site.btaForum of World Heritage Site Managers Takes Place on Sidelines of 47th Session of UNESCO World Heritage Committee

The seventh Forum of World Heritage Site Managers was convened on the sidelines of the 47th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee held at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, the Bulgarian delegation reported.

Between July 7 and 9, site managers responsible for 17 World Heritage properties came together from countries including Albania, Bulgaria, Chile, China, Ecuador, France, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Morocco, Mozambique, North Macedonia, South Korea, Suriname, Sweden, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, and Zimbabwe. Representing Bulgaria were architect Daniela Sivkova, from the Municipality of Nessebar, which manages the Old Town of Nessebar, and Sergey Alexandrov, part of the team overseeing the Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe.

“The forum focused on reactive monitoring processes for World Heritage sites. Its main objective was to examine how this mechanism can enhance the management and preservation of these sites. Discussions centered around the tools site managers need to effectively implement the recommendations and decisions of the World Heritage Committee,” the delegation explained.

The forum was organized by the World Heritage Centre and the World Heritage Leadership Program of IUCN and ICCROM, in close collaboration with Bulgaria’s Ministry of Culture and Ministry of Environment and Water, with additional support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (the National Commission for UNESCO) and the Bulgarian Embassy in Paris.

The 47th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, taking place under the Presidency of Bulgaria, comes it its conclusion on Wednesday. During the session events taking place in the UNESCO Headquarters, Bulgaria showcased cultural and natural elements from its heritage.