Arabs to ask UN World Heritage Committee to register Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity as Palestinian heritage site

(JPost) For the first time in their history on Thursday, Palestinians have the right to act as a state before the World Heritage Committee and ask the UN body to register Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity under the name of Palestine.

The Palestinian Authority has an inventory list of 20 historical, religious, cultural and natural sites over the pre-1967 line that it wants the UN to register.

These range from the old town of Nablus to Qumran where the Dead Sea scrolls were found. No sites in Jerusalem are on the PA’s list at present.

As an initial step, the PA has asked the committee to consider the Church of the Nativity as a historical site when it convenes in St. Petersburg at the end of June.

Palestine is not an accepted member state of the UN. But it is possible for the PA to register sites under the name of Palestine after the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization accepted it as the 195th member of its organization on October 31. This move opened the door for Palestine’s admission to all UNESCO bodies.

Only on Thursday, however, will its signature to the UNESCO’s Convention Concerning the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage be ratified. Palestine will also be a member of three other conventions: Safeguarding the Intangible Cultural Heritage; Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage; and the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions.

The World Heritage Committee had already received the PA’s registration application for the Church of the Nativity, but could only formally accept it on Thursday.

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