past. The world knows Delhi as the capital of India, but this city is also a center of thousand-year-old heritage. Here, at every step, you will witness historical heritage. About 15 kilometers from here, there is an iron pillar weighing several tons. A pillar that has been standing in the open for 2000 years, yet it is rust-resistant to date. This shows how advanced India’s metallurgy was even at that time. It is clear that India’s heritage is not only history, but it is also science,” PM Modi added.

The Prime Minister also informed that a historic place in north-east India has been proposed to be included in the UNESCO World Heritage list.

“The World Heritage Committee’s program is a proud achievement for India. I have been informed that the historic “Maidam” of North East India is proposed to be included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. This will be India’s 43rd World Heritage site and the first heritage site in North East India to receive the status of a cultural world heritage,” PM Modi informed.
 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

An undated photo received from ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies shows a ‘mass bleaching event’ of coral on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. File
| Photo Credit: AFP

A “mass bleaching event” is unfolding on Australia’s famed Great Barrier Reef, authorities said on March 8, as warming seas threaten the spectacular home to thousands of marine species.

Often dubbed as the world’s largest living structure, the Great Barrier Reef is a 2,300 km (1,400 mile) expanse of tropical corals that house a stunning array of biodiversity.

But repeated mass bleaching events have threatened to rob the tourist drawcard of its wonder, turning banks of once-vibrant corals into a sickly shade of white.

“We know the biggest threat to coral reefs worldwide is climate change. The Great Barrier Reef is no exception,” Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek said in a statement.

“We need to act on climate change. We need to protect our special places and the plants and animals that call them home.” The damaging mass bleaching event — the seventh since 1998 — was confirmed by government scientists following aerial surveys of 300 shallow reefs.

The Australian Reef Authority said it would now need to conduct further surveys to assess the severity and extent of bleaching. Coral bleaching occurs when underwater temperatures are more than one degree warmer than the long-term average.

As corals come under heat stress, they expel algae living within their tissues — draining them of their vibrant colours. “Ocean temperatures along the Great Barrier Reef have approached record levels in the past few weeks,” according to official monitoring.

Richard Leck, head of oceans at World Wildlife Fund Australia, said it was likely that masses of coral would die if ocean temperatures did not cool rapidly in the coming weeks. “This bleaching event is unfolding in an area where corals have not been previously exposed to these extreme temperatures,” he said.

Mr. Leck said climate change was “putting tremendous pressure” on the Great Barrier Reef. “The current bleaching event followed similar setbacks in the Northern Hemisphere last year,” Mr. Leck added, which caused major coral mortality in Florida and the Caribbean.

Some species of bleached coral have proven remarkably resilient and can recover if ocean temperatures cool. But professor Terry Hughes, one of Australia’s foremost coral reef scientists, said bleaching events were now happening so frequently that reefs were struggling to recover.

Recovery in danger

“The reef is no longer capable of recovering to the mix of coral species and the sizes of corals that were there 20 years ago,” he told AFP.

“The irony is that the corals that are now prevalent on most parts of the Great Barrier Reef are fast growing and rapidly regain cover, but the kicker is that they are heat sensitive and are less tolerant to the next inevitable beaching event.”

Mr. Hughes said the heat stress had increased in the past few days and would likely worsen in the coming two weeks. The fate of the reef has been a recurrent source of tension between the Australian government and the United Nations’ World Heritage Committee.

The World Heritage Committee has threatened to put the reef on a list of “in danger” global heritage sites, a move that would likely damage its allure for international tourists. Behind-the-scenes diplomacy and fierce lobbying from Australia has so far kept it off the list.

Before this event, Australia’s Great Barrier Reef suffered mass coral bleaching in 1998, 2002, 2016, 2017, 2020 and 2022.