UNESCO World Heritage List expansion

The UNESCO World Heritage Committee added 25 new sites to the World Heritage List during its 48th meeting in Busan, South Korea. The new entries comprise 19 cultural sites, five natural sites, and one site with both cultural and natural values, bringing the total to 1,273 sites across 173 countries.

Notable additions include the D-Day beaches in France, Mount Olympus in Greece, and the town of Sidi Bou Said in Tunisia. Other recognized locations include the Xiongnu ancient cemeteries in Mongolia, rubber boom Amazonian theaters in Brazil, and the Jingdezhen porcelain production area in China. In Japan, the ancient capitals of Asuka and Fujiwara were recognized, while Finland added the Aalto Works architectural complex. Comoros, Sao Tome and Principe, and South Sudan each saw their first sites inscribed on the list.

Specific details regarding the new sites include the recognition of the Normandy Coast in France for its connection to the 1944 D-Day landings, and the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge in the United States as a significant subtropical freshwater peatland. Additionally, the Committee added six sites to the List of World Heritage in Danger and approved a strategy for Small Island Developing States for 2026–2034.