St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) was elected to serve on the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO at the 42nd session of that Organisation’s General Conference on November 25.
A release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that SVG garnered the support of 103 UNESCO Member states.
SVG was one of three elected states, from six countries in Latin America and the Caribbean to secure one of the 12 available seats on the WHC during the UNESCO General Conference. The other elected countries were Argentina, Mexico, Belgium, Bulgaria, Greece, India, Italy, Japan, Qatar, Rwanda and Zambia.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) is a specialised United Nations (UN) agency charged with developing and implementing programmes in education, sciences and culture. Through its cultural conventions and programmes, the organisation plays a unique role in promoting human creativity, safeguarding culture and heritage world-wide.
The World Heritage Committee is responsible for the implementation of the World Heritage Convention, defines the use of the World Heritage Fund, and allocates financial assistance upon requests from States Parties. It has the final say on whether a property is inscribed on the World Heritage List. It examines reports on the state of conservation of inscribed properties and asks States Parties to take action when properties are not being properly managed. It also decides on the inscription or deletion of properties on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
As a Small Island Developing State, St Vincent and the Grenadines is committed to promoting the implementation of the World Heritage Convention by bringing its expertise and unique experience to the work of the Committee, and ensure balance and credible representation to deliberations involving the World Heritage List, the release states.
SVG will be represented on the Committee by cultural and natural national experts Dierdre Myers and Abeana White.
