UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE COMMITTEE

Why in News?                                                                                                        

In a first, India is set to chair and host UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee in New Delhi from 21st to 31st July 2024, Permanent Representative of India to UNESCO, Vishal V Sharma said on 9 January.

What is UNESCO World Heritage Committee?

• It was established under the Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (World Heritage Convention) adopted by the General Conference of UNESCO at its seventeenth session on 16 November 1972.
• The Committee is responsible for the implementation of the World Heritage Convention, defines the use of the World Heritage Fund and allocates financial assistance upon requests from States Parties. It has the final say on whether a property is inscribed on the World Heritage List. It examines reports on the state of conservation of inscribed properties and asks States Parties to take action when properties are not being properly managed. It also decides on the inscription or deletion of properties on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
• The World Heritage Committee meets once a year, and consists of representatives from 21 of the States Parties to the Convention elected by their General Assembly.
• According to the World Heritage Convention, a Committee member’s term of office is for six years, but most States Parties choose voluntarily to be Members of the Committee for only four years, in order to give other States Parties an opportunity to be on the Committee.
• India is a member.