From 8 to 10 June 2026, Prof. Shao Yong, Secretary-General of the World Heritage Institute of Training and Research for the Asia and the Pacific Region (WHITR-AP) conducted a working visit to the UNESCO World Heritage Centre. During the visit, she held discussions with Mr. Lazare Eloundou Assomo, Director of the World Heritage Centre; Ms. Jyoti Hosagrahar, Deputy Director; and Ms. Himalchuli Gurung, Head of the Asia and the Pacific Unit. 

Exchanges focused on key areas of ongoing and future cooperation, including the evaluation and renewal process of WHITR-AP as a UNESCO Category 2 Centre, the development of the forthcoming five-year cooperation programme on “Heritage Protection and Sustainable Development”, preparations for side events at the 48th World Heritage Committee session, training activities related to the Third Cycle of Periodic Reporting and Action Plans, priority cooperation with Africa and Small Island Developing States (SIDS), as well as the activities of the Suzhou Sub-Centre.

WHITR-AP Secretariat and WHITR-AP Suzhou paid a visit to the UNESCO World Heritage Centre.

 

Prof. Shao Yong held discussions with the Head of the Africa Unit at the UNESCO World Heritage Centre.

 

 

Prof. Shao also participated in the briefing session for the 48th session of the World Heritage Committee, as well as the special event marking the International Day for Dialogue among Civilizations, entitled “Heritage, Travel, and Traditions of the Silk Roads: A Journey of Intercultural Dialogue”.

The briefing session for the 48th session of the World Heritage Committee.

Prof. Shao Yong attended the event marking the International Day for Dialogue among Civilizations.

The visit provided an important opportunity for in-depth, face-to-face exchanges, further consolidating consensus between WHITR-AP and the World Heritage Centre on key strategic areas of cooperation. It also advanced alignment on the forthcoming five-year programme on “Heritage Protection and Sustainable Development”, laying a solid foundation for the Institute’s next phase of development. The mission further strengthened WHITR-AP’s contribution to advancing heritage protection and sustainable development within global heritage governance frameworks.

Contributed by Shao Yong

Designed by Dang Siyu (Intern)

Web typeset by Zhang Yidan (Intern)

Edited by Liu Zhen

Reviewed by Shao Yong