40th session of UNESCO World Heritage Committee was held in Istanbul

On July 10-17, 2016, 40th session of UNESCO World Heritage Committee was held in Istanbul, Turkey. For the first time, Azerbaijan was represented in the event as Committee member by a large delegation. Representatives of the National Commission of the Republic of Azerbaijan for UNESCO, Permanent Delegation of Azerbaijan to UNESCO, Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Administration of State Historical-Architectural Reserve “Icharishahar” attended the session. 

Prime Minister of the Republic of Turkey Mr Binali Yildirim addressed the participants by video. Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Turkey Mr Numan Kurtulush, Director-General of UNESCO Ms Irina Bokova, Minister of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Turkey Mr Nabi Avci also spoke at the event.

During the session, 12 cultural, 6 natural and 3 mixed properties were inscribed on World Heritage List. Among those nominations are “Archaeological site of Ani” of Turkey, “Lut Desert” and “The Persian Qanat” of Iran, “Western Tien-Shen”, transnational site of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, “The Ahwar of Southern Iraq: Refuge of Biodiversity and the Relict Landscape of the Mesopotamian Cities” of Iraq.

Eight properties inscribed on World Heritage List were added to the List of World Heritage in Danger. “Historical Monuments of Mtskheta”, Georgian nomination inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger in 2009, was removed from the List as a result of the successful work done in order to prevent interventions in the landscape.