The Burren in Clare is among the applicants for UNESCO world heritage status to be considered at its committee meeting in July.
he process for adding new sites to UNESCO’s prestigious World Heritage List continues steadily, with nominations for potential inscription at the 48th session of the World Heritage Committee, scheduled to take place in Busan, Republic of Korea, from 19 to 29 July 2026, now under formal consideration. States Parties submitted their complete nomination dossiers by the strict deadline of 1 February 2025, after which UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre compiled and published the official list of received nominations in May 2025.
These proposals, drawn from sites already included on national Tentative Lists, will undergo rigorous evaluation by advisory bodies such as ICOMOS for cultural properties and IUCN for natural ones, with recommendations forwarded to the Committee ahead of next summer’s deliberations.
The submissions represent a diverse array of cultural, natural, and mixed heritage candidates from across the globe. Recent additions to Tentative Lists in early 2026, such as splits or extensions involving sites in Burundi, Italy, Ecuador, and Burkina Faso, illustrate the ongoing preparatory work by countries to refresh inventories and position properties for future cycles.
The 2026 session follows the inscription of 26 new sites in 2025, which expanded the List to over 1,240 properties and highlighted themes like African heritage, prehistoric landscapes, and remembrance sites.
No final decisions on inscriptions will occur until the Busan meeting, where the Committee—comprising 21 elected member states, including newly added representatives from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Czechia, Grenada, Kuwait, Mongolia, Peru, Poland, Switzerland, Togo, and the United Republic of Tanzania—will review evaluations, hear presentations from nominating countries, and vote on each proposal.
The emphasis remains on ensuring outstanding universal value, effective protection, and sustainable management, with the process underscoring UNESCO’s commitment to preserving irreplaceable treasures amid challenges like climate change and development pressures.
