45th extended session of the World Heritage Committee will take place from 10 to 25 September 2023 in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The committee will be chaired by H.H. Princess Haifa Al Mogrin, Saudi Arabia’s Permanent Delegate to UNESCO. Currently following countries are members of the World Heritage Committee: Argentina, Belgium, Bulgaria, Egypt, Ethiopia, Greece, India, Italy, Japan, Mali, Mexico, Nigeria, Oman, Qatar, Russian Federation, Rwanda, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Thailand and Zambia. The World Heritage Committee will consider the implementation of the 1972 UNESCO Convention on Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage in Member States. For the time being 195 countries are State Parties to the Convention. Up to date 1157 cultural/natural properties from 167 State Parties are inscribed to the World Heritage List under the 1972 Convention. Among them 43 are transboundary properties from 67 State Parties. The World Heritage Committee will consider also new nominations to the World Heritage List. Based on evaluation made by ICOMOS (International Council on Monuments and Sites) following cultural sites from IICAS’s Member States were recommended to inscribe to the World Heritage List: Cultural Landscape of Khinalig People and “Köç Yolu” Transhumance Route (Azerbaijan), Cultural Landscape of Old Tea Forests of the Jingmai Mountain in Pu’er (China), Deer Stone Monuments and Related Sites of Bronze Age (Mongolia),  Gaya Tumuli (Republic of Korea), Silk Roads: Zarafshan-Karakum Corridor (Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan) and Gordion (Turkiye). According to the evaluation by IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature), following natural sites from IICAS’s Member States were recommended to inscribe to the World Heritage List: Cold Winter Deserts of Turan (Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan) and Tugay Forests of the Tigrovaya Balka Nature Reserve (Tajikistan). Final decision will be made by the 45th session of the World Heritage Committee.