NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the 46th Session of the World Heritage Committee on 21st July 2024 at 7 PM at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. Prime Minister will also address the gathering on the occasion. DG UNESCO, Ms Audrey Azoulay will also attend the inaugural event.

India is hosting the World Heritage Committee Meeting for the first time. It will take place from 21 to 31 July, 2024, at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. The World Heritage Committee meets once a year and is responsible for managing all matters pertaining to World Heritage and deciding on sites to be inscribed on the World Heritage list. During this meeting, proposals for nominating new sites on the World Heritage list, State of Conservation reports of 124 existing World Heritage properties, International Assistance and Utilisation of World Heritage Funds, etc., will be discussed. Meeting will be attended by more than 2000 international and national delegates from more than 150 countries.

Along with the World Heritage Committee Meeting, World Heritage Young Professionals’ Forum and World Heritage Site Managers’ Forum are also being held in the sidelines.

Further, various exhibitions will also be set up at Bharat Mandapam to showcase India’s culture. The Return of Treasures Exhibition will showcase some of the retrieved artefacts brought back to the country. Till date, more than 350 artefacts have been brought back. Further, by using the latest AR & VR technologies, an immersive experience will be offered for 3 world heritage sites of India: Rani ki Vav, Patan, Gujarat; Kailasa Temple, Ellora Caves, Maharashtra; and Hoysala Temple, Halebid, Karnataka. Also, an ‘Incredible India’ exhibition will be set up to highlight India’s rich cultural heritage, age-old civilization, geographical diversity, tourism destinations along with modern developments in the field of Information Technology and infrastructure.

Source: PIB