From July 6 to 16, the UNESCO headquarters in Paris is hosting the 47th session of the World Heritage Committee.

Among the topics discussed is the report on the preservation status of the «Historic Center of Odessa», which was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2023 and is currently at risk.

Present at the session are Odessa's mayor, Gennady Trukhanov, and the director of the Department of International Cooperation, Culture, and Marketing, Ivan Liptuga.

During the ongoing war, the Historic Center of Odessa has faced approximately ten missile and drone attacks, resulting in damage to over 170 cultural heritage sites.

«The aggressor is deliberately destroying Ukrainian history and ruining everything that reflects our national identity. The actions of the Russian Federation discredit UNESCO as a significant international organization, undermining its efforts to preserve and respect global cultural heritage,» commented Gennady Trukhanov.

Addressing the World Heritage Committee from Odessa

The session will also consider a proposal to change the boundaries of the buffer zone for the UNESCO World Heritage site «Historic Center of Odessa».

The area of the heritage site remains unchanged at 618.54 hectares, while the buffer zone will be expanded to 864.03 hectares according to the proposed changes.