Ukraine Has Entered the UNESCO World Heritage Committee For The First Time
At the 24th session of the General Assembly of member countries of the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, Ukraine was elected to the UNESCO Heritage Committee for the first time.
This was reported by the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine.
"This is a historic event for Ukraine and an important step in the development and protection of Ukraine's cultural and natural heritage. We thank the member countries of the Convention for expressing solidarity in supporting Ukraine. Now, it is more important than ever to unite to protect our cultural heritage," said the Acting Minister, Rostyslav Karandeyev.
It is reported that Ukraine submitted its membership application for the period 2023-2027 in July 2022.
Membership in the Committee opens up new opportunities for Ukraine to actively participate in the implementation of the Convention. In particular, Ukraine will determine the directions for using the World Heritage Fund and will also influence decisions on including objects in the "World Heritage List" and the "List of World Heritage in Danger."
The "List of World Heritage in Danger" includes objects threatened with direct ruin, particularly due to armed conflicts. The list records the potential cost of restoring the object.
The Convention also imposes certain obligations on the state that has cultural and natural heritage on its territory, including the requirement not to harm the heritage located on the territory of other state parties.
Ukraine ratified the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage back in 1988.
Since the full-scale invasion of Russia into Ukraine in February 2022, the Russian army has deliberately destroyed Ukrainian cultural heritage, including objects listed in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Recently, Russia carried out another terrorist act, targeting the port city of Odesa, Ukraine. As a result of the missile strike, the 124-year-old National Art Museum, a UNESCO World Heritage site, was damaged.
Earlier, in summer 2023, as a result of Russian missile strikes in Odesa, 25 more architectural monuments and residential buildings were destroyed.