At the opening of the celebrations marking six years since its inscription as a World Heritage Site

The Executive Secretary of the National Commission for UNESCO, Rita Brasil, stated today that the Bom Jesus of Braga “is on the right path” since being designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Speaking on the sidelines of the celebrations marking the six-year anniversary of its inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List and the ten-year anniversary of its elevation to Basilica status, which took place yesterday, Rita Brasil noted that maintaining the criteria required to retain World Heritage status is a challenging task — but one that is being well handled at the sanctuary in Braga.

“We believe that [Bom Jesus] is on the right path,” said the UNESCO official, adding that “there has been an effort here to monitor the key aspects that must be taken into account.”

The representative of the National Commission for UNESCO considered it “a good idea” to have created “a body that monitors” the implementation of the program defined at the time of its World Heritage designation.

“It is a good practice that involves not only the Confraternity but also the Braga City Council, other organizations, and the National Commission for UNESCO itself also has a seat [on the General Council]. So I can see there is real care being taken to preserve this heritage for future generations, as is their responsibility.”

The official also added that the investments proposed by UNESCO are being implemented according to schedule.

“I don’t want to go into too much detail at the moment, especially since there is currently a decision being studied by the World Heritage Committee, which has been meeting since July 6. But the outlined plans are being respected. The reports that have been requested have been submitted, and we continue to monitor those recommendations. This is a very broad effort; these matters do not depend on a single entity — they also involve citizens, because World Heritage belongs to everyone,” summarized Rita Brasil.

Originally published by Diário do Minho

This article was originally published by Diário do Minho on July 7, 2025.
All credits belong to the original author and publication.