By Year
II.1 The Committee adopted the provisional agenda as amended by the Delegate of Niger, and endorsed by Malta, proposing that item 6 of the provisional agenda (Constitution of working groups to examine specific items on the Committee's agenda) be replaced by a new item: Report on the decisions taken by the General Assembly of the States Parties (Tenth session) and by the General Conference of UNESCO at its 28th session.
III.1 As proposed by the Delegate of the United States of America, and endorsed by the Delegates of Niger, Japan, Italy, Lebanon, Canada and France, Mr Horst Winkelmann (Germany) was elected by acclamation as Chairperson of the Committee. Mr Lambert Messan (Niger) was elected also by acclamation as Rapporteur, and the following members of the Committee were elected as Vice-Chairpersons: Australia, Italy, Japan, Lebanon and Mexico.
III.2 The newly-elected Chairperson thanked warmly the outgoing Chairperson, Dr Adul Wichiencharoen, for his dedicated work in the past year. Having underlined ...
VI.1 The Chairperson having suggested the setting up of possibly two working groups in order to facilitate the work, the Committee decided, on the proposal of Italy which was endorsed by Japan, Mexico and Niger, to set up a working group to discuss the International Assistance requests, and to organize, if necessary, the Committee's debate on the budget. It was likewise decided that this, as any other working group, would be open to all delegates and observers alike.
VI.2 The Committee also decided to create a working group which would prepare sub-items (a), (b), (c) and (d) of Agenda ...
VII.50 The Working Group on monitoring and reporting was chaired by Mr Barry Jones (Australia). Mr Harald Plachter (Germany) served as the Rapporteur of this Working Group.
VII.51 The report of the Working Group was presented by its Chairperson to the Committee's plenary session on Friday, 8 December 1995. He informed the Committee that the Working Group recognized that the issue under consideration consists of two steps:
1. the monitoring by the states Parties of the state of their World Heritage sites;2. the regular reporting on the state of these sites in accordance with the ...
19 COM VII.1
Reports on the State of Conservation of the World Heritage Cultural and Natural Properties: Working Group
VII.1 The Committee having decided to have during this session a working group on monitoring and reporting, this item is reported in two parts:
- Reports on the state of conservation of specific properties;- Report of the working group on monitoring and reporting.
This question also appears in Chapter IX in the framework of the presentation of the Report of the General Assembly of States Parties.
VII.2 The Committee examined reports on the state of conservation of eight natural and seven cultural properties inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
Furthermore, the committee examined state of conservation reports on thirteen natural, one mixed cultural and natural site and nineteen cultural World Heritage sites.
VII.6 Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve (Guinea/Cote d' Ivoire)
The Committee recalled that the site was included on the List of World Heritage in Danger in 1992 because of negative impacts from a proposed iron-ore mining project and threats due to the arrival of a large number of refugees from neighbouring countries. It furthermore recalled that an extensive report was presented to the Bureau at its nineteenth session in July 1995.
The Committee noted that in response to the Bureau's request for clarifications on the legal protection and classification of the site, the Ministry for ...
V11.7 Manas Wildlife Sanctuary (India)
The IUCN Representative informed the Committee that recent information on the site indicates that the civil unrest continues to restrict management efforts. Habitat conditions in a portion of Manas were still intact, but numbers of large fauna species were particularly low due to commercial poaching.
The Committee recalled that it had on numerous occasions expressed its concerns on the state of conservation of the site and requested the State Party to provide detailed information.
The Committee took note of the intervention by the Observer of ...
Sites: Manas Wildlife Sanctuary
VII.8 Air-et-Tenere Reserve (Niger)
The Committee recalled that at the request of the Niger authorities, the site was inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger in 1992 as it was affected by civil disturbances. A Peace Accord was signed in October 1994.
The Delegate of Niger took the floor and recommended that an evaluation mission be organized to review the situation at the site.
Meanwhile, the Committee decided that the site would remain on the List of World Heritage in Danger. The situation will be reviewed by the Committee at its twentieth session in the light of information ...
VII.9 Everglades National Park (United States of America)
The Committee recalled that the site was inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger in 1993 due to an increasing number of threats since the date of its inscription on the World Heritage List in 1979 and that Federal State and local governments, as well as private foundations, had joined forces in providing significant financial support for the management of the site and its long-term restoration.
The World Heritage Centre presented a monitoring report, received from the State Party in November 1995, indicating that the ...
Sites: Everglades National Park
VII.3 Srebarna Nature Reserve (Bulgaria)
The committee recalled that the site was inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger in 1992 and that the Bureau at its nineteenth session examined a substantive state of conservation report, prepared by the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Bulgaria.
The Representative of IUCN informed the committee that a monitoring mission was undertaken by the Secretariat of the Ramsar Convention and a detailed monitoring report was prepared. This report indicates that the new water control structure allows an inflow of water on a small scale, ...
Sites: Srebarna Nature Reserve
VII.4 Plitvice Lakes National Park (Croatia)
The Committee recalled that the site was inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger in 1992 and that information was received from both the Permanent Delegation of the Republic _of Croatia to UNESCO and the Croatian National Commission for UNESCO, indicating that damage from the period of occupation was evident. The Committee furthermore noted that the site was reopened to the public on 10 August 1995 and that the Chairperson of the World Heritage Committee approved a request for emergency assistance (communications equipment) for an ...
Sites: Plitvice Lakes National Park
VII.5 Sangay National Park (Ecuador)
The Committee recalled that the site was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1983 and placed on the List of World Heritage in Danger in 1992 due to threats from poachers, boundary encroachment and unplanned road construction. It took note of the preliminary report by INEFAN (Instituto Ecuatoriano Forestal y de Areas Naturales y Vida Silvestre) on the environmental impact of the construction of the Guamote-Macas road in the Park, and an extensive report of October 1995 provided by the IUCN Office in Ecuador. This report indicates that the road ...
Sites: Sangay National Park
VII. 10 Virunga National Park (Zaire)
The Committee recalled that Virunga National Park was included on the List of World Heritage in Danger at the last session of the World Heritage Committee in December 1994, due to the tragic events in Rwanda and the subsequent massive influx of refugees from that country. It noted that the site is seriously threatened by the uncontrolled arrival of refugees, causing deforestation and poaching at the site.
The Committee took note of the reports provided both by the Secretariat and IUCN, as well as the responses received by the Ministry for the ...
Sites: Virunga National Park
VII.14 Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve (Honduras)
The Committee recalled that the Bureau at its nineteenth session took note of a report received from the Fundaci6n Rio Platano concerning the site, inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1982. The report concerned the agricultural intrusion at the south and western borders of the site and on the land reform programme and its implementation in north-eastern Honduras. The Bureau at its nineteenth session requested IUCN to verify the situation and to report back to the nineteenth session of the World Heritage committee. Subsequently, the ...
VII.15 Komodo National Park (Indonesia)
The Committee took note that a mission to consider the state of conservation of Komodo National Park took place in July 1995 under the leadership of the Chair of the Indonesian World Heritage Committee, accompanied by representatives of the national authorities and the UNESCO Office in Jakarta. The Committee expressed its concern for the four officials of the Indonesian World Heritage Committee still missing at sea after a tragic accident during the course of a monitoring mission to Komodo. The Committee paid tribute to their dedication to the ...
Sites: Komodo National Park
VII.16 Whale sanctuary of El Viscaino (Mexico)
The Committee recalled that the Bureau at its last session took note of the report on the site, presented by the IUCN Representative, indicating that the Mitsubishi Corporation in partnership with the Mexican Government, has a project to convert a part of the lagoon into salt ponds for industrial salt production. A one-mile long pier is proposed, which could disturb the grey whales within the lagoon. The Committee noted that no response has yet been received to a letter written to the authorities indicating the concerns raised at the ...
VII.17 Arabian Oryx Sanctuary (Oman)
The committee recalled that at its eighteenth session it requested IUCN to present to the Bureau an evaluation of the revised boundaries of this site, based on the report of the consultant working on the plan for the area. The World Heritage Centre informed the Committee that it has received a "Preliminary Land Use and Management Plan" of November 1995 which the Centre has transmitted to IUCN for review.
VII.18 Tongariro National Park (New Zealand)
The Committee recalled that the site was inscribed under natural criteria on the World Heritage List in 1990 and as a cultural landscape in 1993. The Centre informed the Committee that it received information from a member of the local Maori community about the dropping of 1080 poison on Mount Tongariro to-combat the possum browse which threatens indigenous flora, and that the Department of Conservation had held consultations with the community, which agreed to a time-limited operation, which would not contaminate waterways. The Committee took ...
Sites: Tongariro National Park
VII. 19 Huascaran National Park (Peru)
The Committee recalled that the site was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1985 and that a report on the site was presented to the nineteenth session of the Bureau. In addition, the IUCN Representative informed the Committee about (a) the need for an inventory of cultural heritage within the Park to be undertaken, and (b) road proposals which might become a serious threat to the integrity of the World Heritage site.
The Committee thanked the Peruvian authorities for the arrangements made to facilitate the IUCN mission to the Huascaran ...
Sites: Huascarán National Park