World War I remembrance sites in Belgium and France have been added to UNESCO’s heritage registry

By THOMAS ADAMSON
Associated Press

PARIS (AP) — UNESCO has added World War I funerary and memorial locations across the Western Front to its prestigious World Heritage registry, expanding its list of landmarks of monumental importance. The World Heritage Committee announced the decision Wednesday during its ongoing meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The newly recognized sites span from Belgium’s north to eastern France and embody battle zones where the Allied forces clashed with the German army from 1914 to 1918. These areas house an array of sanctuaries, from expansive necropolises bearing multitudes of soldiers from different nationalities to humbler graveyards and individual monuments. Belgium and France have been campaigning to include these sites in UNESCO’s registry since the early 2010s