On 24-26 September 2014, a Regional Conference – World Heritage and Sustainable Development was held in Mestia. The Conference was initiated and organized by the National Agency for Cultural Heritage Preservation of Georgia, in co-operation with the partner organisations – Georgian National Commission for UNESCO, Georgian National Museum, the G. Chubinashvili National Research Centre for Georgian Art History and Heritage Preservation. The Conference was participated by the representatives of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, ICCROM, ICOMOS, IUCN, state and regional authorities, non-governmental organisations and experts of the field.
The topics discussed on the Conference covered UNESCO World Heritage Convention issues, the role and experience of the international organisations in the management and development of the world cultural and natural heritage, as well as World Heritage State Programme, draft Law of Georgia on World Heritage, development of Upper Svaneti cultural landscape, implemented, ongoing and planned state projects in Upper Svaneti, recording results of the intangible heritage in Svaneti.
On the Conference, apart from others, research fellows of the G. Chubinashvili National Research Centre for Georgian Art History and Heritage Preservation – M. Kenia and G. Patashuri – made presentations on Svanetian school of painting and ecclesiastical architecture of Upper Svaneti
