Singapore's Botanic Gardens' Unesco bid in final stage

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Singapore's Botanic Gardens' Unesco bid in final stage



BANGKOK: -- Singapore's bid to have the Botanic Gardens become its first Unesco World Heritage Site has entered its final stage after a technical assessor from the International Council on Monuments and Sites (Icomos) visited the Gardens last September, The Straits Times reported.

This was revealed on Friday by the National Parks and National Heritage Board. By May, Icomos will make a recommendation on whether the site should be inscribed.

The recommendation will be considered by the Unesco World Heritage Committee, a group of 21 countries, when it meets in Germany in late June or early July to discuss all World Heritage Site nominations. It can approve or deny the Botanic Gardens bid, or defer its decision and request more information.

To qualify as a Unesco World Heritage Site, the site must have outstanding universal cultural or natural value.

The 74ha Gardens was established in 1859 and it attracts more than four million people each year. It showcases more than 10,000 types of plants, including the region’s most significant living collection of documented palms, orchids and gingers. Its landscape has been well preserved since the 19th century, and includes Singapore’s earliest ornamental designed lake.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/singapores-botanic-gardens-unesco-bid-in-final-stage


-- Thai PBS 2015-03-09