UNESCO adds Jabal Amel castles to list of endangered World Heritage sites

Lebanese Armed Forces Commander Joseph Aoun has said that UNESCO’s decision to add the five Jabal Amel castles to the List of World Heritage in Danger represents international recognition of the exceptional value of this cultural legacy, which embodies centuries of southern Lebanon’s history and forms an integral part of humanity’s shared heritage.

Aoun made the remarks on Wednesday at Baabda Palace during a meeting with Dr. Khaled El-Enany, who was received as Director-General of UNESCO, attended by Minister of Culture Ghassan Salameh, Lebanon’s Permanent Delegate to UNESCO Ambassador Hind Darwish, and El-Enany’s accompanying delegation.

Aoun praised the efforts of the Minister of Culture and Lebanese diplomats in securing the decision, highlighting Dr. El-Enany’s role and the support of member states on UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee, who backed Lebanon’s case and resisted pressure to drop the file.

The commander noted that this solidarity reflects growing international awareness of the threats facing Lebanon’s cultural heritage due to repeated Israeli attacks on the south, emphasizing that this achievement places an increased responsibility on the international community to protect and safeguard these sites.

Aoun called for activating the protection and funding mechanisms enabled by the listing, and for halting any attacks on this shared human heritage. He also expressed his support for El-Enany in his new role as Director-General of UNESCO, affirming that Lebanon’s permanent mission to UNESCO, led by Ambassador Hind Darwish, will coordinate with him on issues important to Lebanon.

For his part, El-Enany thanked Aoun for the support received from Lebanon’s permanent mission to UNESCO and for the ongoing cooperation with the Lebanese government through Minister Ghassan Salameh.

He noted that UNESCO has a regional office in Beirut with around 30 specialized staff working in fields under the organization’s mandate, particularly the preservation of cultural, artistic, and literary heritage.

El-Enany outlined key projects he plans to implement during his tenure and invited Aoun to visit UNESCO’s headquarters in Paris to learn more about its activities.

At the end of the meeting, El-Enany presented Aoun with the official certificate of the decision to list the five Jabal Amel castles: Shaqif Castle, Tebnine Castle, Shaqra Castle, Deir Kifa Castle, and Shamaa Castle.