site.bta47th Session of UNESCO World Heritage Committee under Bulgarian Presidency Concludes in Paris

Wednesday marked the conclusion of the 47th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, held under the presidency of Bulgaria at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris.

From July 6 to July 16, the Committee reviewed a record number of dossiers, nearly 250, making it one of the most intensive sessions in recent years. As part of the session, Bulgaria presented elements of its cultural and natural heritage. 

A formal reception hosted by Ambassador Radka Balabanova at the Bulgarian Embassy in Paris on Tuesday marked the conclusion of the 47th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee. Attending were Prof. Nikolay Nenov, Chair of the 47th session, Lazare Eloundou Assomo, Director of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, and UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay.

Azoulay said she saw how deeply committed Bulgaria is to UNESCO's work. She thanked the financial institutions which spared no effort to provide the conditions for the discussions at UNESCO Headquarters.

Balabanova said: "This session reminded us once again that the world heritage is a shared responsibility. Over the past few days, we engaged in deep and productive discussions and reviewed a record number of dossiers. We inscribed 28 new sites on the World Heritage List and decided to remove one African site from the List of World Heritage in Danger, as it is no longer at risk. This is a remarkable outcome, an inspiration and a true testament to the achievements of the World Heritage Convention." 

Nenov told BTA: “I am grateful and satisfied with how Bulgaria led the 47th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee. Many people helped, our team from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Culture, the Secretariat, and even the Committee member states. Everyone gave their best, because this is a collective effort. We must stand together and make decisions by consensus.” Nenov emphasized that holding the session at UNESCO’s headquarters in Paris significantly boosted Bulgaria’s international visibility. “Numerous exhibitions were launched, many events were held, and each was noted and appreciated,” he said.

Culture Minister Marian Bachev also commented on the session ahead of the regular Cabinet meeting. He emphasized Bulgaria’s active engagement with UNESCO initiatives and confirmed there is no danger of Nessebar being delisted from UNESCO’s World Heritage List for tangible cultural heritage. He also noted that the Centre for Underwater Archaeology in Sozopol is expected to receive recognition as a UNESCO Category 2 Centre, strengthening Bulgaria’s leadership in maritime archaeology. 

On the sidelines of the session, the seventh Forum of World Heritage Site Managers was held. 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. According to the Bulgarian delegation, 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. 

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.

During its 47th session, the Committee decided to inscribe 26 new sites on the UNESCO World Heritage List - 21 cultural, four natural and one mixed - bringing the total number of listed properties to 1,248 (972 cultural, 325 natural and 41 mixed). The Committee also approved extensions to two existing properties. Guinea-Bissau and Sierra Leone each had a site inscribed for the first time, marking their debut on the World Heritage List. The Committee reviewed the state of conservation of 248 inscribed properties. Three African sites were removed from the List of World Heritage in Danger: the Rainforests of the Atsinanana (Madagascar), Abu Mena (Egypt) and the Old Town of Ghadames (Libya).

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.