24 October nine new members have been elected to the 21-member World Heritage Committee in charge of implementing UNESCO Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage.

Australia, Bahrain, Barbados, Brazil, China, Egypt, Jordan, Nigeria and Sweden were elected for four-year terms. The election took place during the General Assembly of the 184 States Parties to the Convention who meet every two years, when their representatives come to UNESCO Headquarters in Paris to attend the Organization's General Conference.

The current members of the World Heritage Committee are: Australia, Bahrain, Barbados, Brazil, Canada, China, Cuba, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Morocco, Nigeria, Peru, Republic of Korea, Spain, Sweden, Tunisia and the United States of America.

The new members were elected to replace nine States Parties whose term on the World Heritage Committee had expired: Benin, Chili, India, Japan, Kuwait, Lithuania, New Zealand, Norway, and the Netherlands.

The World Heritage Committee meets every year to inscribe properties on the World Heritage List which currently numbers 851 sites in 141 States Parties. The Committee also reviews the state of conservation of inscribed properties and determines actions to support their safeguarding.

Source: UNESCO World Heritage Centre