On 21 July 2024, Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi inaugurated the 46th Session of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) World Heritage Committee(WHC) 2024 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, Delhi.
- This is the 1st time India is hosting the WHC Meeting, which will continue till the 31st of July 2024. It is being organized by New Delhi(Delhi) based Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), on behalf of Ministry of Culture(MoC).
Note: The 45th session of the WHC was held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from September 10 to 25, 2023.
Key Attendees:
The event was attended by UNESCO Director-General(DG) Audrey Azoulay, Union Minister Dr S Jaishankar, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Ministry of Culture (MoC), and Vishal Sharma, Chairperson, World Heritage Committee.
About 46th WHC meeting:
The committee meets annually to manage World Heritage matters and decide on new site inscriptions on the UNESCO World Heritage List(WHL).
i.Logo: It is inspired by the World Heritage Site of Hampi. The stone chariot from the Vijaya Vitthala Temple is a testament to India’s architectural grandeur and sculptural prowess.
- The tagline of the logo is ‘Sah Nau Yasha’ which means ‘May our glory Grow’, derived from the ancient Sanskrit scripture Taitiriya Upanishad.
ii.Role: This meeting will examine the proposals of sites for inscription on the World Heritage List, state of conservation reports of existing sites inscribed on the list, international assistance, utilisation of World Heritage Funds, etc.
About World Heritage List:
As of July 2024, a total of 1,199 World Heritage Sites (933 cultural, 227 natural, and 39 mixed properties) exist across 168 countries.
- India has 42 World Heritage Sites, out of which 34 are cultural, 7 are natural sites and 1 mixed category.
i.Among the 123 sites already inscribed on the WHL, 57 are on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
ii.The 27 sites proposed for inscription on the World Heritage List will be examined according to the categories: Natural, Mixed, and Cultural.
Key Highlights:
i.Support: India will contribute USD 1 million to the UNESCO World Heritage Centre for capacity building, technical assistance, and conservation of world heritage sites, particularly benefiting Global South countries.
ii.Initiative: A new certificate program in World Heritage Management is being launched for young professionals in India.
iii.Nomination: Charaideo Maidam, an ancient burial ground in Assam has been nominated as India’s 43rd World Heritage Site.
- It is North East India’s 1st heritage to get the status of Cultural World Heritage.
Additional Events:
i.The World Heritage Young Professionals’ Forum(WHYPF) and the World Heritage Site Managers’ Forum(WHSMF) are also being held alongside the main event.
- The WHYPF is being held from July 14th to 23rd 2024 at Pt. Deendayal Institute of Archaeology at Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh(UP) to foster intercultural learning and exchange. The theme of the forum is “World Heritage in the 21st Century: Building Capacities and Exploring Opportunities for Youth”.
- The WHSMF is being held in New Delhi(Delhi) from 18th July to 25th July, 2024 with the theme “Heritage and Communities: inclusive and Effective Approaches for the Sustainable Management of World Heritage Properties.” It focuses on the importance of collaborative and sustainable management practices.
ii.Various exhibitions are set up, including the Return of Treasures Exhibition and an ‘Incredible India’ exhibition.
- So far, over 350 heritage items have been returned to India.
iii.Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) technologies are being used to provide an immersive experience of 3 Indian world heritage sites namely Rani ki Vav, Patan, Gujarat; Kailasa Temple, Ellora Caves, Maharashtra; and Hoysala Temple, Halebidu, Karnataka.
About World Heritage Committee(WHC):
The WHC is one of the 2 bodies governing the Convention for the Protection of the World’s Cultural and Natural Heritage. It was established under the Convention concerning the Protection of the World’s Cultural and Natural Heritage.
- It comprises representatives from 21 States Parties to the World Heritage Convention (1972) elected by the General Assembly of UNESCO.
Recent Related News:
Six heritage sites in Madhya Pradesh (MP) were included in the tentative list of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Sites (WHS).
- The six sites are Gwalior Fort, Khooni Bhandara, Bhojeshwar Mahadev Temple, the Rock art sites of Chambal Valley, the historic ensemble of Dhamnar, and the Gond monuments of Ramnagar.
About United Nations Education Scientific and Cultural Organisation(UNESCO):
Director General(DG) – Audry Azoulay
Headquarters – Paris, France
Founded – 16 November 1945
