Xinhua News Agency, Fuzhou, July 18 (Reported by Chu Mengmeng and Zhao Xuetong) The extended 44th session of the World Heritage Committee adopted the Fuzhou Declaration to reiterate the importance of World Heritage protection and international cooperation, and the necessity for working together to tackle climate change. The reporters learned of the news at the press conference of the extended 44th session of the World Heritage Committee presented by UNESCO online on July 18, 2021.

According to Mr. Tian Xuejun, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Education of China, Director of China's National Commission for UNESCO and Chairperson of the extended 44th session of the World Heritage Committee, the Fuzhou Declaration indicates that the World Heritage, as the cultural and natural treasures of humanity, has made positive contributions to the exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations, the peace and sustainable development of the world. He emphasized that it is the common responsibility of mankind to properly respond to various traditional and non-traditional challenges and protect World Heritage.

The Fuzhou Declaration calls for closer international cooperation within the framework of multilateralism, scaling up support to developing countries, giving emphasis to Africa and Small Island Developing States (SIDS) to strengthen World Heritage education, knowledge-sharing and the use of new technologies.

In 1972, UNESCO adopted the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. Mr. Tian Xuejun pointed out that the Fuzhou Declaration is dedicated to taking the 50th anniversary of the convention as an opportunity to review history and look forward to the future in the hope of leaving future generations with an open, inclusive, adaptive, sustainable, resilient, clean and beautiful world.

The Fuzhou Declaration has been widely recognized and highly praised by various member states. It is generally believed that the declaration is very balanced and inclusive, which has become a landmark document for fully reflecting the concerns of the majority of states parties.

The Fuzhou Declaration also thanked the Government of the People’s Republic of China for its contribution to the extended 44th session of the World Heritage Committee. Mr. Tian Xuejun indicated that in the next step, China will actively implement the initiatives put forward in the declaration.

The extended 44th session of the World Heritage Committee kicked off on July 16 in Fuzhou, Fujian Province. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this session will review and discuss the World Heritage topics online for the first time, including the supervision and guidance on the protection of World Heritage already inscribed to the World Heritage List, and the evaluation of the world heritage projects for both 2020 and 2021. This session is scheduled to close on July 31, 2021.