No: 155, 9 July 2016

The session of the World Heritage Committee, one of the most important major events of the United Nations Organization for Education, Science and Culture (UNESCO), of which Turkey is one of 20 founding states, will be held in Istanbul from 10 to 20 July 2016.

Within the framework of Committee’s busy agenda which will last for eleven days without break, the reports of state of conservation of 156 sites out of 1031 inscribed on the List across the world will be examined and current conditions of sites on the List of World Heritage in Danger will be discussed. Moreover, the Tentative List, to which 10 new sites from Turkey will be added, will be reviewed.

Turkey’s Ani Archaeological Site is among the 29 new nominations submitted to the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Approximately 2000 participants will attend the session of the Committee, including representatives of Members and States Parties, high level UNESCO administrators and all officials of UNESCO advisory bodies, experts of cultural and natural heritage and academicians.

As one of the founding states of UNESCO, Turkey, conscious of culture, history and civilisation, and Istanbul, having a unique identity with its historical background that spans centuries and its multicultural facet, will be ideal hosts for the 40th session of the World Heritage Committee.