Russia is due to host the annual meeting of UNESCO's World Heritage Committee in the city of Kazan in its Tatarstan region from June 19-30. British Culture Minister Nadine Dorries said in March that it was "inconceivable" Russia should host the meeting, and that Britain would not attend if it did. Elusive consensusUNESCO is at pains to emphasise that the decision on the meeting is not taken by UNESCO's leaders but by the members of the World Heritage Committee. The 21 countries that make up the World Heritage Committee and to whom the UK letter was addressed include Argentina, India and Saudi Arabia. Two-thirds of the members must agree to hold an extraordinary meeting on the issue, where a decision on the Kazan meeting could be decided by consensus or majority vote.

Source: Daily Nation April 14, 2022 13:17 UTC