At the end of June - the beginning of July 2012, the 36th UNESCO session was held in St. Petersburg, where issues of expanding the list of World Heritage sites were discussed. Representatives of 21 states took part in its work. As a result of the session, the list was increased by 31 points.
Of the three objects presented for listing by Russia, a full package of documents was prepared only for the nature monument "Lena Pillars" located in Yakutia. It was inscribed on the World Heritage List on the last day of the session, July 6, with the support of 19 states.
The so-called "red list", which includes monuments of cultural and natural significance that are in danger of extinction, has been replenished with the Basilica of the Nativity of Christ and the pilgrim trails in Bethlehem. This structure is already damaged and suffers from constant water leaks. This object is located 10 km south of Jerusalem. Of the Israeli monuments, the list also included the caves of Nahal Mearot and Wadi al-Mugar, found on Mount Carmel.
The objects of global importance included the whole Chinese city of Shandu, the cultural landscapes of the Bassari, Fula and Bedik ethnic groups in Senegal and the first capital of Côte d'Ivoire, the historic city of Grand Bassam. The modern capital of Morocco, the city of Rabat and its historical part, was introduced as a common heritage.
Under the auspices of UNESCO, there were 17 buildings in the city of Muharraq, located on the island of the same name, as well as objects located on its coast: three oyster banks and a piece of coast in the southern part of the island, on which the fort of Kalat Abu Mahir is located. The island belongs to the state of Bahrain and is an example of an economy based entirely on the extraction and processing of pearls.
From Iran, the list was replenished with the Friday Mosque Masjid-e Jame in Isfahan and the city of Gonbad-e-Gabus. UNESCO took several natural sites under its protection, including the landscapes of the Grand Pres in Canada, the rocky islands of the southern Lagoon in Palau, a complex of 18 Uniang Lakes in the Sahara, and the Western Ghats in India.
From the man-made heritage, the archaeological heritage of the Malaysian valley Lenggong, the mercury mines of Almaden and Idria in Spain and Slovenia were noted and taken under protection. As well as the decoration of rural houses in the Swedish province of Helsingland and the Portuguese military town of Elvas with its fortifications, built from the 17th to the 19th century.
