The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) will offer more training to developing nations to enhance their capacity in heritage protection, said UNESCO Director-General Koichiro Matsuura Monday.

In a sideline interview with Xinhua at the 28th Session to the World Heritage Committee, Matsuura said that many developing countries looked forward to international assistance, especially those whose heritage sites had been damaged by natural disasters or in war chaos.

The job of UNESCO was to provide them education, training and technical assistance with a purpose to improve their capability of heritage protection, especially those already in danger, he said.

Matsuura said capacity building was an important component of the UNESCO's global strategy, which was aimed to ensure a representative, balanced and credible world heritage list and to help state parties better their understanding toward global heritage sites through communications.

So far, the world's 754 heritage sites, including natural, cultural and mixed properties, are unequally scattered in 129 countries. Forty-eight of the 177 state parties who've joined the International Convention concerning the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage have not yet been included in the list.

"Many of the 48 are developing countries thirsty for international assistance", Matsuura said, "We're helping them establish conservation plans, make proposals and even publicity brochures. We also provide them financial support and technical guidance," he said.

"However, it's not enough for them to be only included in the list. They need to acquire the capacity of managing their own properties independently and give their bits to the world's heritage protection," he said.

Du Yue, deputy secretary general of the Chinese National Commission for UNESCO couldn't agree more with Matsuura. "As the global cooperation in terms of heritage protection has developed fast and become more diversified, developing countries should thoroughly study advanced management methods of developed countries and be flexible with the utilization."

(Xinhua News Agency June 29, 2004)