Azerbaijan Reaffirms its Commitment to the Protection of Cultural Heritage at the UNESCO World Heritage Committee Session

Azerbaijan has once again reaffirmed its strong commitment to the protection of cultural and natural heritage at the 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, held in Busan, Republic of Korea.

According to AZERTAC, Azerbaijan is represented at the 48th session by a delegation comprising representatives of the Permanent Delegation of Azerbaijan to UNESCO, the National Commission of the Republic of Azerbaijan for UNESCO, the Ministry of Culture, and the State Tourism Agency.

During the general debate of the session, Ambassador Elman Abdullayev, Permanent Representative of Azerbaijan to UNESCO, delivered the country’s national statement.

In his statement, Ambassador Abdullayev outlined the measures undertaken by Azerbaijan to safeguard and preserve its cultural heritage.

He noted that the recently adopted “Azerbaijan Culture – 2040” Concept establishes a long-term strategic framework for improving the cultural heritage management system, documenting heritage sites, strengthening their legal protection, and restoring historical monuments.

The statement also highlighted that, despite the ongoing threat of landmines in affected areas, Azerbaijan continues its efforts to inventory and document cultural heritage sites.

Ambassador Abdullayev further emphasized that one of the outcomes of Azerbaijan’s ongoing efforts to preserve cultural heritage was the inclusion, in 2025, of the village of Khinalig in the “Best Tourism Villages” list of UN Tourism. Khinalig forms part of the World Heritage property “Cultural Landscape of Khinalig People and Köç Yolu Transhumance Route.” This recognition demonstrates the close relationship between cultural heritage preservation, the development of local communities, and sustainable tourism.

The statement also noted that 2026 has been declared the “Year of Urban Planning and Architecture” in Azerbaijan. In this context, it highlighted that the SECURE (Sustainable and Empowering Cultural Revitalization) initiative, presented at the 13th World Urban Forum in Baku, could significantly contribute to cultural heritage preservation, sustainable development, and restoration efforts.

A special event dedicated to the SECURE initiative is scheduled to take place on July 23 as part of the 48th session of the World Heritage Committee.

Ambassador Abdullayev also reaffirmed Azerbaijan’s commitment to strengthening cooperation with African states. He stated that Azerbaijan would support the implementation of the World Heritage Strategy for Africa and the World Heritage Strategy for Small Island Developing States (SIDS).

The statement further presented the “Azerbaijan–SIDS World Heritage Capacity-Building Program,” developed by Azerbaijan. The program aims to strengthen the institutional capacities of World Heritage systems in small island developing states, support the training and development of experts, and assist future World Heritage nomination processes.

Concluding his remarks, Ambassador Elman Abdullayev reaffirmed Azerbaijan’s readiness, as a member of the World Heritage Committee, to work closely with all partner states, the UNESCO World Heritage Center, and the Committee’s advisory bodies.

He underscored Azerbaijan’s intention to contribute to implementing the objectives of the World Heritage Convention and to developing a more balanced, inclusive, and effective World Heritage system.