Participation in the 46th Session of the World Heritage Committee
The 46th session of the World Heritage Committee was held in New Delhi, India from July 21 to 31, 2024, in which we four members of the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN) participated as observers, three from the Japan Center for International Cooperation in Conservation and one from the Department of Art Research, Archives and Information Systems.
The Committee brings together representatives of the State Parties to the World Heritage Convention and advisory bodies to deliberate on new nominations, state of conservation etc., of World Heritage sites. Twenty-four new sites were added to the World Heritage List this time, bringing the total number to 1,223. Regarding the “Sado Island Gold Mines,” widely reported in Japan, ICOMOS had recommended reconsideration of the contents and boundaries of the property and requested additional information from the State Party to facilitate the boundary revision. Subsequently, the handling of correspondence by the Japanese government led this site to an inscription on the List, decided unanimously by the Committee. In the deliberations on the state of conservation, inscription on the List of World Heritage in Danger was avoided the for all four properties previously recommended, including Stonehenge in the UK, due to a planning of highway construction at its boundary. On the other hand, the St. Hilarion Monastery in Palestine, currently at risk of destruction from war, was newly nominated and simultaneously inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
At side events held during the session, the latest trends related to World Heritage Sites were introduced by various State Parties and organizations. Outside of the plenary session, a series of forums was organized for site managers and young professionals, who held lively discussions on pressing issues such as sustainable heritage management.
Participating in a World Heritage Committee session on-site is a very rare opportunity to learn about the latest international trends, hardly obtainable online. TOBUNKEN will continue to disseminate information, including the content of this event, through such measures as hosting a World Heritage Seminar this November.