47th session of UNESCO World Heritage Committee wraps up

The 47th session of the World Heritage Committee came to a close in Paris, France, with the inscription of 26 new cultural and natural properties on UNESCO's World Heritage List.

Two Azerbaijani sites - the “Ancient City of Gabala” and the “Historical, Cultural and Natural Complex of Gamigaya and Goygol” - were officially added to UNESCO’s Tentative World Heritage List.

Once again this year, the spotlight was on African heritage, with the inclusion of 4 new sites from the continent and the removal of three others from the List of World Heritage in Danger.

The Committee inscribed 26 new properties on UNESCO's World Heritage List and approved the extension of two existing sites on the List, enabling the creation of transboundary natural parks. These heritage properties now benefit from the highest level of protection in the world. These inscriptions bring the total number of sites on UNESCO's World Heritage List to 1248, in 170 countries.

This year's session of the Committee was marked by the inscription of sites whose nomination was directly supported by local communities, with the support of national authorities. This is the case, for example, of the four new African sites inscribed this year and the Murujuga Aboriginal lands in Australia.

In addition to international recognition, these inscriptions recognize the central role played by local communities in safeguarding and promoting these sites, while protecting the living and spiritual heritage intrinsically linked to them.

From the training of local experts to support for the preparation of candidatures, via the funding of safeguarding projects, more than $34 million has been mobilized by UNESCO since 2020 in favor of African heritage.

This year, two African states presented their first nominations - Guinea Bissau and Sierra Leone, reinforcing the universality of the List. By 2027, 7 other African countries not yet on the List are expected to present their first nomination.

The UNESCO World Heritage Committee will host its 48th session in Busan, Republic of Korea, in summer of 2026.