A forum marking the 40th anniversary of the 1972 adoption of UNESCO's World Heritage Convention convened Tuesday in Kyoto, with about 600 experts on cultural assets and nature conservation from around the world participating.
The three-day meeting will discuss the conditions of World Heritage sites and how to preserve them.
The events Tuesday were to include an opening address by UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova and a speech by tea ceremony master Sen Genshitsu, Japan's goodwill ambassador to the global body. A panel discussion on preserving world heritage properties was also scheduled.