New Delhi to host the 46th World Heritage Committee session of UNESCO

The Indian capital, New Delhi, is all set to host the 46th World Heritage Committee session of the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation(UNESCO) from 21 -31 July 2024. This is the first time such an event is being held in India.

The Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the function on 21 July 2024 in the presence of the Union Minister for Culture, G.Kishan Reddy.

The event, which will be held at the Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, will also include the participation of UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay and Culture Ministers, Ambassadors, and domain experts from various countries. 

The Union Ministry of Culture is organising the event in association with UNESCO.

Agenda of the  46th World Heritage Committee session of UNESCO

The session will examine proposals from various countries to include 27 sites in the  World Heritage List. The proposed list includes India's Moidams – the Mound-Burial System of the Ahom Dynasty of India.

The session will also consider the state of conservation of 124 World Heritage sites, including the  57 sites that have been identified as World Heritage in Danger.

About  World Heritage Committee

The World Heritage Committee has 21 members. The members are elected by the 195 signatories countries of the 1972 Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. 

The main functions of the  World Heritage Committee are as follows: 

• The Committee is one of the two institutions that has been tasked with the implementation of the 1972 Convention concerning the Protection of the World's Cultural and Natural Heritage. 
• It examines proposals from the countries for heritage sites which are to be included in the World Heritage List.
• It also assesses the state of conservation of sites already included in UNESCO’s World Heritage List based on analyses produced by UNESCO’s advisory bodies and Secretariat. 

UNESCO World Heritage Sites 

UNESCO recognises heritage sites in three categories: Cultural, Natural, and Mixed. At present, the World Heritage List includes 1199 heritage sites.

Italy has the highest number of sites on the UNESCO World Heritage List, with 59, followed by China, with 57.

India is in sixth place with 42 sites, with the Hoysalas Temples of Karnataka being the 42nd India site.

The first sites included Ajanta Cave, Ellora Cave (both in Maharashtra), the Taj Mahal in Agra, and the Agra Fort in Uttar Pradesh. All these sites were included in 1983.

Headquarters of UNESCO: Paris, France

Foundation: 16 November 1945

Director General:  Audrey Azoulay