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Periodic Reporting 1st Cycle: Europe and North America

Geographical focus
Europe and North America

The First Cycle of the Periodic Reporting exercise was carried out from 2001 to 2006 for Europe and from 2001 to 2005 for North America. The exercise provided an opportunity for States Parties to highlight a number of challenges.

Results
Europe Region
(2001-2006)

For the Periodic Report for Europe , the results of the exercise and the Action Plan were presented and adopted by the World Heritage Committee at its 30th session in Vilnius, 2006 (see Decision 30COM 11A.1).

The exercise has helped to increase interest in and awareness of the World Heritage Convention among governments and institutions and has brought to light a number of challenges and concerns expressed by Focal Points and Site Managers.

In response to these concerns, sub-regional recommendations and an overall Action Plan have been developed in collaboration with national Focal Points and the Advisory Bodies.

The Europe Periodic Reporting of the First Cycle was an important achievement for the whole region. It has resulted in the digital collection of all the data made available by States Parties and has set the pace for the increased cooperation between States Parties in the framework of the World Heritage Convention. 

The exercise results for Europe is published in the World Heritage Papers, N°20  "Periodic Report and Action Plan 2005-2006" .

Periodic Reporting and Action plan 2005-2006

Results
North America Region
(2001-2005)

The  Periodic Report for North America assessed the implementation of the World Heritage Convention and the state of conservation of World Heritage properties in Canada and United States of America and was presented and adopted by the World Heritage Committee at its 29th session in Durban, 2005 (see Decision 29COM 11A).

The Report has been a pioneering exercise for the elaboration of statements of significance (approved in 2006, see  Decision 30COM 11B ).

This process was conducted in close collaboration with the Advisory Bodies and resulted in a methodology which became a reference for World Heritage properties worldwide.

The subsequent activities of the Periodic Reporting exercise for North America have focused on strengthening planning and monitoring tools, developing guidelines for management plans and establishing principles for evaluating visual impacts of activities in or adjacent to World Heritage properties.

The national reports for North America are available on the following websites:

Canada
United States of Amercia
Questionnaire format of the First Cycle
(2001-2006)
Questionnaires reports of the First Cycle
(restricted access, login required)
https://whc.unesco.org/en/75/ 
Documents

Events 29
Mediterranean sub-region informal meeting
10 Feb 2006 - 12 Feb 2006
Decisions / Resolutions (9)
Code: 30COM 11A.1

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC-06/30COM/11A.1 and taking note of Document WHC-06/30COM/INF.11A,

2. Recalling Decisions 25 COM VII.25-27 and 7 EXT COM 5A.2, adopted respectively at its 25th session (Helsinki, 2001) and 7th extraordinary session (UNESCO, 2004),

3. Expressing its sincere appreciation for the considerable efforts by all 48 States Parties in Europe in submitting the Periodic Reports for Section I in 2004 and Section II in 2005,

4. Notes the successful use of an electronic tool, the development of an evaluation tool and the storage in a World Heritage Centre database of all information submitted by the States Parties;

5. Thanks the German authorities for hosting a European meeting (Berlin, Germany, 8 - 9 November 2005) on the results of Periodic Reporting Section I and the finalization of Section II, as well as the development of an overall Strategic Action Plan and welcomes the "Berlin Appeal" to enhance cooperation and support by European States Parties and European Institutions on World Heritage;

6. Welcomes with satisfaction the synthesis report of the European Region illustrating a growing co-operation among States Parties;

7. Acknowledges and endorses the Action Plan of the European synthesis report on Section I and II and the sub-regional reports and requests the States Parties to make an effort towards a coordinated approach for its implementation;

8. Requests States Parties to work with the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies to start implementing the Action Plan for the European Region;

9. Further notes that preparations for the follow-up to the Periodic Reporting results, including name changes, boundary changes and statements of significance have started in some European States Parties, following the Circular Letter of 23 January 2006, and welcomes the meetings offered by the Greek authorities in November 2006, by the French authorities in October 2006 and by the Spanish authorities in January 2007, to ensure a coordinated and systematic approach of these follow-up activities;

10. Notes the importance of management plans for the protection of World Heritage properties and that many European sites reviewed lack this tool, and requests States Parties to prepare management plans for those World Heritage properties that still do not have them;

11. Recognizes the need to avoid the nomination of similar types of properties and encourages States Parties to cooperate in harmonizing their Tentative Lists by sharing information on the sites proposed;

12. Strongly encourages the States Parties in Europe to continue the improved cooperation and requests all States Parties to submit any changes to names, criteria, boundaries and statements of significance in a timely fashion and in accordance with deadlines outlined in the Operational Guidelines;

13. Notes also that such proposals (and the similar ones made in Periodic Reports for other Regions) have considerable resource and workload implications for the Committee, the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies as well as for States Parties;

14. Further requests that all European States Parties provide an official letter to the World Heritage Centre by 31 September 2006, indicating their agreement to make the electronic database available for data-sharing with the Council of Europe and other partners as well as on the World Heritage webpage for the general public;

15. Requests the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies to prepare a progress report on the follow-up to the European Periodic Report including time tables, budgetary implications and priorities for examination at its 31st session in 2007.

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Code: 30COM 11B

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC-06/30.COM/11B,

2. RecallingDecisions 29 COM 11 A.4 and 29 COM 11 A.5 adopted at its 29th session (Durban, 2005),

3. Noting proposals for changes to the nomination dossiers for some World Heritage properties in North America,

4. Approves the Statements of significance for the World Heritage properties in North America as included in Annex I of Document WHC-06/30.COM/11B;

5. Notes the changes to the names as indicated in Document WHC-06/30.COM/8B, and further notes the adjustments to natural heritage criteria concerning geological values, as indicated in Document WHC-06/30.COM/8D and decides to also change the name of Redwood National Park to Redwood National and State Parks;

6. Encourages the State Party of Canada to put forward extensions to Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks and Wood Buffalo National Park, pursuant to Canada's Tentative List for World Heritage Sites (2004);

7. Encourages Canada and the United States of America to submit any outstanding documentation related to World Heritage properties, as soon as possible;

8. Recommends that Canada and the United States of America continue, in cooperation with other Committee members, States Parties, the Advisory Bodies and the World Heritage Centre to explore, as appropriate, the potential for developing guidelines for management plans and principles for evaluating visual impacts for activities in and adjacent to World Heritage properties;

9. Encourages Canada and the United States of America to continue their strong collaboration and to consider how to enhance collaboration with the State Party of Mexico in matters of shared interest for natural and cultural heritage.

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Code: 29COM 11A

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC-05/29.COM/11A,

2. Recalling Decisions 25 COM VII.25-27 adopted at its 25th (Helsinki, 2001) session and 7 EXT.COM 5 and 7 EXT.COM 5A.1 adopted at its 7th extraordinary session (UNESCO, 2004),

3. Welcomes with appreciation the synthesis report of the North American region illustrating very effective cooperation between the States Parties of Canada and the United States of America;

4. Takes note of the Periodic Report and its specific recommendations for revised statements of significance, name changes, revisions of criteria and other clarifications regarding inscriptions of World Heritage properties in the region;

5. Acknowledges the recommendations for reviewing the importance of local populations in or adjacent to natural World Heritage properties; guidelines for management plans and principles for evaluating visual impacts for activities in and adjacent World Heritage properties;

6. Requests that the meeting concerning the "reflection year" referred to in Decision 7 EXT.COM 5 include:

a) forms and format of the Report;

b) training priorities arising from all reports;

c) international cooperation issues; and

d) a reflection on a new regional grouping;

7. Requests the Director of the World Heritage Centre, in consultation with the Advisory Bodies and the States Parties concerned, to report at its 30th session (Vilnius, 2006) on the proposed structure, time-schedule and resources needed for the implementation of the measures outlined in paragraph 6;

8. Strongly encourages the States Parties of Canada and the United States of America to continue the existing level of excellent cooperation.

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Code: 29COM 11B

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Decides, in view of the time constraints, to defer the presentation and the discussion of this item until its 30th session (Vilnius, 2006).

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Code: 07EXTCOM 5A.2

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC-04/7 EXT.COM/5A,

2. Recalling its Decision 25 COM VII.25-27 at its 25th session (Helsinki, 2001) to examine Section I of the Periodic Report for Europe at its 29th session (Durban, 2005), and Section II at its 30th session (2006),

3. Notes the report on the progress of the Periodic Report for Europe.

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Code: 27COM 6B

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Requests the World Heritage Centre to produce a publication within three months, if possible, to be funded from extrabudgetary funds, on the Arab States Periodic Report carried out in the year 2000 and information on the follow-up actions.  This publication is also to be made available through electronic or other appropriate means (CD-Rom and/or on the UNESCO World Heritage Centre's web site);

2. Notes the progress made to date in the preparation for the Periodic Reporting in Latin America and the Caribbean and in Europe and North America.

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Code: 25COM VII.25

Concerning the proposals for the Periodic Reporting Exercise for Europe (Section 4 of Document WHC-01/CONF.208/8), the Committee agreed both with the timing and the proposal to collaborate with the Council of Europe and its HEREIN project, a comparative databank on European cultural heritage policies. It furthermore noted the co-operation with the Nordic World Heritage Office/Foundation in the development of technical tools.

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Code: 25COM VII.26

The Committee also requested that all States Parties be included in this effort and to fully co-operate with the Advisory Bodies. A number of European States Parties took the floor to support the arrangements proposed, namely to cover Section I of the reports for all countries in 2005 and Section II in 2006. A question was raised as to whether the capacity in the Centre would be sufficient for the work to be carried out and the Director responded that assistance be provided by States Parties through the Associate Expert Scheme.

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Code: 25COM VII.27

The Delegate of Hungary pointed out that the year 2007 should be devoted to a stocktaking exercise and the development of conceptual guidelines for the second cycle. The Delegate of Greece informed the Committee that a Conference on the Safeguarding of Byzantine Heritage had been organized in May 2001 and that a database on the state of conservation of this type of heritage for the Mediterranean countries is being established. ICOMOS fully supported the link to the Council of Europe and the HEREIN project, as this is an open project which could be very beneficial to other regions. The thesaurus already exists in English, French and Spanish and the thematic and methodological approach could be expanded to cover the other reporting exercises as it includes heritage protection in general.

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