Nepal to lobby to keep Kathmandu on heritage site list

Kathmandu, June 26

Nepal is set to lobby for maintaining the world heritage site status of Kathmandu valley, after the UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee proposed to list the valley as ‘World Heritage in Danger’. Nepali authorities will make a presentation at the WHC’s 43rd session to be held in Baku, Azerbaijan, from June 30 to July 10.

The WHC had listed Kathmandu valley as ‘property proposed for inscription on the List of World Heritage in Danger’. Authorities said once a site got formally listed as ‘World Heritage in Danger’, it would be difficult to regain its previous status, and chances of getting it removed from UNESCO’s World Heritage Site would increase.

The authorities at the Department of Archaeology said they had prepared a comprehensive report to lobby for removing Kathmandu valley from proposed ‘World Heritage in Danger.’

This is not the first time that WHC has proposed to list Kathmandu valley as ‘World Heritage in Danger.’ Quoting the UNESCO officials at DOA said Kathmandu valley had been in the proposed list after the 2015 earthquake for the reason that ‘Nepal may not rebuild the heritage destroyed by the earthquake.’

Damodar Gautam, director general at DOA said, “We are confident that the committee will vote in our favour after hearing our success story of rebuilding the heritage sites, into their original forms by complying with the standard archaeological principals.” Representatives of 21 WHC member countries will participate in the conference. The decision made by majority will be final regarding enlisting sites as ‘World Heritage in Danger.’

A team comprising Mohan Krishna Sapkota, Secretary of Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation and Gautam will participate the WHC’s forty-third session in Baku.