International Day for Monuments and Sites

• IAS NEXT, Lucknow
• 22, Apr 2022

Reference News:-

Every year, the United Nations marks April 18 as the International Day for Monuments and Sites.

In many countries the day is also celebrated as World Heritage Day.

• Globally, the day is promoted by the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS).

The theme for World Heritage Day 2022 is “Heritage and Climate”.

What is a World Heritage site?

• These sites are officially recognised by the UN and the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation, also known as UNESCO. UNESCO believes that the sites classified as World Heritage are important for humanity, and they hold cultural and physical significance.
• The list is maintained by the international World Heritage Programme administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, composed of 21 UNESCO member states which are elected by the General Assembly.
• Each World Heritage Site remains part of the legal territory of the state wherein the site is located and UNESCO considers it in the interest of the international community to preserve each site. 

Eligibility:

To be selected, a World Heritage Site must be an already classified landmark, unique in some respect as a geographically and historically identifiable place having special cultural or physical significance. 

Heritage sites in India:

• India is home to 40 UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
• Harappan city of Dholavira in Gujarat as India’s 40th world heritage site.
• Ramappa Temple (Telangana) was India’s 39th World Heritage Site.
• Khangchendzonga National Park, Sikkim has been inscribed as India’s first and the only “Mixed World Heritage Site”.