UNESCO World Heritage Young Professionals Forum 2024

Overview of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee Meeting

• India hosts the UNESCO World Heritage Cmmittee meeting for the first time
• Scheduled fromJuly 21-31, 2024, in New Delhi
• 46th session of the World Heritage Committee
• Part of the UNESCO World Heritage Education Programme
• Ministry of Culture organizing the 2024 World Heritage Young Professionals Forum

Theme:

• "World Heritage in the 21st Century: Building Capacities and Exploring Opportunities for Youth"

World Heritage Young Professionals Forum Details

• Dates: July 14-23, 2024
• Venue: Pt. Deendayal Upadhyaya Institute of Archaeology, New Delhi
• Organizer: Archaeological Survey of India (under Ministry of Culture)
• Participants: 50 young professionals (20 from India, 30 from other countries)
• Inauguration: July 15, 2024, by Govind Mohan, Secretary, Ministry of Culture

Other key attendees:

• • Yadubir Singh Rawat, Director General, ASI
  • Vishal Sharma, Ambassador to UNESCO
  • Alok Tripathi, ADG (Archaeology), ASI
  • Janhwij Sharma, ADG, ASI
  • Ines Yousfi, Project Officer from UNESCO

Forum Objectives and Activities

• Enhance expertise, skills, and capacities of young professionals in heritage protection
• Discuss global concepts of World Heritage and Sustainable Development
• Familiarize participants with Indian heritage and its management

Activities include:

• • Presentations
  • Roundtable discussions
  • Site visits to World Heritage properties:
    • Qutb Minar complex, Red Fort, and Humayun's Tomb in Delhi
    • Taj Mahal in Agra
• Concluding event: Presentation of 'Declaration' to the 46th session of the World Heritage Committee on July 22, 2024, at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi

Key Focus Areas and Sub-themes

• Climate change and its impact on World Heritage sites
• Sustainable development in heritage management
• Integration of scientific and human-centric approaches
• Use of latest technological innovations in heritage preservation
• Managerial practices and participative approaches with community involvement

Sub-themes include:

• • Understanding achievements and challenges of the World Heritage Convention
  • Integrating innovative technologies for World Heritage promotion
  • Leveraging World Heritage conservation as a participative approach with communities
  • Strengthening sustainable tourism and development through young entrepreneurship

About UNESCO

• UNESCO (United Nations Education Scientific and Cultural Organisation)
• On November 16, 1945, UNESCO was established in London.
• Headquarter: Paris, France
• UNESCO is an official United Nations agency.
• Its goals include bringing cultural heritage and the equal dignity of all cultures to the forefront of education and establishing global peace.
• Currently, there are 42 UNECO World Heritage Sites in India.