The List of Committee members has been approved and the Committee program for 2013–2014 has been discussed at the meeting. The most topical issues associated with preservation of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage in the Russian Federation and abroad have been discussed. The Committee members, V. Neronov (Vice-chairperson of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO “The Man and the Biosphere”) and A. Butorin (President of the Natural Heritage Protection Fund) have reported on the implementation of the natural section of the Convention.

The Russian Committee for World Cultural and Natural Heritage under the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO was established in 1997 under resolution of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO and is the public expertise and advisory agency of the Commission.

The aim of the Committee is to implement the provisions of the World Heritage Convention in the Russian Federation. The Committee consists of the representatives of state power authorities of the Russian Federation and its entities, national committees of the dedicated international organizations, professional social organizations, and research institutions. I. Makovetskiy is the Committee Chairperson (his appointment was approved by the Minister of Foreign Affairs S.V. Lavrov on July 20, 2007).