The 47th session of the World Heritage Committee of the United NationsEducational , Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) officially opened at UNESCO headquarters in Paris, France, under the chairmanship of Bulgaria - with the role of Chair, held by Professor Nikolay Nenov.
The Vietnamese delegation attended the event with the presence of Permanent Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Vu - Chairman of the Vietnam National Commission for UNESCO and Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Dao Cuong - Deputy Chairman of the Vietnam National Commission for UNESCO, along with many representatives of leaders of many provinces and localities with world heritages recognized by UNESCO.
Lasting until July 16, this session is particularly meaningful as the World Heritage Committee will consider nominating about 30 new heritages to be inscribed on the World Heritage List and expanding 2 heritages already on the list. Some Vietnamese heritages are also nominated in this list.
It is expected that in the next 10 working days, the 21 member countries of the World Heritage Committee will decide which heritages will be added to the World Heritage List, and at the same time adopt many important decisions related to the conservation and management of existing heritages that are under threat.
One of the focuses of the meeting was to assess the conservation status of 248 recognized heritage sites, including those on the List of World Heritage at Risk.
In addition, the meeting will also propose necessary measures to protect these heritages from negative impacts from climate change, human activities and other factors.
This session is chaired by the Presidium, chaired by Professor Nikolay Nenov from Bulgaria, with Ms. Joelle Bucyana (Rwanda) as Secretary, and Deputy Chairs from Belgium, Mexico, Qatar, South Korea and Zambia, with financial support from the Republic of Bulgaria.
In addition to the official sessions, the 47th session also held many important side events to promote international understanding and cooperation in the field of heritage conservation.
These activities include workshops and panels on “Capacity Building to Improve World Heritage Management,” “Using the World Heritage Convention to Implement the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework,” “Updated World Heritage Gap Analysis,” and the “Launch of the Updated Version of the World Heritage Online Mapping Platform” event organized by the UNESCO World Heritage Center.
Also within the framework of the conference, on July 10, delegates are expected to focus on discussing the topic "Building the participation of indigenous peoples within the framework of the World Heritage Convention," emphasizing the importance of including the voices of indigenous communities in heritage conservation.
A highlight of this year's sessions is that all daily sessions are publicly streamed online on UNESCO's official website at whc.unesco.org/en/sessions/47com.
The broadcast has no limit on the number of viewers and does not require registration, demonstrating UNESCO's commitment to ensuring transparency and expanding access to information for a global public.
Plenary session of the 47th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Paris (France) on July 7, 2025. (Photo: Thu Ha/VNA)
UNESCO was established on November 16, 1945 and Vietnam officially became a member of this organization in July 1976, marking one of the important steps in the process of world integration.
The UNESCO World Heritage Convention is one of the most widely accepted international conservation treaties, currently ratified by 196 countries.
The World Heritage Committee is one of two governing bodies of the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage.
This is also one of the most important executive bodies of UNESCO, with the right to decide on key issues related to the recognition of world cultural and natural heritages; review and evaluate the conservation status of world heritages globally; decide on policies, budgets, guidelines, and development orientations of the World Heritage Convention.
The Committee consists of representatives from 21 member states, elected for a four-year term. Members will discuss and vote on important decisions related to the World Heritage Convention. Vietnam has been elected as a member of the World Heritage Committee for the 2023-2027 term with a very high number of votes in favor.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) serves as the official advisory body on nature to the World Heritage Committee.
Over the past year, IUCN has conducted extensive research and field visits to provide technical advice on assessing potential new sites and the conservation status of existing natural sites, including those on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
This 47th session is expected to make important decisions on protecting humanity's cultural and natural heritage, and mark new steps forward in global heritage conservation.
With the participation of the world's leading experts and representatives from many countries, the meeting promises to bring practical contributions to the protection of humanity's common heritage for future generations./.
(Vietnam News Agency/Vietnam+)
Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/khai-mac-ky-hop-thu-47-uy-ban-di-san-the-gioi-unesco-post1048410.vnp
Comment (0)