Nobel Prize winners call for protection of World Heritage sites

Five Nobel prize winners recently called for urgent action to protect World Heritage sites from destruction and havoc wreaked by extremist groups and conflicts.

The laureates pointed to damage done to treasured ancient sites in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan and Mali.
 
"Part of our history has been lost forever, with the goal of fanaticism being to undermine our hope for the future," they said. "Urgent action must be taken -- the time for powerless expressions of indignation is over."
 
Signatories of the appeal included Myanmar's de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi, Liberian President Helen Johnson Sirleaf and former UN Chief Kofi Annan, as well as Nobel literature laureates Orhan Pamuk of Turkey and Mario Vargas Llosa of Peru.