UNESCO welcomes tabling of Bill on heritage conservation

The UNESCO has welcomed the Indian government's move of tabling the National Commission for Heritage Sites Bill 2009 in the Rajya Sabha seeking creation of a national commission for preservation of heritage sites.

The Bill, tabled in the last Parliament session, apart from seeking creation of the commission, aims at developing a holistic view for protection and preservation of heritage sites in accordance with the UNESCO World Heritage Covention.

Appreciating introduction of the Bill, Director and UNESCO Representative to Bhutan, Maldives, India and Sri Lanka, Minja Yang told PTI that hitherto only cultural properties were protected under the previous Act which was drafted in 1958.

In my 15 years of association with India, my one-point agenda, both professionally and personally, has been to work with my Indian colleagues to protect and conserve the diversity of this great nation, Yang said.

Yang, who was here to release a book on Champaner - Pavagadh, to be included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, said, it was perhaps the most authentic medieval cities in India as all the information about the original city was available below the ground.

The untouched nature of this information is significant to understanding the medieval 'sultanate' capitals of regional India as predecessors of the later Mughal style of architecture, she said.