Valongo Wharf Archaeological Site (Brazil)

http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/entertainment/2014/10/14/brazil-largest-slave-port-s eeks-status-as-world-heritage-site/

+ The Augustów Canal (Kanal Augustowski) (Belarus, Poland)
- Ivrea (Italy)

http://eng.belta.by/all_news/culture/Materials-on-five-Belarus-objects-for-UNESCO-Her itage-List-to-be-ready-by-February-2015_i_78326.html

I don't know if this means Ethiopia has submitted 2 sites for 2016?

"A study conducted to register the Sof Omar Cave and the Dire Sheik Hussein mosque as world heritage has already been submitted to UNESCO."

http://www.ethiosports.com/2014/12/21/ethiopia-to-register-six-additional-heritages-u nder-unesco/

Interesting that Belarus is pursueing Augustow canal again - wasn't it rejected in the past?

The items mentioned in the article are also noteworthy - Minsk Circus? First time I hear of that... Could it be that Belarus is actually preparing a new Tentative List by Feb 2015?

Indeed - comprehensively. Poland/Belarus asked for it not to be examined at the 2010 WHC but the very negative ICOMOS evaluation is among the WHC papers - ( http://whc.unesco.org/archive/2010/whc10-34com-inf.8B1e.pdf ). Here is the conclusion -
" Although 'Augustowski Canal, a work of man and nature' has been nominated as a cultural landscape, ICOMOS considers that the nomination dossier does not convincingly demonstrate that the construction of the canal has actually modified the natural and human environment to such an extent as to create a 'canal cultural landscape.'
As a historic canal, ICOMOS considers that the nominated property does not satisfy the proposed justification for inscription and that Outstanding Universal Value has not been demonstrated"
A bit more work still to do there then!!

Sorry, mispost!

But since I did make a mistake-post, I just wanted to say that those Medieval Tombstones look excellent. I wonder if this would fit in with one of the most important reasons for inscription of Quedlinburg's Abbey (which I find underrated and the Goslar/Hildesheim/Quedlinburg/Harz region to be one of the most rewarding & beautiful German WHS routes) where the abbesses' tomb slabs mark the beginning of monumental sculpture in Northern Europe.

I also noticed that someone posted a -Ivrea... does this mean Ivrea is no longer applying for 2016? I didn't think it looked promising and compared to Crespi D'adda and other industrial sites (U.S. needs to capitalize on Industrial history - DuPonts, Allaire, bog iron, etc.!)

Based on Hubert's report 2017 seems more likely.

Thailand: Phu Phra Bat in 2016 and Phimai in 2017?

From this bad Google translate news, Thailand plans to finish nomination document on Phu Phra Bat in Dec 2014 and submit UNESCO on Feb 2015, and Phimai Cultural route in Dec 2015 for UNESCO in 2016. For Wat Mahathat still in process of document preparation.


https://translate.google.com.sg/translate?sl=th&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=h ttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.manager.co.th%2FHome%2FViewNews.aspx%3FNewsID%3D9570000131014&edit-te xt=

China : The Rock Painting of the Mountain Huashan

From this report via google translate, the Rock Painting of the Mountain Huashan in Guangxi will be China's selection of 2016.

http://translate.google.com.sg/translate?hl=en&sl=zh-CN&u=http://www.gx.xinhuanet.com /newscenter/2014-12/19/c_1113698627.htm&prev=search

This would be an interesting year. First sites from Angola, French Polynesia. Second sites from Chad and Myanmar. Proposals from normally inactive countries: Cambodia, Ecuador, Kazakhstan, Jordan, Laos, Montenegro. 6 sites from SE Asia (2xThailand, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Indonesia). 3 sites from Central Asia (2xUzbekistan, transnational). 4 Middle Eastern sites (Jordan, UAE, Turkey, Iran). 4 sites from South America (2xBrazil, Bolivia, Ecuador). 4 sites of modern architecture (Le Corbusier, Frank Lloyd, Mombay, Ivrea). Some other gaps (Toraja for Pacific vernacular architecture, M'Banza Kongo for Central African kingdoms, Sarmishsay for Central Asian deserts).

Mexico's submission for 2016, or 2017 depending if the deadline is met.

Tehuacan-Cuicatlan Biosphere Reserve (Mexico) URL

Bulgaria perhaps nominated Magoura caves
The Magoura cave with drawings from the bronze age

http://www.novinite.com/articles/165936/Bulgaria+Nominates+Magurata+Cave+to+UNESCO%E2 %80%99s+World+Heritage+List