The 47th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee has officially opened with bureau meetings at the organization’s headquarters.
Azernews reports via AzerTag that Azerbaijan is participating in the session.
Running until July 16, the session will begin with the adoption of the agenda, followed by the review of the implementation of the World Heritage Fund for 2024–2025, the budget proposal for 2026–2027, and reports regarding COM 13—concerning compliance with the decision to establish an advisory body.
The session will also include presentations on the activities of the World Heritage Centre, the implementation of past decisions of the Committee, and a message from the 2025 World Heritage Young Professionals Forum.
Key reports will also be reviewed on the World Heritage Strategy for Africa and on the progress of World Heritage initiatives for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) for 2023–2029.
There will be discussions on the conservation status of World Heritage properties and updates to both the World Heritage List and the List of World Heritage in Danger.
The World Heritage Committee is one of the two governing bodies of the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. It is composed of representatives from 21 countries elected from the 195 States Parties to the Convention. The Committee is responsible for overseeing the implementation of the Convention and evaluating new site nominations and conservation reports based on the analyses of its advisory bodies and UNESCO’s Secretariat.
UNESCO promotes the identification, protection, and preservation of cultural and natural heritage of outstanding value to humanity. This mission is embedded in the 1972 Convention, an international treaty adopted by UNESCO.
World Heritage sites are considered a shared legacy of all peoples, regardless of their national location.
What makes the Convention unique is its integration of natural and cultural heritage protection, its emphasis on the role of local communities, and its ability to respond to modern challenges such as climate change, rapid urbanization, mass tourism, and natural disasters, while contributing to sustainable socio-economic development.
