New UNESCO World Heritage Sites Added at New Delhi Meeting

At the 46th Session of the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO, held in New Delhi from 21 to 31 July 2024, 24 new sites were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List. This marks the first time India has hosted the UNESCO World Heritage Committee. The session concluded on 30 July 2024, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi announcing $1 million in aid for conservation projects and capacity-building initiatives in developing countries.

Heritage Site Statistics

• Total UNESCO Heritage Sites :1,223

• • Cultural: 952
  • Natural: 231
  • Mixed: 40

• Leading Countries

  • Italy: 60 sites
  • China: 59 sites

• India’s Count: 43 sites

  • Latest Addition: Moidams of Assam, the Mound-Burial System of the Ahom Dynasty

Updates from the Meeting

• Removed from Danger List: Niokolo-Koba National Park, Senegal
• Added to Danger List: Saint Hilarion Monastery/Tell Umm Amer, Palestine

New Heritage Sites

1. Moidams – the Mound-Burial System of the Ahom Dynasty

   • Country: India
   • Category: Cultural

2. Moravian Church Settlements

   • Countries: Germany, USA, UK
   • Category: Cultural

3. Umm Al-Jimāl Rural Settlement

   • Country: Jordan
   • Category: Cultural

4. Badain Jaran Desert – Towers of Sand and Lakes

   • Country: China
   • Category: Natural

5. Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the Coast of Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf

   • Country: China
   • Category: Natural

6. Vjetrenica Cave, Ravno

   • Country: Bosnia and Herzegovina
   • Category: Natural

7. Te Henua Enata – The Marquesas Islands

   • Country: France
   • Category: Mixed

8. The Flow Country

   • Country: Scotland (UK)
   • Category: Natural

9. Lencois Maranhenses National Park

   • Country: Brazil
   • Category: Natural

10. Melka Kunture and Balchit: Archaeological and Palaeontological Sites

    • Country: Ethiopia
    • Category: Cultural

11. The Emergence of Modern Human Behaviour: Pleistocene Occupation Sites

    • Country: South Africa
    • Category: Cultural

12. Royal Court of Tiebele

    • Country: Burkina Faso
    • Category: Cultural

13. Sado Island Gold Mines

    • Country: Japan
    • Category: Cultural

14. Beijing Central Axis

    • Country: China
    • Category: Cultural

15. Phu Phrabat: Sīma Stone Tradition of the Dvaravati Period

    • Country: Thailand
    • Category: Cultural

16. Cultural Landscape of Kenozero Lake

    • Country: Russia
    • Category: Cultural

17. The Historic Town and Archaeological Site of Gedi

    • Country: Kenya
    • Category: Cultural

18. Human Rights, Liberation and Reconciliation: Nelson Mandela Legacy Sites

    • Country: South Africa
    • Category: Cultural

19. The Archaeological Heritage of Niah National Park’s Caves Complex

    • Country: Malaysia
    • Category: Cultural

20. Schwerin Residence Ensemble

    • Country: Germany
    • Category: Cultural

21. Via Appia- Regina Viarum (Roman Road)

    • Country: Italy
    • Category: Cultural

22. The Cultural Landscape of Al-Faw Archaeological Area

    • Country: Saudi Arabia
    • Category: Cultural

23. Monumental Ensemble of Targu Jiu

    • Country: Romania
    • Category: Cultural

24. Frontiers of the Roman Empire – Dacia

    • Country: Romania
    • Category: Cultural

About UNESCO

Established: 16 November 1945

Members: 194 countries

Aim: To promote peace through education, cultural heritage, and the equal dignity of all cultures

Headquarters: Paris, France

Director-General: Audrey Azoulay (France)