Today, the 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee has officially begun—the world’s leading international forum where decisions are made on the protection of the most valuable natural and cultural heritage sites.
On the eve of this important event, we appealed to the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine and the National Commission of Ukraine for UNESCO to initiate the process of including the Velykyi Luh of the Lower Dnipro on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List as a mixed cultural and natural property.
In just a short time, the appeal has already been endorsed by more than 100 civil society organizations and scientific institutions, as well as over 300 scientists, conservationists, cultural figures, and civic activists. This demonstrates the exceptionally broad public and professional support behind the initiative.
What is particularly significant is that support extends far beyond the conservation community. Historians, archaeologists, cultural institutions, research organizations, national nature parks, and other public institutions have all joined the initiative. Together, they are shaping a shared vision of the Velykyi Luh as an integrated cultural and natural landscape of outstanding global value.
With the involvement of dozens of experts, a comprehensive concept for the future UNESCO World Heritage nomination of the Velykyi Luh has already been prepared. This document provides a solid scientific foundation developed in accordance with UNESCO standards and can serve as the basis for preparing the official nomination to the Tentative List. Never before in Ukraine has such a broad professional community come together to initiate the inscription of a new site on the UNESCO World Heritage List. This is, without exaggeration, a historic step.
We understand that this is only the beginning of a much larger effort. Following the conclusion of the 48th session of the World Heritage Committee, we will begin preparing the nomination dossier required for the inclusion of the Velykyi Luh on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List. This work will be carried out in cooperation with the UNESCO Liaison Unit of the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine. We also invite all signatories of the joint appeal to contribute their expertise and take part in this important process.
At the same time, there are already reasons for optimism. Recently, under the auspices of UNESCO, Ukrainian and Swedish partners signed a memorandum of cooperation on the research and conservation of the Velykyi Luh’s heritage and established the International Centre for Research and Conservation of the Velykyi Luh. This is an important signal that international cooperation around the Velykyi Luh is already underway. We are confident that preparing its nomination for UNESCO World Heritage status will be the natural next step in this growing international partnership.
