PARIS, France: The UNESCO World Heritage Committee will hold its annual meeting in sub-Saharan Africa this year for the first time since its formation in 1972, during which final decision will be made on the registration of new sites on its World Heritage List.

Seven hundred delegates from 180 countries are expected to attend the committee's 29th session at the Durban International Convention Center from July 10 to 17.

Policy and funding matters will also be discussed at the meeting.

In this years’ committee, reports on the current status of world heritage at risk such as Buddha statues in Afghanistan and the Bam Cultural Landscape of Iran, which both were registered on the World Heritage List and the List of World Heritage in Danger, will also be reviewed.

The World Heritage Committee is established within the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. It is composed of 21 States Parties to the Convention, elected by States Parties to the Convention meeting in general assembly during the ordinary session of the General Conference of UNESCO.

The 1972 UNESCO Convention on World Heritage started with the agenda on the preservation of immovable cultural property, such as buildings and monuments, and of natural sites, such as geological formations and the habitats of endangered species of animals and plants.

Islamic World’s joint inheritance - the destructed holy shrines of Chief of Prophet Prophet Hazret-e-Muhammad (SW)’s daughter Hazret-e-Fatimah Az-Zahra (AS), Aimmah from his progeny Hazrat-e-Imam Hasan (AS), Hazrat-e-Imam Zain-ul Abidin (AS), Hazrat-e-Imam Baqer (AS), Hazret-e-Imam Jafar As-Sadeq (AS), his wives (RA) and companions (RA) – that were bulldozed at the hands of Saudi rulers in 1926 sending a wave of anger among Muslims the wold over are still hurling a challenge to the world of humanity in general and Islamic world in particular, but no state-level efforts … !!! These destructed holy shrines’ reconstruction is one of Shia demands presented to the government of Pakistan by Pakistan Shias only representative organization TNFJ headed by Syed Hamid Moosavi.

South Africa has six sites on the UNESCO World Heritage List. A seventh site and extensions to existing ones will be proposed at the Durban conference.

Iran is making efforts to get its Soltanieh Dome included in the list. The mausoleum of Sultan Muhammad Khodabandeh Oljeitu, known as the Soltanieh Dome, is located in the southeastern section of the city of Soltanieh, which is near Zanjan in northwestern Iran.