Latest hurdle for Mrauk-U’s UNESCO World Heritage bid is Russia’s invasion of Ukraine: officials

16 Aug 2022

DMG Newsroom
16 August 2022, Mrauk-U 

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine earlier this year could have the unintended side effect of delaying a decision on the bid to have the ancient Arakanese city of Mrauk-U designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, according to the Department of Archaeology and National Museum.  

Department officials said the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) will decide the inspection team for an important Mrauk-U field visit at the 45th session of the World Heritage Committee, which was scheduled to be held in Kazan, Russia, in June of this year. 

However, the conference could not be held as planned due to the military conflict between Russia and Ukraine, and has been postponed, said U Than Zaw Oo, director of the Naypyidaw branch of the Department of Archeology and National Museum. 

“At the conference where world heritage experts will meet, the experts who will come to the Mrauk-U region will be decided. The conference was supposed to be held in Russia, but was postponed due to the military conflict between Russia and Ukraine,” he explained. 

ICOMOS was initially scheduled to conduct a Mrauk-U field survey in September 2022, but the postponement of the World Heritage Committee session has thrown that timeline into doubt. 

“If UNESCO experts can visit the Mrauk-U region at the specified time, then the ancient Arakanese city will likely be inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2023,” U Than Zaw Oo said. “What is important is that UNESCO experts visit the Mrauk-U region to conduct a field survey. If the UNESCO experts inspect the Mrauk-U region beyond the deadline next year, it may be too late for the ancient Arakanese city to be added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.” 

He added that there is still no information on when and where the rescheduled 45th session of the World Heritage Committee will be held.  

U Kyi Khin, director of the Mrauk-U branch of the Department of Archaeology and National Museum, said that regardless of the committee’s time table, work continues to prepare for the eventual visit of UNESCO experts. 

“We are carrying out the necessary work so that UNESCO experts can visit the Mrauk-U region and conduct a field survey,” he told DMG. 

The effort to designate the ancient Arakanese city as a UNESCO World Heritage Site has been a years-long process, beset by delays brought on by challenges including the Covid-19 pandemic and the 2018-2020 conflict between the Myanmar military and Arakan Army in Arakan State.