Officials with United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) said in Suzhou imbalanced representation is one of the major issues facing its list of world heritage sites at an ongoing session.

Michael Abiola Omolewa, president of the UNESCO General Conference said Monday the issue will be reviewed by the session under way in Suzhou, a scenic city bordering Shanghai, east China. The meeting began Monday and will last through July 7.

A total of 754 heritage sites in 129 countries or regions have been put on UNESCO's world heritage list, yet 48 signatories have no heritage sites got listed, and 65 countries have fewer than three listed, the official said.

"This also means that there exists an imbalance with the List, and one of the main purpose of the Committee nowadays is to work actively to reduce this imbalance."

Some countries have called for action to reduce the imbalance by reviewing the "Cairns Decision", which was a suite of decisions adopted by the 24th session of the World Heritage Committee, limiting the number of new nominations to be examined each year by the committee.

The number of nominations to be submitted by each country was limited to one. But, those countries with no properties on the World Heritage List have the opportunity to propose two or three, according to the decision.

Hans-Heinrich Wrede, chairman of UNESCO Executive Board, said the world culture is diversified.

"In a world as diverse as ours, understanding our individual and collective histories becomes vitally important to forging a common destiny in the 21st century," Wrede said.

Forty-eight sites will be considered for inscription on UNESCO's World Heritage List of outstanding cultural and natural sites at the meeting.
 
(Xinhua News Agency June 29, 2004)