Bhaktapur, Apr. 8 : The nine-day international conference on “Culture, heritage management and tourism” organised by the Bangkok based unesco regional headquarters with the cooperation of Bhaktapur Municipality began here today.
Inaugurating the international conference at the Bhaktapur Durbar Square at a function today, Deputy Prime Minister Ram Chandra Paudel said that His Majesty’s Government would extend cooperation in formulating necessary laws to declare Bhaktapur as a cultural city.
Stating that the legacy left behind by our ancestors as well as the cultural heritage and natural beauty have proved to be a boon for Nepal, Mr. Paudel said that even though Nepal lagged behind in the field of modernization, nepal has become a center of attraction for tourists because of her religion, culture and art.
Noting that Nepalese would not have to remain poverty stricken if we can safeguard our our existing art, property and heritages, Mr. Paudel wished the international conference success.
President of the Nepal Workers and Peasants Party and mp Narayan Man Bijukchhe called on His Majesty’s Government to make necessary arrangements for water and sewerage system and to develop Bhaktapur as a place for touristic destination in order to safeguard the city’s heritage.
Stressing the need to to carry out heritage conservation works by maintaining coordination between offices of land revenue, Water Supply Corporation, Department of Archeaology, Sewerage Development Corporation and Bhaktapur Municipality in the district, Mr. Bijukchhe expressed the view that other municipalities would follow suit if Bhaktapur was developed into a model city.
Ms. Kris Endresen of Nordic World Heritage Centre said that the heritage should protected in time as it cannot be restored to its original state once it is destroyed.
Additional contribution can be made to the tourism sector if the cultures of the countries of Asia and Pacific region can be safeguarded properly, unesco Regional Advisor for Culture Richard Engelhardt said, adding many tourism related job opportunities could be generated by safeguarding the cultures and heritages of these countries.
Speacking from the chair Mayor of Bhaktapur Municipality Prem Suwal said that the municipality was committed to developing Bhaktapur city into the cleanest city of the Kingdom of Nepal and a monument and cultural city in the Asian continent.
Deputy mayor Chaitya Raj Shankya, representative of the Norwegian Embassy R. Jensen and others wished for the success of the conference.
Earlier a team of the representatives of the participating countries and experts had walked through Bhaktapur city.
The conference is being participated in by representatives of the nine cities of Nepal, People’s Republic of China, Sri Lanka, Laos, Vietnam, Republic of Korea, Fiji, Malaysia and the Phillipines enlisted in the World Heritage List.