Heritage Protection

The 44th Session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee is currently underway in Fuzhou, Fujian Province. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, this is the first time for UNESCO to review World Heritage applications online. A series of operational norms for online review were established and adopted at this session and will become an important reference for the combination of online and offline platforms in the World Heritage field.

This year’s event has been postponed and extended to cover the agendas of both 2020 and 2021, with 45 nominations under consideration to be added to the 258 sites already inscribed on the World Heritage List. The session also passed the Fuzhou Declaration that reiterates the significance of World Heritage protection and international cooperation.

Since ratifying the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage in 1985, China has contributed 55 sites to the UNESCO World Heritage List, tying for first place with Italy. These World Heritage sites demonstrate China’s history, culture and progress in social development, and promote communication and mutual trust between China and the rest of the world.

In the protection and inheritance of World Heritage, China is devoted to improving its management and reforming laws and regulations. The Central Government has appropriated special funds for the protection of cultural artifacts, initiated a number of major protection projects and attached importance to the application and innovation of technologies. Through multi-disciplinary and cross-field cooperation, China’s capability of cultural heritage protection has been significantly enhanced.

China should properly address the relationship between urban development and the protection and utilization of historical and cultural heritage, advance protection and development in parallel, and provide time and space for the natural ecology to rehabilitate.

World Heritage is testament to the development of human civilization and the importance of nature. China will work together with UNESCO as well as other countries to jointly safeguard the treasures of all humanity.