World Heritage Committee holds session to consider listing new heritage sites

English.news.cn   2013-06-16 22:20:24

Dim Sovannarom (C), spokesman for the 37th session of the World Heritage Committee, speaks in a press briefing in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, June 16, 2013. The 37th session of the World Heritage Committee (WHC) would kick off on Sunday evening here and last until June 27 in order to consider inscribing 31 new sites onto the UNESCO's World Heritage list, spokesmen said Sunday. (Xinhua/Sovannara)

PHNOM PENH, June 16 (Xinhua) -- The 37th session of the World Heritage Committee kicked off at the Peace Palace in Cambodian capital Phnom Penh on Sunday evening aiming to consider the inscription of new sites onto the UNESCO's World Heritage list.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Director General of UNESCO Irina Bokova called for solidarity and political will in order to protect cultural heritage damaged by armed conflict.
"We need the same leadership today to protect cultural heritage under attack in the region and across the globe in Mali, Syria, Central African Republic and elsewhere," she told some 1, 300 delegates from more than 120 countries.
During the session which will last until June 27, the World Heritage Committee comprised of members from 21 countries would consider inscribing 31 new sites onto the UNESCO's World Heritage list, UNESCO spokesman Roni Amelan said in a press briefing on Sunday.
Among the 31 sites are two Chinese sites: natural Xinjiang Tianshan and cultural landscape of Honghe Hani Rice Terraces, according to the UNESCO's website.
Other candidate sites nominated for the World Heritage list are Great Himalayan National Park of India, Mount Etna of Italy, Mount Kenya-Lewa Wildlife Conservancy of Kenya, El Pinacate and Gran Desierto de Altar Biosphere Reserve of Mexico, Namib Sand Sea of Namibia, Mount Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary of the Philippines, and Tajik National Park (Mountains of the Pamirs) of Tajikistan.
Roni Amelan estimated that about 15 sites out of the 31 candidate sites would be inscribed on the World Heritage List during the session.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said the government and people of Cambodia were most honored to host this important meeting for the first time.
The premier said the World Heritage Committee was becoming, over the years, a real and strong body of global governance for the Cultural and Natural Heritage of Humanity.
"The World Heritage Committee is therefore a special forum for dialogue to promote cooperation on culture and civilization shedding lights on human hope," he said. "Moreover, this session represents not only an important milestone in the history of the Committee, but it also expresses the triumph of the long aspiration of many for equal dignity of cultures and civilization."
The 37th session will also review the state of conservation of properties inscribed on the World Heritage List and decide which properties need to be placed in the World Heritage List in Danger or to be removed from the World Heritage List.
Up to 2012, the World Heritage List has included 962 properties forming part of the cultural and natural heritage, which the World Heritage Committee considered as having outstanding universal value, the UNESCO said.
Cambodia became a UNESCO member in 1951, and several tangible and intangible cultural heritages had been listed as world heritages such as Angkor Archeological Park in 1992, Royal Ballet in 2003, Sbek Thom or Khmer Shadow Theater in 2005, and Preah Vihear temple in 2008.
According to the figures of the ministry of culture and fine arts, the country has 769 ancient temples, 105 ancient bridges, 1, 769 ancient pagodas, and 13 archeological excavation stations, 15 museums and tens of thousands of ancient objects.

Editor: Tang Danlu