Lithuania promotes cultural heritage reforms, aims for bigger UNESCO role by 2027

BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 10. Lithuania is taking
an active role at the 47th session of the UNESCO World Heritage
Committee, held from July 6 through 16 at UNESCO headquarters in
Paris. The session brings together international delegations to
evaluate heritage conservation efforts, review new nominations to
the World Heritage List, and address key political and financial
issues related to the World Heritage program, Trend reports.

Lithuania’s national delegation used its address to reaffirm its
strong commitment to the principles of the World Heritage
Convention and to highlight recent legislative advances that
reinforce the protection of cultural heritage sites at the national
level. Notably, the country’s newly revised Law on the Protection
of Immovable Cultural Heritage introduces clearer regulation and
governance measures for UNESCO-listed sites in Lithuania.

“This session is more than just an opportunity to engage in
expert dialogue on global heritage protection. It’s also a chance
for us to present Lithuania’s concrete actions and future goals.
The updated legislation and approved management plans for our World
Heritage properties — Kernavė Archaeological Site and the Historic
Center of Vilnius — provide a strong foundation. Together with our
active international cooperation, this lays the groundwork for
Lithuania’s candidacy for the World Heritage Committee in 2027,”
said Sigita Bugenienė, Lithuania’s national coordinator for World
Heritage and head of Cultural Heritage Policy at the Ministry of
Culture.

Lithuania also emphasized continued support for heritage
protection in Ukraine, expressing solidarity through its national
statement and as a co-signatory of a joint declaration by a group
of UNESCO member states.

Throughout the session, Lithuania’s delegation held meetings
with representatives from the UNESCO World Heritage Centre and
ICOMOS (International Council on Monuments and Sites) to review
national progress in implementing the Convention and to discuss the
country’s readiness to contribute more broadly on the global
stage.

The Lithuanian delegation in Paris includes Dr. Agnė
Jasinavičiūtė-Trakimienė, Chair of the Lithuanian National
Commission for UNESCO and Director of the State Service for
Protected Areas; Renata Vaičekonytė-Kepežinskienė, Head of Heritage
Programs at the National Commission’s Secretariat; and Aistė Marija
Macaitė, Third Secretary at Lithuania’s Permanent Delegation to
UNESCO.