Qatar was elected as a member of the World Heritage Committee for four years, after securing 114 votes during the meeting of the General Assembly of the States Parties to the 1972 World Heritage Convention, held during the 41st session of the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Qatar received the highest number of votes among the candidate countries for the open seats, with 114 votes, followed by Belgium with 103 votes, then Zambia with 100 votes, and Rwanda with 90 votes.
In a statement to Qatar News Agency (QNA) on this occasion, Permanent Representative of Qatar to UNESCO Dr. Nasser bin Hamad Al Hanzab affirmed Qatar’s pride in joining the World Heritage Committee, underlining that this choice confirms the tireless efforts of Qatar to promote progress in world heritage standards and awareness at the national and international levels. He added that it is evidence of Qatar’s position in preserving and protecting cultural heritage and the international reputation of the State of Qatar in UNESCO.
He said that Qatar, through its membership and in cooperation with the member states, will enhance the committee’s role in protecting world cultural heritage and work together to ensure the correct implementation of the World Heritage Convention and the allocation of resources and effective protection mechanisms.
The World Heritage Committee is one of the most important UNESCO committees, which was established based on the 1972 World Heritage Convention, and meets annually. It consists of representatives of 21 member states of the World Heritage Committee, appointed by the General Assembly for a four-year term.