• During the 47th Session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Paris, the Ministry of Environment and Water participated in a forum for biodiversity conservation and a meeting of the international environmental community Greenmachine

The conservation of natural heritage is a global task, possible by uniting the efforts, knowledge, and energy of institutions, organizations, and experts. This was stated by the Deputy Minister of Environment and Water Atanas Kostadinov during a forum that was held within the framework of the 47th Session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, which is being held from 6th to 16th July at the organization's headquarters in Paris. Kostadinov is head of the delegation of the Ministry of Environment and Water, which includes experts from the Directorate of the National Nature Protection Service at the Ministry of Environment and Water, the Directorates of the Central Balkan National Park and the Pirin National Park, the Regional Inspectorate for Environment and Water – Ruse, as well as Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vladimir Vladimirov, Director of the Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Studies at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, who is the nationally designated representative of Bulgaria in the Sectoral Committee “Nature”.

His speech took place within the framework of the accompanying event Greenmachine, held on 9 July at the Bulgarian Embassy and organized jointly with the International Union for Conservation of Nature IUCN. Greenmachine is a meeting of the international conservation community, which is traditionally organized by the host country of the session. The event brings together representatives and experts on natural heritage from member state delegations, NGOs, managers of natural sites, as well as experts from the UNESCO World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Body – IUCN.

In the context of the serious challenges facing the world’s natural heritage, namely climate change, biodiversity loss, conflicts and disasters, the role of Greenmachine as a community is more relevant than ever. This community is much more than a gathering – it is a network of trust, a creative space, an inspiration for joint decisions and actions. It connects institutions and people in a unique way, promoting initiatives leading to real changes that contribute to the conservation of protected areas, valuable species, habitats, landscapes, with the participation of local communities around the world,” said Atanas Kostadinov.

The event was opened by the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Bulgaria to UNESCO Radka Balabanova, who emphasized the importance of the World Heritage Convention as one of the most successful international agreements for the conservation of the most valuable natural and cultural sites around the world. Among the guests were the Minister of Culture Marian Bachev, the Deputy Minister of Culture Todor Chobanov, the Chairman of the 47th Session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee Prof. Nikolay Nenov, the Director General of BTA Kiril Valchev, the Deputy Permanent Representative of Bulgaria to UNESCO Iskra Angelova, and the Director of the Bulgarian Cultural Institute in Paris Desislava Bineva.

The forum was attended by over 150 participants – representatives of the conservation community, the Secretariat of the Convention, the consultative bodies and the member states of the Committee, as well as the Forum of World Heritage Managers.

During the session in Paris, another event was held, supported by Bulgaria and more specifically by the Ministry of Environment and Water, organized at the initiative of the UNESCO Secretariat. At this forum, which took place on 8th July, the results of an expert workshop on Wilms Island, Germany, from November 2024 were presented. The event and the expert discussions were dedicated to the topic “The Contribution of the World Heritage Convention to the Achievement of the Goals of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework”. Bulgaria welcomes the ongoing efforts to build stronger links between the World Heritage Convention and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. This is a valuable opportunity to align priorities, mobilize resources and act together for people, nature and culture. The participants in the forum from the Bulgarian side emphasized that in this global context our country remains firmly committed to the protection of natural heritage sites and biological diversity in general.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization – UNESCO, was established on November 16, 1945. Bulgaria became a member on May 17, 1956. In 1956, the National Commission for UNESCO was also established, which coordinates activities between Bulgarian institutions and the organization. The World Heritage Committee is one of the two bodies governing the Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. It is composed of representatives of 21 countries, elected by the 196 parties to the Convention.