The Ministry for Culture, the Arts and Local Government, together with Malta's Permanent Delegation to UNESCO, have advanced a submission for the Harbour Fortifications around Valletta, the Cottonera fortifications, the Santa Margerita fortifications, Mdina, and the Cittadella in Gozo to be added to UNESCO's World Heritage List under the name "The Maltese Fortifications of the Knights of St John."

The UNESCO World Heritage List was established through the 1972 World Heritage Convention - a convention which Malta ratified in 1978. Shortly after, in 1980, Malta successfully inscribed three important sites on this prestigious list - the Ġgantija Temples of Gozo, the Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum, and the City of Valletta. Eventually, in 1992, the inscription of the Ġgantija Temples was extended to include the Megalithic Temples of Malta, the government said. This extension covered the temples of Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra, the Tarxien Temples, as well as Ta' Ħaġrat and Skorba, it said.

The Minister for Culture, the Arts and Local Government, Owen Bonnici, stated: "For the past years, work has been ongoing for our country to explore which sites enjoy universal values that could make them good candidates for the World Heritage List. Following a process of assistance, known as the Upstream Process, the Maltese Government, through the Ministry for Culture, the Arts and Local Government, together with Malta's Permanent Delegation to UNESCO, has prepared a submission for the Harbour Fortifications around Valletta, the Cottonera fortifications, the Santa Margerita fortifications, Mdina and the Cittadella in Gozo to be added to the existing inscription of Valletta under the title 'The Maltese Fortifications of the Knights of St John'." 

He explained that at a time when the requirements for inscription on this list are becoming increasingly strict and rigorous, this exercise was carried out through extensive studies and consultations with foreign experts, as well as with UNESCO's own World Heritage Centre and their international consultants, ICOMOS International. 

The first application has now been submitted to the World Heritage Centre before the final application is submitted on 1 February 2026. From there, the application will undergo scrutiny and evaluation by the international consultants of the World Heritage Centre, before being presented for a vote by the World Heritage Committee, which is composed of 21 member states of the 1972 Convention.

"The World Heritage List includes within it sites that have values considered extraordinary and of universal scope, making them important not only for the country or the local communities but for humanity as a whole. Inscription on this list not only raises the visibility of the site and its appeal in the tourism sector, but also increases the responsibility of the state and local communities to preserve and safeguard these sites for future generations," government said.