Iraq clarifies the mechanism of including sites in the World Heritage List

INA - BAGHDAD 

Iraqi Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Antiquities clarified on Monday, the mechanism for listing the sites on World Heritage List while identifying three aspects in which the marshlands are distinguished.

"Al-Hindiya Dam is part of the files that the Ministry of Culture is working on in cooperation with the relevant authorities," said the spokesman for the Ministry of Culture, Ahmed Al-Alawi, to the Iraqi News Agency (INA).

He explained that "some areas are not 100% archaeological, such as the marshes area, as it has a cultural aspect, and another related to water resources, as the third related to the environmental aspect, in addition to Al-Hindiya Dam, for the ministry is concerned with the cultural aspect in organizing any file related to the subject of enlisting this site in the World Heritage List from the cultural and tourism perspectives,”

”Any site that is enlisted in the heritage list is preceded by a set of conditions and requirements that must be met, after which a vote will be taken within UNESCO on its entry if the conditions are met," he included, noting that "there are obligations after entering the UNESCO site on the country in which it acquires this spot or this place, including providing a set of commitments to preserve the survival of this site in UNESCO,”

He pointed out, saying that "sometimes all obligations are not available later for various reasons, one time pertains to culture, pertains to the environment, and another pertains to water resources, but in all cases the Ministry of Culture, other ministries and related parties are always keen to fulfill these obligations,”