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15 November 2017 Presidency of the World Heritage Committee Goes to Bahrain, H.E Shaikha Mai : I thank all those who believed in Bahrain’s capacity and its capabilities to manage and preserve heritage
 Presidency of the   World Heritage Committee Goes to Bahrain, H.E Shaikha Mai : I thank all those who believed in Bahrain’s capacity and its capabilities to manage and preserve heritage

After being elected at World Heritage Committee by an overwhelming majority of 121 votes, and won a seat dedicated to countries “ State parties  regardless of their geographical distribution or regional locations”, the Kingdom of Bahrain has won the vast majority of votes during  the World Heritage Committee (WHC) Presidency  session, held during the 21st session of the General Assembly of State Parties to the 1972 World Heritage Convention held on November 14-15, 2017 at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris.
The World Heritage Committee has voted  for Shaikha Haya bint Rashid Al Khalifa to be The Chair of the Committee for the year 2018. H.E Shaikha Haya Rashed Al Khalifa, is an international lawyer who served as Bahrain’s first female ambassador when she became Ambassador to France (1999 to 2004) and was the third woman to preside at the UN General Assembly.
In her inaugural speech addressed to WHC state members meeting,  H.E Shaikha Mai Bint Mohammad Al- Khalifa, President of Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities (BACA), said “I thank all those who believed in Bahrain’s will and capability  to manage and preserve our  heritage, the world’s heritage”. H.E added saying “ We stand here today to tell the whole world that the Arab region and countries are capable to carry out great universal and historical achievements, despite the difficult times and special circumstances that some of the countries are going through”. H.E also said “ Bahrain’s wise leadership fully supports culture and puts it on top priorities; leadership’s directives enabled us to set a strong cultural infrastructure, such as the Arab Regional Centre for World Heritage, first of its kind in the Arab world, enabling us to win major votes to this prestigious title”. H.E also added saying “ Naming Shaikha Haya Bint Rachid Al-Khalifa    
 As the Chair of the Committee for the year 2018, comes after her bright success as third woman to preside at the UN General Assembly in 2006 and  the Kingdom's UNESCO Permanent Representative earlier. Definitely, she is the right person to carry out this mission”.
H.E also said that that Bahrain would be ready to host the next WHC session at the end of June 2018, welcoming all guests to visit Bahrain and discover Bahrain’s ancient civilizations. H.E  explained that Bahrain would invest this achievement in uplifting the world heritage in general and the Arab world  in particular, stressing the importance of Arab countries’ hidden historical and heritage  treasures, worth to be discovered, shown to the world and preserved. 
After winning this majority vote, the Government of Bahrain, newly elected member of the World Heritage Committee, will, thus,  host the 42nd session of the World Heritage Committee from 24 June to 4 July 2018, in Manama, Bahrain. Delegates of the States Parties to the World Heritage Convention, will come to Bahrain to discuss the agenda of the next session, which will include topicality and interest in world heritage and implementation of the Convention, reviews the state of conservation of World Heritage sites, inscribes new sites on the World Heritage List, and attends to other matters involved in the implementation of the World Heritage Convention and the relationship of world heritage and sustainable development. Worth to mention that the 34th  meeting of World Heritage Committee gave the presidency of the 35th  session of the WHC to the Minister of Culture Shaikha Mai bint Mohammed Al Khalifa in 2011.
Worth to mention that the World Heritage Committee meets once a year, and consists of representatives from 21 of the States Parties to the Convention elected by their General Assembly. Bahrain clinched a seat for four years during the 21st meeting of the General Assembly.  The Committee is responsible for the implementation of the World Heritage Convention, defines the use of the World Heritage Fund and allocates financial assistance upon requests from States Parties. It has the final say on whether a property is inscribed on the World Heritage List. It examines reports on the state of conservation of inscribed properties and asks States Parties to take action when properties are not being properly managed. It also decides on the inscription or deletion of properties on the List of World Heritage in Danger. Indeed, sites are nominated by national governments and evaluated by two Advisory Bodies, the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) , and the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM), which is an intergovernmental organization created to promote the conservation of all forms of cultural heritage, in every region of the world. These organizations have expertise in heritage and culture. Each year, the Committee meets and chooses which nominations will be added to the List. It can accept the Advisory Bodies’ recommendations or overrule them.