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Liverpool lost the UNESCO World Heritage listing

  • Posted By
    10Pointer
  • Categories
    History & Culture
  • Published
    27th Jul, 2021

Context

The United Kingdom (UK) has lost one of its sites- ‘the city of Liverpool’ from the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Quick facts about the City of Liverpool

  • Liverpool is a maritime city in northwest England, situated at the confluence of River Mersey and the Irish Sea.
  • It is a key trade and migration port from the 18th to the early 20th centuries.
  • The city is famous for the hometown of The Beatles, Ferries cruise the waterfront, where the iconic mercantile buildings known as the "Three Graces" – Royal Liver Building, Cunard Building, and Port of Liverpool Building – stand on the Pier Head.
  • It was given the UNESCO World Heritage status in 2004.

Reason for the scrapping of its status

  • In 2012, UNESCO threatened to revoke Liverpool’s World Heritage status because of the“substantial” building interventions.
  • A UNESCO commission report stated that large-scale infrastructure projects, such as Liverpool Waters residential and office complex and the Bramley-Moore Dock Stadium would cause a loss of the character of the “maritime mercantile city” of Liverpool.

Criteria for World Heritage sites

  • The main criterion for nomination is that the site must have outstanding universal value. The countries apply for the recognition and the application is then evaluated.
  • The International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) is responsible for the recommendation of cultural sites and the World Conservation Union (IUCN) selects the natural sites.
    • The two councils make their recommendations.
  • The UNESCO World Heritage Committee that is made up of representatives from 21 of the States Parties to the convention finally chose it.

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