13 May 2018
Bahrain Culture Gives Details of the 42nd World Heritage Committee Meeting
Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities has organized a workshop for media and on 13 May 2018 the upcoming event of the 42nd Session of the World Heritage Committee. The session will take place from June 24 to July 4. Representatives working at Akhbar Al-Khaleej, Al-Watan, GDN, Daily Tribune and Al-Bilad newspapers attended the workshop, as well as BNA media figures, National Call Center, Arab Press Agency and Bahrain Now.
At the beginning of the workshop, Dr. Elie Flouty, Bahrain’s Authority for Culture & Antiquities’ Media Consultant & Advisor, welcomed the participants and highlighted the importance of this international event to be organized by the Kingdom of Bahrain. Dr. Flouty added that after successful election as a member of the World Heritage Committee for the period of 2017-2021, Bahrain succeeded in becoming the host country of the 42nd Session of the World Heritage Committee Meeting, stressing the importance of media coverage and promotion of Bahrain’s efforts to preserve World Heritage. Dr. Flouty also thanked all participants on behalf of H.E Shaikha Mai Bint Mohammad Al-Khalifa, conveying her deepest gratitude.
World Heritage Expert, Mohammad Bouziene, shed light on the importance of World Heritage as a the only way to discover and recognize the outstanding achievements of humanity throughout history. Mr. Bouziene also spoke about the 1972 UNESCO World Heritage Convention and its objectives aimed at the protection of sites registered on World Heritage List, raising awareness about world heritage and how to best safeguard this legacy to future generations. Mr. Bouziene went on to introduce the framework of this convention and how the World Heritage Committee, which is composed of 21 state parties to the Convention, decides on the sites on the list, adding that the Convention is governed by the World Heritage Committee supported by the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, the secretariat for the Convention, and three technical advisory bodies to the Committee: IUCN, ICOMOS, ICCROM. IUCN is the Advisory Body on natural heritage. It monitors listed sites and evaluates sites nominated to the World Heritage List, in accordance with the relevant natural criteria for selection. The Convention is governed by the World Heritage Committee supported by the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, the secretariat for the Convention, and three technical advisory bodies to the Committee: IUCN, ICOMOS, ICCROM.
Speaking about the Outstanding Universal Value, Mr. Bouziene said that it is one of the central ideas underpinning the World Heritage Convention. Broadly, its meaning follows the common sense interpretation of each word:Outstanding: For properties to be of Outstanding Universal Value they should be exceptional, or superlative - they should be the most remarkable places on earth. To be considered of Outstanding Universal Value, in addition to meeting one of the ten criteria, a nominated property must meet conditions of integrity, and for cultural properties, authenticity, he added.
Cultural Heritage Specialists, Michael and Mirai Wosinski, gave a detailed presentation to the participants shedding light on the administrative and organizational details of the 42nd Session of the World Heritage Committee. They argued that the meeting will gather around 2000 from 150 countries .Mrs. Wosinski added that the WHC meeting will coincide with two other important meetings; “World Heritage Young Professionals Forum 2018” to be held from 17-26 June 2018, and “World Heritage Site Managers Forum 2018”, to be from 21-June 28-Jun-2018. Media and journalists were introduced to the tools and ways to register and attend this important event, which requires direct contact with BACA’s World Heritage Committee online link: www.42whcbahrain2018.com
