Bahrain to host heritage panel meet

Manama : The 42nd World Heritage Committee meeting will be held in Bahrain this June, it was announced yesterday.

The meeting, to be the largest gathering on heritage, will be held from June 24 to July 4. The opening ceremony will take place on June 24 at the Bahrain National Theatre.

The World Heritage Committee is composed of representatives from 21 States Parties to the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage elected by the General Assembly of States Parties to the Convention. The current composition of the Committee is as follows: Angola, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Burkina Faso, China, Cuba, Guatemala, Hungary, Indonesia, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Norway, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Spain, Tunisia, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania and Zimbabwe.

The World Heritage Committee session will gather thousands of people among whom will be ministers, ambassadors and heritage experts from all around the world. Several side events will take place throughout the meeting.

Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities is the main organizer of the session with the support of Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other governmental agencies. At a press conference held yesterday at Bahrain National Museum, the World Heritage Committee chairwoman Shaikha Haya bint Rashid Al Khalifa said preparations are going as planned and that the rules and regulations of Unesco will be adhered to while hosting the session. Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities president Shaikha Mai bint Mohammed Al Khalifa said that the event is a great opportunity to present the unique heritage of the Kingdom and that Bahrain hosting such an event is something to be proud of.