[Contribution] Sado Island Gold Mines as World Heritage: Will the commitment be fulfilled?

In July 2024, the Sado Island Gold Mines in Japan were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List amid significant controversy.

Having been placed on the tentative list in 2010, the site underwent 14 years of change — not only in name, but also in its component parts, boundaries and stated values — before finally becoming a World Heritage Site.

During the evaluation process, the review of the site was criticized as being narrow in scope and highly selective, generating considerable pushback.

Th ...