World War 1 memorials and cemeteries added to UNESCO World Heritage List

On 20 September 2023, at the annual meeting of the World Heritage Committee, 139 cemeteries and memorial sites along the former Western Front of World War I were confirmed as being the latest additions to the UNESCO World Heritage List. They include sites in France, Wallonia and Flanders.

The nomination consists of 139 sites: 16 in Wallonia, 27 in Flanders and 96 in France. It is a careful selection that pays tribute to all the victims of this conflict, from more than 130 modern-day nations.

The sites are powerful symbols of reconciliation and equality and honour every soldier irrespective of their geographical or social origin. The global dimension of this nomination and the universal message of peace are strikingly timely, given current international events.

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