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UNESCO excludes two sites from list of endangered world heritage

The list aims to draw attention of the world public to the endangered world heritage sites

ST. PETERSBURG, June 26 (Itar-Tass) —— The UNESCO World Heritage Center has excluded two sites form the list of endangered world heritage – in Pakistan’s Lahor and the Philippines.

The list aims to draw attention of the world public to the endangered world heritage sites.

The decision was made at the St. Petersburg session on Tuesday. The session takes place on June 24-July 6. This is the first time it is chaired by Russia.

“This is the first time Russia is chairing the UNESCO World Heritage Center, which ensures the implementation of the UNESCO World Heritage Convention of 1972. The main goals of the body is to preserve the most valuable and unique cultural, historical and natural monuments of mankind,” Russian Permanent Representative to UNESCO Eleonora Mitrofanova told Itar-Tass. “Last year member countries adopted a strategic action plan for implementing the convention before 2022, and this session is the first event held since the adoption of the strategic action plan.”

“We pin great hopes on this forum and expect the discussion of the most topical issues in the preservation of the world cultural and natural heritage,” she said. “Russia is a world leader by the number of world heritage sites. There are 24 Russian cultural and natural monuments on the UNESCO World Heritage List now. Almost three dozens of Russian sites on the waiting list.”

“The St. Petersburg meeting is bound to spur on the implementation of the UNESCO Convention for the benefit of humanity, and Russia, the host to the meeting, will do its best for making it successful,” Mitrofanova said.

The World Heritage Center comprises 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.

Algeria, Cambodia, Colombia, Estonia, Ethiopia, France, Germany, India, Iraq, Japon, Malaysia, Mali, Mexico, Qatar, Russian Federation, Senegal, Serbia, South Africa, Switzerland, Thailand and United Arab Emirates are the member states.

The 36th session in St. Petersburg is organized by UNESCO and the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

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