India To Chair, Host UNESCO's World Heritage Committee For First Time In July

India will chair and host UNESCO's World Heritage Committee for the first time from July 21 to July 31 this year.

Indian will host and chair 46th session of UNESCO's World Heritage Committee from July 21 to July 31 this year in New Delhi, said Permanent Representative of India to UNESCO, Vishal V Sharma, reported ANI. This will be the first time when India will be hosting and chairing the session.

The World Heritage Committee meets once a year and is responsible for the implementation of the World Heritage Convention. 

The Convention defines the use of the World Heritage Fund and allocates financial assistance to the State Parties upon their request. 

The Commiitee has the final say on whether a property will be included in the World Heritage List and also decides on the inclusion or deletion of properties from the List of World Heritage in Danger.

The World Heritage Committe consists of 21 State Parties to the Convention elected by their General Assembly with a term of six years. However, most state parties voluntarily choose to be Members of the Committee for only four years, in order to give other States Parties an opportunity to be on the Committee. 

The 21 State Parties of the current World Heritage Committee include: Argentina, Belgium, Bulgaria, Greece, India, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Lebanon, Mexico, Qatar, South Korea, Rwanda, Saint Vincent and The Grenadines, Senegal, Turkey, Ukraine, Vietnam, and Zambia. 

The Commiitee elects a seven-State Party Bureau annually which coordinates the work of the Committee and fixes the dates, hours and order of business of meetings.

The Bureau consists of a Chairperson, five Vice-Chairpersons, and a Rapporteur. For the 46th session of the Committee, India has been elected as the Chairperson of the Bureau, with Belgium being the Rapporteur.

The five Vice Chairpersons are Bulgaria, Greece, Kenya, Qatar, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.