site.btaBulgaria Chairs 47th UNESCO World Heritage Session as Proceedings Open in Paris

The bureau of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee will convene for its first meeting within the 47th session at UNESCO headquarters in Paris on Sunday, under Bulgaria’s chairmanship led by Nikolay Nenov. An orientation session is also scheduled for later in the day, according to the official programme.

The 47th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee will be held from July 6 to July 16 at the organization’s headquarters in Paris, with the official opening set to take place on July 7.

During this year’s session, the Committee will consider proposals for 30 new sites to be inscribed and the extension of two already on the list, as well as review the state of conservation for 248 existing World Heritage Sites, the organizers noted.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) was established on November 16, 1945. Bulgaria has been a member since May 17, 1956. The country’s first permanent delegate to UNESCO (later designated permanent representative) was Evgeni Kamenov. A decree by the Council of Ministers on May 25, 1956, established the Bulgarian National Commission for UNESCO, which provides coordination and interaction between Bulgarian State, public, non-governmental organizations and individuals, and UNESCO, and operates under the direct supervision of the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

The World Heritage Committee is one of two bodies administering the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. The Committee consists of representatives from 21 countries, elected from among the 196 States Parties to the Convention. It is responsible for the implementation of the Convention, consideration of new nominations for the World Heritage List, and evaluation of the state of conservation of inscribed properties based on analyses produced by advisory bodies and the UNESCO Secretariat. The Committee meets once a year in regular session.

BTA’s July LIK magazine, published simultaneously in Bulgarian, English and French, supports Bulgaria’s presidency of the 47th UNESCO World Heritage Committee session in Paris (July 6-16, 2025). Director General Kiril Valchev will present the trilingual issue at UNESCO headquarters on July 7. The edition profiles Bulgaria’s ten World Heritage sites, its intangible traditions and potential nominations, with contributions from Culture Minister Marian Bachev, former UNESCO chief Irina Bokova and others, and is available free online in Bulgarian, English and French language.