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39th session of World Heritage Committee opens in Bonn

Xinhua, June 29, 2015 Adjust font size:

The 39th session of the World Heritage Committee opened here on Sunday evening, aiming to examine proposals to inscribe 38 properties on UNESCO's World Heritage List and the state of conservation of listed sites.

"The destruction of heritage is a key part of humanitarian and security crises. Protecting heritage and human lives cannot be delinked," said Irina Bokova, director-general of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Hao Ping, president of the General Conference of UNESCO, called during his speech at the opening ceremony for strong attention and concrete efforts to be paid to world heritage in conflict areas, and he condemned the recent terrorist attacks in Tunisia, France and Kuwait.

"We must continue to stand together to protect our heritage," he said.

Nominations for inscription on the World Heritage List this year are five natural sites, 32 cultural sites and one mixed site.

"Tusi" chieftain system from China, represented by the ruins of Hailongtun castle in Zunyi of Guizhou Province, the Tangya Tusi city in Xianfeng County in Hubei Province and the Yongshun old Tusi city in Hunan Province, is among the nominations.

The committee will also examine the state of conservation of 95 sites already on the list, as well as that of the 46 properties inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger.

According to UNESCO, all over the world there are 1,007 World Heritage properties so far -- 779 cultural sites, 197 natural sites and 31 mixed sites. Endi