PM Modi will inaugurate the World Heritage Committee meeting for the first time in the country

For the first time after the G-20 summit, the country is hosting a session of the World Heritage Committee at the international level. More than 2000 national and international level representatives from more than 150 countries will participate in this meeting.

Inauguration of World Heritage Committee at Bharat Mandapam

The 46th meeting of the World Heritage Committee of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is being held in the country for the first time. The country is all set to host the meeting to be held at Bharat Mandapam in Delhi from 21 to 31 July 2024. For the first time after the G-20 summit, the country is hosting a session of the World Heritage Committee at the international level. More than 2000 national and international level representatives from over 150 countries will participate in this meeting.

PM Modi will inaugurate it on 21st July

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the event on 21 July 2024 in the presence of Union Culture Minister G Kishan Reddy. UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay and culture ministers, ambassadors and domain experts from various countries will also participate in the event to be held at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. The Union Ministry of Culture is organizing the event in collaboration with UNESCO.

The World Heritage Committee meets only once a year

The World Heritage Committee meets only once a year. It manages all matters related to World Heritage and takes decisions regarding inclusion in the World Heritage List. During this meeting, the state of conservation reports of 124 existing World Heritage properties, the use of international assistance and the World Heritage Fund, and proposals to nominate new sites to the World Heritage List will be discussed. Representatives from more than 150 countries will participate in the World Heritage Committee meeting. Their number is more than 2000.

What is the agenda of the World Heritage Committee session?

• The session will examine proposals from various countries for inclusion of 27 sites in the World Heritage List
• The proposed list includes the Moidams of India – the mound-burial system of the Ahom dynasty of India
• The session will also consider the conservation status of 124 World Heritage sites
• It includes 57 sites that have been identified as World Heritage in Danger
• There are 21 members in the World Heritage Committee
• Members are elected by the 195 signatory countries of the 1972 Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage.

What are the main functions of the World Heritage Committee?

• The Committee is one of the two bodies entrusted with the implementation of the 1972 Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage.
• In this meeting, proposals for heritage sites from countries are examined and then they are included in the heritage list.
• UNESCO also assesses the conservation state of sites already included in the World Heritage List, based on analyses carried out by UNESCO's advisory bodies and the Secretariat.

How many world heritage sites are there in India?

• UNESCO recognizes heritage sites in three categories
• Cultural, natural and mixed. Currently 1199 heritage sites are included in the World Heritage List
• Italy has the most sites on the UNESCO World Heritage List with 59, while China has 57 sites.
• India ranks sixth with 42 sites, while the Hoysala Temple in Karnataka is the 42nd Indian site.
• The first sites include the Ajanta Caves, the Ellora Caves (both in Maharashtra), the Taj Mahal in Agra and the Agra Fort in Uttar Pradesh.
• All these sites were included in 1983.