UNESCO elects Azerbaijan to influential World Heritage Committee

Azerbaijan has been elected to the UNESCO World Heritage Committee for the 2025–2029 term, following a vote held in Paris during the 25th session of the General Assembly of States Parties to the 1972 Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage.

The election took place amid strong competition. For the single seat allocated to the Eastern European region, Azerbaijan contended with five other states. The country secured its position in the Committee by receiving 92 out of 160 votes in the first round, Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs told Caliber.Az.

The Ministry noted that the World Heritage Committee, composed of 21 member states, serves as the primary executive body responsible for monitoring the implementation of the UNESCO World Heritage Convention. Its core mandate includes overseeing the inscription of sites on the UNESCO World Heritage List, ensuring the recognition, preservation, and transmission of cultural and natural heritage of outstanding universal value, and determining the allocation of resources from the World Heritage Fund. The Committee also provides financial support to States Parties for initiatives ranging from conservation and management planning to emergency assistance and capacity building.

Azerbaijan previously served on the Committee from 2015 to 2019, during which it made a substantial contribution to the Committee’s work. In July 2019, the country hosted the 43rd session of the Committee.

According to the MFA, Azerbaijan’s election to the UNESCO World Heritage Committee once again underscores the country’s growing stature and recognition at both the regional and international levels.

By Vafa Guliyeva