The UNESCO World Heritage Committee has declared the city of Siracusa and the archaelogical area of Pantalica in Sicily as World Heritage sites.
Dr Ray Bondin was invited by the Italian government to be present for the ceremony marking the recognition. He was also one of the main speakers at a seminar organised in Siracusa on world heritage and the problems of heritage protection. Dr Francesco Bandarin, the director of the World Heritage Centre, was the main speaker.