site.btaBulgarian Presidency of UNESCO World Heritage Committee Is Great Honour, Responsibility, Says Culture Minister Marian Bachev

The Bulgarian presidency of the 47th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, taking place at the organization's headquarters in Paris, is a great honour and responsibility for the Republic of Bulgaria, said Culture Minister Marian Bachev during the official opening of the forum on Monday.

Bachev noted that the United Nations and UNESCO are marking 80 years since their founding. The UN established its first specialized agency, UNESCO, based on the belief that peace must be built on the intellectual and moral solidarity of humanity, and the vision that humanity can unite in its diversity through shared values, he underscored.

“For all of us who are responsible for the preservation of world heritage, the challenges are immense. That is why the role of the World Heritage Committee, and of everyone in this room, is so important,” the minister stressed. “Climate change and the increasingly aggressive human activity toward nature are causing the irreversible destruction of valuable natural habitats,” he continued.

Bachev emphasized that monuments are artifacts of the past, but they are also a guiding light for the future. “I believe that if we succeed in our mission, if younger generations come to see world cultural values as their own, then many of today’s conflicts would not exist. I also believe that our duty is not only to preserve world heritage, but also to find the right ways to present and promote it, through appropriate educational and scientific programs that bring it closer to every member of our societies,” Bachev said.

“It is hard for anyone to dedicate themselves to preserving something they do not know. And it is hard to part with something that is part of their identity as an individual and as a member of a community,” he added.

Bachev also highlighted the need for greater engagement of younger generations in preserving cultural memory, as well as the importance of education, digital technologies, and cultural continuity.

“Artificial intelligence is a tool, but it is not a solution. It cannot create the individuals who will devote themselves to protecting cultural heritage. That is our mission,” he concluded.

The 47th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, chaired by Bulgaria, runs until July 16 at UNESCO’s headquarters in Paris. As part of the session, Bulgaria will present elements of its cultural and natural heritage. Later Monday, the July issue of LIK magazine – dedicated to Bulgaria and UNESCO – will also be 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.