site.btaUNESCO Considers New Natural and Cultural Sites for World Heritage Status

Starting Friday, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee begins reviewing the nomination files of 30 new sites proposed for inclusion in the World Heritage List, according to the agenda of the 47th session of the Committee. The session is taking place in Paris under the Bulgarian Presidency.

In the Natural Sites category, the nominees include Cavernas do Peruacu National Park (Brazil); Mons Klint (Denmark); Coastal and Marine Ecosystems of the Bijagos Archipelago – Urok Islands (Guinea-Bissau); Eastern Mongolia (Mongolia); Gola-Tiwai Complex (Sierra Leone).

Cultural sites under review Friday come from Australia, China, India, Cambodia, Iran, Malaysia, and Nepal.

A decision is also expected on the extension of two sites that are already on the World Heritage List. As of today, the World Heritage Committee has inscribed 1,223 sites in 168 countries on the list.

The 47th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee runs until July 16 at UNESCO’s headquarters in Paris under the presidency of Bulgaria. As part of the session, Bulgaria will present elements of its cultural and natural heritage. The July issue of LIK magazine, dedicated to Bulgaria and UNESCO, was also officially presented at UNESCO.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) was founded on November 16, 1945. Bulgaria became a member on May 17, 1956, the same year its National Commission for UNESCO was established. The Commission coordinates activities between Bulgarian institutions and UNESCO.

UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee is one of the two governing bodies responsible for implementing the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. It is composed of representatives from 21 countries elected from among the 196 States Parties to the Convention.