Bulgaria will no longer host the 47th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Sofia this July, despite having previously committed to organizing the event. Instead, the session will take place in Paris, but Bulgaria will still cover the costs.

The decision comes after months of uncertainty regarding the event’s organization. Initially, the Bulgarian government had agreed to host the prestigious forum, which gathers around 4,000 UNESCO representatives from 193 countries, potentially benefiting Bulgaria’s tourism sector. However, concerns were raised in mid-February by members of the Parliamentary Committee on Culture and the Media, who warned that a failure to properly prepare for the event would not only harm Bulgaria’s international reputation but also result in financial losses. According to GERB MP Lyuben Dilov Jr., under UNESCO's rules, a country that backs out after committing to host must still pay for the session’s expenses.

The Ministry of Culture confirmed the change, announcing that Bulgaria would no longer host the event in Sofia but would remain responsible for financing it. Prof. Nikolay Nenov, who was appointed as chair of the session during last year’s meeting in Delhi, will still preside over the proceedings. Despite this, the ministry's statement did not explain the reasons for the relocation.

The situation sparked political debate. Culture Minister Marian Bachev placed the responsibility on his predecessor, Nayden Todorov, accusing him of making a hasty decision without ensuring the necessary preparation. Bachev claimed there had been significant delays in organizing the session, and by the time his administration took over, only four months remained before the scheduled start. He assured, however, that public procurement processes had been initiated and that efforts were being made to proceed with the event.

Todorov’s former press secretary Kremena Nikolova refuted claims of poor planning, pointing to detailed reports on the preparation process. Prof. Nenov also affirmed that work had been ongoing, mentioning that a UNESCO delegation visited Sofia in November 2023 and approved the National Palace of Culture (NDK) as the event’s venue. Nenov stated that he had received correspondence from UNESCO and the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry, indicating continued cooperation on the session’s organization.

However, WCC-DB MP Manol Peikov suggested that there had been resistance at various levels of the administration, including within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, both before and after Bulgaria’s bid was accepted. When questioned about its role in the matter, the Foreign Ministry responded that, due to the nature of the committee’s work, the Ministry of Culture was the lead institution in charge.

"Only the question remains: how and why on February 4th we have an official letter from the UNESCO headquarters, praising the tremendous progress on the preparation of the household at the session in Sofia, and on March 5, we decide to move it to Paris?"

And Peikov applied a copy of the letter:

The move to Paris raises additional financial concerns. While Bulgaria had initially budgeted 1.89 million leva for hosting the event domestically, the cost of moving it to France remains unclear. Critics argue that instead of supporting Bulgaria’s economy and tourism sector, the funds will now benefit Paris.

Sources:

• BTA
• BNT
• Facebook