IN'JOY News

Date: 24 June - 6 July 2012г.

Venue: Saint-Petersburg, Tavricheskiy Palace, Shpalernaya str., 47

Organizers: UNESCO and The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russian Federation

The World Heritage Committee composes representatives from 21 States Parties to the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage elected by the General Assembly of States Parties to the Convention.

The forthcoming 36 ^th session of the Committee, an independent body of 21 States Parties to the 1972 World Heritage Convention , will be chaired by Eleonora Mitrofanova, Ambassador Permanent Delegate of the Russian Federation to UNESCO. For the first time in its 40-year history, members of the public and the media will be able to follow the debates of the Committee through live streaming on the internet.

Five natural sites are to be considered for inscription: Chad, Lakes of Ounianga; China, Chengjian Fossil Site; Congo, Cameroon and Central African Republic, Sangha Trinational; India, Western Ghats; Russian Federation, Lena Pillars Nature Park.

Three «mixed sites» are to be considered for inscription for their natural and cultural values: Israel, Sites of Human Evolution at Mount Carmel: The Nahal Me'arot / Wadi el-Mughara caves; Palau, Rock islands Southern Lagoon; Spain Plasencia-Monfrague-Trujillo: Mediterranean Landscape.

During the session, the World Heritage Committee will examine progress in the conservation of the 35 properties on the List of World Heritage in Danger. Reports on the state of conservation of 105 properties already inscribed on the World Heritage List will also be reviewed by the Committee during the session.

The World Heritage List, created under the terms of the 1972 Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage numbers 936 properties forming part of the world's cultural and natural heritage which the World Heritage Committee considers to be of outstanding universal value. Sites inscribed include 725 cultural, 183 natural and 28 mixed properties in 153 States Parties . One-hundred-eighty-nine States Parties have ratified the World Heritage Convention to date.