During 3-9 of September repeated IUCN expert mission to Putorana Reserve, Moscow and Norilsk came about over solution of a problem of inclusion of a natural site "Putorana Plateau" in the UNESCO World Heritage List. During the visit, the IUCN expert primarily studied the issues that forbid inscribing the Reserve to the World Heritage List over the results of the first mission in August 2007.

In August 14-21 the group of specialists of the Institute of Geography of RAS, Institute for Cultural and Natural Heritage and the Natural Heritage Protection Fund worked in Ilmensky Reserve.

Experts from Kazakhstan, Mongolia and Russia met on August 5-6 in the Kosh-Agach settlement (the Altai Republic) to discuss the issue of extension of the Golden Mountains of Altai" World Heritage site (the Russian Federation) by adding adjacent Mongolian and Kazakh SPAs.

The "Lena Pillars Natural Park" nomination dossier, which was not recommended by the IUCN for inscribing on the World Heritage List because of any of the stated criteria, had been withdrawn from the 33rd WH session consideration by the Russian Federation. Adapted nomination will be re-represented in the World Heritage Centre before February, the 1st, 2010.

The World Heritage Committee holding its 33rd session has inscribed two new natural sites and 11 cultural sites on the UNESCO's World Heritage List. Since it also withdrew one site - from the List, Dresden Elbe Valley (Germany), the List now numbers a total of 890 properties.

State of conservation of World Heritage Properties:

In 2009 the Fund plans to publish booklets about the "Virgin Komi Forests", "Golden Mountains of Altai" and "Volcanoes of Kamchatka". This publishing project, started in 2008 with the publication of a booklet "Volga Delta - potential World Heritage site", will cover all Russian Natural properties inscribed on the World Heritage List, Tentative List, and potential properties for inscription.

The World Heritage Committee will review state of conservation of 178 sites and consider requests for the inscription of new sites on UNESCO's World Heritage List when it meets for its 33rd session in Seville, Spain, from 22 to 30 June.

Drafting has started of a dossier to nominate the Ilmensky State Nature Reserve for inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The nomination process has been initiated by the Chelyabinsk Region Authority and supported by the RF Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the RF Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The property was added to the RF Tentative List in August 2008.

The World Heritage Committee will meet for its 33rd session in Seville, Spain from 22-30 June. During the session, the Committee will consider requests for the inscription of new sites on UNESCO's World Heritage List and examine the state of conservation of sites already inscribed on the List. The Committee is chaired by H. E. Mrs Maria Jesus San Segundo, Ambassador, Permanent Delegate of Spain to UNESCO.