Result of vote: 7 votes, 6 in favour, 1 against, 14 abstained

Odesa inscribed (the 2/3 majority was 5, just only +1)

It's done ! Inscribed!

The Anti-Russia 5 have brought 39 friends. The UK will speak for them.

Russia should give the floor to Belarus for 2 more minutes of speaking time...

Russia representative gives a fitting farewell. Despite all the politics, she has been right on many accounts.

Maybe they will leave UNESCO out of protest? Not sure how much they would be missed.

I don't think so. They want to stay at the table and keep pushing forward their points of view.

She goes on an a rant and is cut off by the Chair.
Poland does too. And is cut off too.

We should respect war criminals? Let the room speak, chair. These are not reasonable points of view? How can Russia be part of World Heritage Committee? Is it acceptable that Russia represents Group 2?

Session has been closed.

I recommend anyone who didn't see it live, to view the recorded Livecast of today's session which is available already on https://whc.unesco.org/en/sessions/18EXTCOM
If the never ending procedural disputes of the morning are not of interest then go directly to 3hrs 48 minutes in and watch a VERY powerful 30 minutes from the moment the vote granting inscription to Odesa is announced. It is best seen "live" to get a feel for the tensions......Amazing comments within a "diplomatic" environment.....
A few quotes....
Russia "We witness the funeral of the World Heritage Convention". The Rep sings a song about lovely Odesa.
Poland - "on behalf of Group 2 we do NOT consider ourselves as being represented by Russia on the Bureau"
UK - "The imposition of Russia as a Bureau member......dismayed at the undermining of the Convention"
Russia - "Not up to UK to teach lessons to anyone else after their bombing of Syria, Iraq......"
Spain - "Universal shame" of the last 2 days
Lithuania - "I have never seen in my 20 years as a diplomat....regret"
Germany - "The Tortured state of Ukraine......."
Russia - "Reject all allegations against my country by NATO states which bombed....."

Oh thanks for flagging that up, well worth a watch.

I haven't followed it all but it seemed the Russian delegate had some fair points to raise about the extraordinary aspects of the inscription (does it really not have a defined core zone?)

But moral authority is somewhat ceded if the reason for emergency inscription is your own states bombing of the site.

Also not sure when the UK bombed Syria? It certainly wasn't in the current war as we voted not to join militarily.

Ah, UK Parliament voted not to take military action against the Assad regime, but following the Bataclan terror attacks in Paris it later voted to take military action against ISIS (thereby freeing up the Assad regime that Russia supported to concentrate its efforts against Aleppo etc)

Well done!

The last 30 min. was certainly intriguing, but it was like watching the Oscar ceremony in a sense. Speakers were given 2 min. to speak, and when 2 min. is up, music starts to cut them off. I'm certain it's modeled after it.

I only wish Russia won't retaliate and hit other cities, such as Chernihiv, if not Odesa.

I can hear the music starting.....

Els: "Please! Only talk about the inscribed sites!" :)))

Didn't really follow although I find it "interesting" that Russia is against another country's inscription while they are in the process of trying and failing to assimilate it... you'd think anyone representing that in an open forum would be embarrassed AF or just true evil?!

Anyhow, +2 count out of nowhere for me.