Follow-up of the First Cycle of the Periodic Reporting exercise in Europe and North America (2006-2011)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC-09/33.COM/11C,

2. Recalling Decisions 31 COM 10 and 32 COM 11A, adopted respectively at its 31st session (Christchurch, 2007) and its 32nd session (Quebec City, 2008);

3. Takes note of the results of activities in preparation for the launching of the Second cycle of Periodic Reporting, and in particular the workshop for the preparation of draft Statements of Outstanding Universal Value organized in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (March 2009) ;

4. Expresses its thanks to the Swiss Government and the African World Heritage Fund for their financial support in the preparation of the exercise for the Second cycle of Periodic Reporting;

5. Requests the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies to pursue the implementation of the Regional Programme for Africa, and encourages them to continue seeking funding for its implementation;

6. Requests those States Parties of the Africa region that have not yet responded to the questions raised in the framework of the retrospective inventory to provide all clarifications and documentation requested before 1 February 2010 ;

7. Also requests States Parties of the Africa region to revise or prepare all the missing Statements of Outstanding Universal Value concerning properties located on their territory and to submit them by 1 February 2010 for examination at the 35th session of the World Heritage Committee in 2011;

8. Urges States Parties of the Africa region to actively participate in the second cycle of Periodic Reporting and to take the opportunity to strengthen their management capacities for World Heritage properties;

9. Invites States Parties, the African World Heritage Fund, the World Heritage Centre and all the actors involved in the conservation and management of African natural and cultural heritage to develop a fund-raising strategy to boost the financial resources required for the implementation of World Heritage Convention in Africa and encourages twinning programmes for specific action in capacity building and periodic reporting ;

10. Also invites African States Parties to host regional and sub-regional meetings foreseen in the framework of the second cycle of Periodic Reporting and thanks the State Party of Kenya for its offer to host the sub-regional meeting for Eastern Africa;

11. Also requests the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies to provide assistance to African States Parties in the preparation of the Periodic Report;

12. Decides to launch a second cycle of Periodic Reporting in the Africa region and also decides to allocate USD 150,000 for the implementation of activities foreseen in this framework;

13. Warmly acknowledges the work of the Africa 2009 and Africa Nature programmes;

14. Supports a follow-up programme for Africa 2009 and requests a report to be presented to the World Heritage Committee at its 34th session in 2010, to be integrated in the periodic reporting for Africa;

15. Further requests the World Heritage Centre, in consultation with the Advisory Bodies and the States Parties, to develop programme activities based on the results of the Africa 2009 and African Nature programmes;

16. Requests furthermore the World Heritage Centre to keep it informed of progress achieved in the Periodic Reporting exercise at its 34th session in 2010.

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC-08/32.COM/11C,

2. Recalling Decisions 30 COM 11A.1, 30 COM 11A.2, 31 COM 11A.1 and 31 COM 11.A.2 adopted at its 30th (Vilnius, 2006) and 31st (Christchurch, 2007) sessions respectively,

3. Takes note of the results of the subregional meetings on the follow-up to Periodic Reporting for "Central and Eastern Europe" (Wroclaw, Poland, September 2007) as well as for "Mediterranean and South Eastern Europe" (Corfu, Greece, April 2008), and further notes that a number of training initiatives were financed through extrabudgetary sources

4. Encourages the European States Parties to continue to submit any changes to names, criteria, boundaries and draft statements of significance/Outstanding Universal Value as soon as possible;

5. Recommends that States Parties, Advisory Bodies and the World Heritage Centre continue their collaboration in addressing any outstanding issues, in particular with focused follow-up meetings and training exercises;

6. Thanks the Greek authorities for having hosted the Mediterranean and South-Eastern European Meeting in Corfu, Greece, 18-19 April 2008, and the Spanish authorities for having organized the Iberian Meeting in Plasencia, Spain, 2-4 April 2008, and welcomes the offer of the Portuguese authorities to host a meeting for Mediterranean Europe in spring 2009;

7. Requests the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies to prepare a progress report on the follow-up to the European Periodic Report and on the preparations for the next cycle for Europe and North America for examination by the Committee at its 34th session in 2010.

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC-07/31.COM/11A.1,

2. Recalling Decisions 30 COM 11A.1 and 30 COM 11A.2 adopted at its 30th session
(Vilnius, 2006),

3. Commends States Parties for updating the boundaries and statements of outstanding universal value and encourages the European 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 as a follow-up to the European Periodic Report, at the latest by 1 February 2008;

4. Takes note of the results of the subregional meetings on the follow-up to Periodic
Reporting for Western Europe, Mediterranean and South Eastern Europe and further
notes training initiatives financed through extrabudgetary sources;

5. Recommends that States Parties, the Advisory Bodies and the World Heritage Centre continue their collaboration in addressing any outstanding issues in particular with focused follow-up meetings and welcomes the initiative of the Austrian authorities for a second Western European meeting, the Finnish authorities for having hosted the
Nordic and Baltic Europe meeting, both in May 2007, as well as the Polish authorities
initiative to host a meeting for Eastern and Central Europe in September 2007 and
Greece for Mediterranean Europe in March 2008;

6. Requests States Parties to provide to the World Heritage Centre updated and detailed contact information on site managers in Europe in order to establish a reliable database;

7. Further requests the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies to prepare a
progress report on the follow-up to the European Periodic Report for examination at its
32nd session in 2008.

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC-07/31.COM/11A.2,

2. Takes note of the clarification of property limits provided by the following States Parties in the European region in response to the Retrospective Inventory:

• Belgium: La Grand-Place, Brussels;
• Bulgaria: Rock-Hewn Churches of Ivanovo; Thracian Tomb of Sveshtari;
• Italy: Church and Dominican Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie with "The Last Supper" by Leonardo da Vinci; Historic Centre of Florence; I Sassi di Matera; Historic Centre of Urbino;
• Portugal: Historic Centre of Évora;
• Slovenia: Škocjan Caves;
• Spain: Altamira Cave; Mudejar Architecture of Aragon; Cathedral, Alcázar and Archivo de Indias in Seville; La Lonja de la Seda de Valencia; San Millán Yuso and Suso Monasteries; University and Historic Precinct of Alcalá de Henares.

3. Requests the State Parties in the Europe Region who have not yet answered the questions raised in 2005 in the framework of the Retrospective Inventory to provide all requested clarifications and documentation as soon as possible and by 1 December 2007 at the latest;

4. Acknowledges that the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies will not be able to examine proposals for boundary modifications for properties located in the Europe Region whenever current boundaries are unclear. The same principle applies to sites located within other Regions;

5. Thanks the States Parties concerned for their efforts to improve the credibility of the World Heritage List.