India to contribute USD 1 million to UNESCO World Heritage Centre PM Modi

PTI, Jul 22, 2024, 8:14 AM IST

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday announced that India will contribute USD 1 million to the UNESCO World Heritage Centre which will be used for capacity building, technical assistance and conservation of world heritage sites.

He said this during his address at the opening ceremony of the 46th session of the World Heritage Committee (WHC) here.

Modi also said India considers preservation of global heritage as its “responsibility”.

That is why, India is cooperating for heritage conservation in the countries of the Global South along with Indian heritage, he said and mentioned heritage sites like Angkor Wat in Cambodia, Cham Temples in Vietnam, and Stupa in Bagan, Myanmar where such cooperation has been extended.

The prime minister announced that India will contribute USD 1 million to the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, saying this grant will be used for capacity building, technical assistance and conservation of World Heritage Sites.

He also underlined that this money will be useful for the countries of the Global South.

The prime minister also said a certificate programme in World Heritage Management is also being started for young professionals in India, as he expressed confidence that India’s cultural and creative industry will become a “big factor in global growth”.

Emphasising India’s effort to be a partner in global welfare, he mentioned the global embrace of yoga and ayurveda, and described them as “the scientific heritage of India”.

Modi also recalled the theme of the G-20 Summit hosted by India – ‘One World, One Family, One Future’. He said India’s vision of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ stemmed from the fact that then country treats the Earth as a mother and humans as its children, as he emphasised on initiatives like the International Solar Alliance and Mission LiFE.

India is hosting the key event of the UNESCO for the first time from July 21 to July 31.

Modi was joined on the dais by UNESCO Director General Audrey Azoulay, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, among others.