Meghalaya Delegation Seeks UNESCO World Heritage Status for Living Root Bridges in Paris

SHILLOMG: A delegation team from Meghalaya, led by Art and Culture Minister Paul Lyngdoh has embarked on a major cultural mission to Paris to seek UNESCO World Heritage status for the iconic living root bridges of the state. The delegation presented on Friday before Ernesto Ottone, Assistant Director-General, UNESCO at UNESCO Archives. The aim was to shine a global spotlight on these natural wonders that symbolize harmony between human ingenuity and nature and have been around for centuries.

Lyngdoh spoke with passion during the presentation on Meghalaya's commitment to nature and culture conservation. He added, "The living root bridges are not only representative of the distinct traditions of the Khasi and Jaintia tribes but also a beacon of testament for sustainable livability." "This is more than a nomination; this is a reflection of our commitment to global cultural and educational cooperation," Lyngdoh said.

The minister and the delegation also called on Simona-Mirela Miculescu, President of the 42nd General Conference of UNESCO and Romania's Ambassador to the organization. The discussion aimed at strengthening ties between Meghalaya and UNESCO, with special emphasis on the conservation of the rich cultural heritage. Delighted with the fruitful exchange of ideas, Lyngdoh said the encounter brought into focus the shared global responsibility to safeguard unique cultural treasures.

The team was joined by Vishal V. Sharma, India's Permanent Delegate to UNESCO. The delegation was received with great cordiality by senior UNESCO officials, including Nicholas Jeffreys, Assistant Director-General for Administration and Management, and Omar Baig, Chief Information and Technology Officer. They took a tour of the UNESCO Archives, which hosts over 30,000 hours of audio recordings and documents from as far back as 1924-a heartrending reminder of how this organization has pursued intellectual cooperation since the League of Nations era.

The tour to the Archives gave the delegation that valuable glimpse one could think of into the history of international intellectual exchange. "We dug into the past of UNESCO, particularly the role its precursor, the International Institute for Intellectual Cooperation, played," said Lyngdoh.

Accompanying Lyngdoh on this journey of cultural diplomacy were senior officials, including FR Kharkongor, Principal Secretary of the Department of Arts & Culture, and FM Dopth, Secretary in the same department. Together, they reaffirmed Meghalaya's commitment to the cause, which indeed is of immense import to the state while reverberating with UNESCO's global mission of peace and understanding through cultural preservation.

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