UNESCO backtracks on Lumbini's decision to put Lumbini on the endangered list

In the 46th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee held in New Delhi, India, from July 21 to 31, a discussion was held on Wednesday and Thursday about whether to put Lumbini on the list of danger or not. Before the discussion, India should give time to correct the deficiencies in the matter of Lumbini, after filing an amendment proposal, the proposal to put it on the danger list for the time being was dropped.

'Lumbini was discussed for 63 minutes,' said Rai, the senior director of the Lumbini Development Fund ; He said that Lebanon and Belgium stood against India's amendment proposal.

On behalf of Nepal, UNESCO representative and Nepali ambassador to France, Sudhir Bhattarai, committed to follow the recommendations of the Reactive Monitoring Mission and ISC meeting that came to Lumbini in 2022 and the instructions of UNESCO. "Now we will be fully aware of heritage protection," he said, "We will work with heritage in mind and heart."

The World Heritage Committee Secretariat of UNESCO announced a draft decision to put Lumbini on the list of danger after the increase of activities against heritage protection in Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha, on June 7. The draft was scheduled to be decided at the 46th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee held in Delhi. According to heritage experts, Lumbini was drafted to be placed on the endangered list based on the 2022 report of the World Heritage Center and ECOMAS Reactive Monitoring Mission involving heritage expert Rolen Lin and Professor Kariya.

Secretary of the Ministry of Culture at the UNESCO meeting. An 11-member team participated under the leadership of Ganesh Prasad Pandey. The Nepali team that reached Delhi met the representatives of the member countries with executive powers and did extensive 'lobbying' to not include Lumbini in the danger list.

Lumbini Development Fund Vice President Lharkyal Lama is said to have taken the initiative politically and UNESCO representative and Nepali Ambassador to France Bhattarai has taken the initiative diplomatically . Indian Ambassador to UNESCO Vishal Sharma, who presided over the 46th session, was also positive about Lumbini, said a representative who participated in the meeting.

Lumbini Development Fund Member-Secretary Sanuraja Shakle said that countries like Japan, Kenya, Rwanda, Vietnam and Qatar have given good support to Nepal. He said that now the UNESCO's 'recommendations' for Lumbini will come through the UNESCO representative and the Nepali Ambassador to France and then they will seriously implement it and make Lumbini heritage-friendly.

UNESCO raised questions that many works were done in Lumbini without a Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) and UNESCO's recommendations were not implemented. Unesco raised questions that the construction work was carried out indiscriminately and the archaeological ruins were not protected.