The picture taken on June 28, 2004 shows the opening ceremony of the 28th session of the World Heritage Committee of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in Suzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province. (Xinhua Photo)

The 28th session of the World Heritage Committee of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) opened in Suzhou Monday to discuss proposed additions to the current World Heritage List and assess the global efforts for heritage conservation.

Over 500 government delegates and experts in the field of heritage protection attended the opening ceremony, which was chaired by Zhang Xinsheng, China's Vice Minister of Education and Chairperson of China's National Commission for UNESCO.

Chinese President Hu Jintao sent a message to the opening ceremony. Hu pledged that China will further expand international cooperation to ensure full protection and appropriate utilization of cultural and natural heritages.

In 1972 at the 17th session of the World Heritage Committee, the UNESCO adopted an International Convention concerning the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage. Since then, the convention designated sites around the world with outstanding cultural values or unique natural beauty and inscribe them on the World Heritage List.

The convention "has played an important role in guiding the heritage protection work in the world," Hu said.

Noting that the Chinese government has always shown great concern for the protection of cultural and natural heritages, Hu said China will further promote the nation's culture, intensify protection of ecological environment and expand international cooperation in the field for the harmonious development between mankind and nature.

Hu also called on the international community to strengthen protection of world heritage properties, describing the mission "imperative" to all in the world.

Chinese State Councilor Chen Zhili delivered a speech at the opening ceremony. She said that the Chinese government has always attached great importance to the protection of cultural and natural heritages and China has set up a relatively sound legal system concerning heritage conservation.

The State Councilor said China will continue to fight against all kinds of illegal activities for the heritage conservation and actively join international cooperation in this regard to make its due contribution to the world.

According to the UNESCO, forty-eight sites will be considered for inscription on the World Heritage List of outstanding cultural and natural sites during the 28th session.

UNESCO Director-General Koichiro Matsuura said he hoped the 28th session of the World Heritage Committee will examine the nominations to the World Heritage List by pursuing the global strategy for a representative, balanced and credible heritage list.

Matsuura said among the 178 state parties of the World Heritage Convention, 49 states still do not have a site on the list. "I hope the committee will assess the most appropriate modalities to make the list more representative and more balanced," he said.

To date, the 1972 Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage protects 754 sites of "outstanding universal value" in 129 States Parties, including 582 cultural and 149 natural sites, and 23 mixed sites.

In addition, the Committee will review the List of World Heritage in Danger, which currently features 35 sites. These are sites that are seriously threatened by industry or mining pollution, looting, war, uncontrolled tourism and poaching.

Also during the meeting, a series of presentations will be given to illustrate the way partners including private sector companies are helping UNESCO in its work to preserve World Heritage sites.

The session will also review the famous "Cairns Decision", which was a suite of decisions adopted by the 28th session of the World Heritage Committee. According to the decision, the number of nominations to be submitted by each state party was limited to one, except for those states parties with no properties on the World Heritage List who have the opportunity to propose two or three nominations.

The World Heritage Committee comprises representatives of 21 countries elected for six years. One third of its members are replaced by the General Assembly of the Convention's signatories every two years. Each year, the Committee adds new sites to the World Heritage List.