What is UNESCO?
UNESCO is the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. It seeks to build peace through international cooperation in Education, the Sciences and Culture. UNESCO’s programmes contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals defined in Agenda 2030, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2015. (Source) UNESCO Mission & Mandate Website Page.
What is a World Heritage Site?
A UNESCO World Heritage Site (WHS) is a specific site (such as a forest, mountain, lake, desert, monument, building, complex, or city) that has been nominated and confirmed for inclusion on the list maintained by the World Heritage Programme.
“What makes the concept of World Heritage exceptional is its universal application. World Heritage Sites belong to all the peoples of the world, irrespective of the territory on which they are located.” -taken from UNESCO.
The World Heritage Programme is coordinated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to encourage the identification, protection and preservation of outstanding cultural and natural heritage sites around the world.
Why are the Town of St. George and Related Fortifications included?
The Town of St. George, founded in 1612, is an outstanding example of the earliest English colonial town in the New World. Its associated fortifications graphically illustrate the development of English military engineering from the 17th to the 20th century, being adapted to take account of the development of artillery over this period. Some of these are unique as surviving examples of the first defensive works built by early European colonists, and the later associated forts represent an excellent example of a continuum of British coastal fortifications.
World Heritage UK
SGF is a member of World Heritage UK, an organisation set up in 2015 to undertake networking, advocacy and promotion for the UK’s 35 outstanding World Heritage Sites, which includes Bermuda. Their mission is to raise the profile and secure the future of the UK collection of World Heritage Sites by advocating for support, resources and recognition, facilitating learning and networking, and promoting the Sites and their values.
For more detail information on Bermuda’s World Heritage site: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/983.
Discover St. George’s
The Town of St. George presents a unique opportunity for people to learn about and to experience Bermuda’s culture, traditions and heritage. After nearly 400 years of continuous occupation, St. George’s remains a “living town.” Since its founding, the Town has changed with the times, thriving and expanding in periods of prosperity and languishing in times of want. It has had many roles from colonial capital to the commercial centre and military and naval base. The Town today retains its tightly knit network of buildings, streets, alleys, parks, squares and monuments reflecting its long and varied past and the changing role it has played in Bermuda’s history.