Lithuania to apply for UNESCO World Heritage Committee membership

VILNIUS – Lithuania will seek to become a member of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, the Culture Ministry reported on Wednesday.

Lithuania plans to apply for membership in 2027.

The country announced its intentions during the 47th session of the World Heritage Committee currently taking place in Paris.

During the session, the Lithuanian delegation also presented a new version of the Law on the Protection of Immovable Cultural Heritage, which establishes regulations for the protection and management of UNESCO World Heritage sites.

“By drafting a new version of the heritage protection law and approving management plans for the sites included in the World Heritage List, such as Kernave Archaeological Site and Vilnius Historic Center, we have established clear and modern mechanisms for the protection of UNESCO sites at the national level,” Sigita Bugeniene, member of the Lithuanian delegation and head of the Cultural Heritage Policy Group at the Culture Ministry, said.

“It is this consistent work and accumulated experience, as well as participation in international expert working groups, that provide us with a basis for seeking membership in the World Heritage Committee in 2027,” she added.

In Paris, Lithuanian representatives also emphasized their continued support for Ukraine and signed a statement by 43 countries that Russia's ongoing attacks on Ukrainian World Heritage sites are an attack on the cultural heritage of all humanity and demonstrate systematic efforts to destroy Ukraine's identity.

The statement expresses deep concern about the Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine, where illegal so-called restoration work is being carried out and historical monuments are being destroyed.