HRC Action Alert: UNESCO \/ Bahrain \u2013 Bahrain to Chair UNESCO\u2019s World Heritage Committee whilst destroying its own heritage
\n15 JUNE 2011 – BCHR<\/p>\n
IHRC urges all campaigners to wirte to the Director-General of UNESCO calling for the removal of Bahrain from the committee\u2019s list.<\/p>\n
1. Summary<\/p>\n
On 19 June 2011 Bahrain will be chairing the 35th Session of The World Heritage Committee at UNESCO in Paris, France.<\/p>\n
IHRC urges all campaigners to write letters to Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO calling for the removal of Bahrain from the committee\u2019s list. Furthermore, condemning the decision to give Bahrain the chairing position while destroying its own heritage, including demolishing mosques, destroying traditional jobs and its social natives.<\/p>\n
2. Background<\/p>\n
The World Heritage Committee consists of 21 States who examine the proposals made by State Parties, in order to identify cultural and natural properties of outstanding universal value to be protected under itsConvention and further added to the World Heritage List.<\/p>\n
The Committee members are:<\/p>\n
Australia, Bahrain, Barbados, Brazil, Cambodia, China, Egypt, Estonia, Ethiopia, France, Iraq, Jordan, Mali, Mexico, Nigeria, Russian Federation, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, United Arab Emirates.<\/p>\n
Bahrain is currently undertaking brutal crackdown on protests with the support of GCC troops from Saudi Arabia. It will be chairing UNESCO\u2019s 35th Session of the World Heritage Committee in Paris.<\/p>\n
Bahrain has been carrying out a systematic destruction of heritage and culture over the past 50 years, where old buildings, palm tree huts, were demolished as well as a group of 21 ancient and licensed mosques, including one that is more than 640 years old. Furthermore many traditional industries such as carpentry have been destroyed.<\/p>\n
Bahrain is a chain of islands where residents in the past used to rely on fishing as their main source of income. Bahraini residents feel that their history is being stamped out due to the demolition of their heritage and culture by the Bahraini government and feel that it is hypocritical for that same government to be chairing this event. …source<\/a><\/p>\n