Application to inscribe the “Mongolian Gobi” in the UNESCO World Heritage List
On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Great Gobi Specially Protected Area in Bayantooroi in August 2025, the ITG President Reinhard Schnidrig and the Executive Director of ITG-Mongolia Batsukh Jamiyandorj could hand over a paper-copy of the application to inscribe the “Mongolian Gobi” in the UNESCO World Heritage List to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Mr. Batbaatar Bat.
From 24 to 25 November 2025 the 25th General Assembly of the States Parties to the World Heritage Convention was meeting at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France, convening the 196 States Parties to the World Heritage Convention. During the session, the General Assembly elected new members to the World Heritage Committee, among them Mongolia, Czechia and Switzerland. This Committee has the final say on whether a property is inscribed on the World Heritage List and will therefor also be the governing body deciding on the application of Mongolia to inscribe the “Mongolian Gobi”. A promising situation, as the three countries are closely linked to the activities of the ITG, who in turn was one of the leading organizations in drafting the application document.