Days after adding West Bank site and Lebanese castles, UNESCO inscribes D-Day beaches and Mount Olympus

Days after UNESCO inscribed the archaeological site of Sebastia in the occupied West Bank and five historic castles in Lebanon’s Mount Amel region on the World Heritage List despite Israeli objections, the UN cultural agency added World War II’s D-Day landing beaches in France and Greece’s Mount Olympus to the prestigious list during its ongoing World Heritage Committee meeting in Busan, South Korea.

The committee also inscribed Japan’s ancient capitals of Asuka and Fujiwara and South Sudan’s Boma-Badingilo Migratory Landscape, the country’s first World Heritage Site.

The earlier decision to recognise Sebastia and the Lebanese castles drew strong opposition from Israel, which accused the Palestinian delegation of using UNESCO to advance a political agenda and objected to the inclusion of Beaufort Castle, alleging it had been used by Hezbollah for military purposes. UNESCO also placed the ancient Phoenician city of Tyre in southern Lebanon on the List of World Heritage in Danger.

The latest additions include the five Normandy D-Day beaches—Omaha, Utah, Sword, Gold and Juno—as well as Pointe du Hoc, where more than 150,000 Allied troops landed on June 6, 1944, in one of the most significant operations of the Second World War.

Greece’s Mount Olympus was recognised as a mixed cultural and natural heritage site for its importance in Greek mythology and its exceptional biodiversity, while Japan’s inscription covers 19 archaeological sites linked to the country’s first centralised state. South Sudan’s Boma-Badingilo Migratory Landscape was recognised for supporting one of the world’s largest land mammal migrations.

The UNESCO World Heritage Committee concluded the latest round of inscriptions during its meeting in Busan, with new listings highlighting both the preservation of cultural heritage and the political sensitivities that continue to surround some nominations.