World Heritage Committee decides against putting Lumbini, Buddha’s birthplace, on endangered list
New Delhi, July 25
The World Heritage Committee (WHC) at its ongoing session here on Thursday decided not to include Lumbini—the birthplace of Lord Buddha—in Nepal on the list of heritage sites in danger, according to a senior official of the UNESCO.
Lumbini was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1997.
The decision comes a day after the WHC in its meeting had examined Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland), and decided not to put this world heritage property on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
Both Stonehenge and Lumbini earlier were recommended for inclusion on this list, the official said.
The 46th session of the WHC is being hosted in India for the first time from July 21-31.
While the Stonehenge site was examined on Wednesday, the site of Lumbini was examined in a meeting on Thursday.
The site of Lumbini in Nepal has “not been inscribed” on the List of World Heritage in Danger, the official said.
On the sidelines of the session, a top UNESCO official on Monday said there have been some “issues” that could affect the values of these iconic landmarks.
India is hosting the key event of UNESCO at the Bharat Mandapam.
At a press interaction on the sidelines of the event, Lazare Eloundou Assomo, Director of UNESCO World Heritage, had said the Committee is going to examine two particular sites, one of them is Lumbini and the other is Stonehenge in the UK.
The two sites are on the World Heritage List.
Asked why the WHC intends to examine these two sites, he had said, “When it comes to Lumbini… and Lumbini is a very important site for the Committee, and for the entire world, it is a very sacred site, it’s very important, there are a number of issues, some related to development pressure that has seen over the past (time)”.
He emphasised that it is really important to “come together and work with the government of Nepal to reverse and address the situation”.
Because, the government of Nepal shouldn’t be left alone, and there is a need to “work together”, he added.
“The same thing for Stonehenge, it’s a situation that has been ongoing, there is also a development situation, the authorities would like to implement a project that could affect the values of Stonehenge. So, the idea is to find the best solution, discuss among committee members on these two sites,” Assomo said on Monday.
Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1986. Stonehenge and Avebury, in Wiltshire, are among the most famous groups of megaliths in the world.
According to the UNESCO website, there are 55 properties that the WHC has decided to include on the List of World Heritage in Danger in accordance with Article 11 (4) of the World Heritage Convention.
These sites include Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley in Afghanistan, the Historic Centre of Vienna in Austria, the Archaeological Site of Cyrene in Libya and three in Ukraine—Saint-Sophia Cathedral and Related Monastic Buildings, Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra in Kyiv; The Ensemble of the Historic Centre in L’viv; and The Historic Centre of Odesa.
The Niokolo-Koba National Park in Senegal was on Wednesday removed from the List of World Heritage in Danger, following “positive steps taken by the State Party” that has contributed to improving the natural site’s state of conservation, the UNESCO said.
As of date, 1,199 properties are inscribed by 168 State Parties on the World Heritage List. All matters related to World Heritage Conventions are taken during the session of the World Heritage Committee.
The WHC comprises representatives from 21 State Parties to the World Heritage Convention, elected by the General Assembly of UNESCO. Current members of the WHC include India, Argentina, Belgium, Italy, Ukraine and Vietnam.
