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The World Heritage Committee

The World Heritage Committee meets once a year, and consists of representatives from 21 of the States Parties to the Convention elected by their General Assembly. At its first session, the Committee adopted its Rules of Procedure of the World Heritage Committee .

The Committee is responsible for the implementation of the World Heritage Convention, defines the use of the World Heritage Fund and allocates financial assistance upon requests from States Parties. It has the final say on whether a property is inscribed on the World Heritage List. The Committee can also defer its decision and request further information on properties from the States Parties. It examines reports on the state of conservation of inscribed properties and asks States Parties to take action when properties are not being properly managed. It also decides on the inscription or deletion of properties on the List of World Heritage in Danger.

36th World Heritage Committee in St Petersburg, Russian Federation (30/06/2012) © UNESCO

Bureau of the World Heritage Committee

The Bureau consists of seven States Parties elected annually by the Committee: a Chairperson, five Vice-Chairpersons, and a Rapporteur. The Bureau of the Committee coordinates the work of the Committee and fixes the dates, hours and order of business of meetings. The election of the new Bureau will take place at the end of the next session of the World Heritage Committee.

Chairperson: H.E. Mr SOK An (Cambodia) 
Rapporteur: Ms Jasna ZRNOVIC (Serbia)  
Vice-Chairpersons: Algeria, Colombia, Senegal, Switzerland and Thailand

World Heritage Committee Members

According to the World Heritage Convention , a Committee member's term of office is for six years, but most States Parties choose voluntarily to be Members of the Committee for only four years, in order to give other States Parties an opportunity to be on the Committee.  All Members elected during the two last General Assemblies (2009 and 2011) have voluntarily decided to reduce their period of term of office from six to four years. 

The 21 States Parties of the current World Heritage Committee are the following:

Algeria, Cambodia, Colombia, Estonia, Ethiopia, France, Germany, India, Iraq, Japan, Malaysia, Mali, Mexico, Qatar, Russian Federation, Senegal, Serbia, South Africa, Switzerland, Thailand, United Arab Emirates

Ordinary sessions of the World Heritage Committee

37COM Phnom Penh, Cambodia (2013)
36COM Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation (2012)
35COM Paris, France (2011)
34COM Brasília, Brazil (2010)
33COM Sevilla, Spain (2009)
32COM Quebec City, Canada (2008)
31COM Christchurch, New-Zealand (2007)
30COM Vilnius, Lithuania (2006)
29COM Durban, South Africa (2005)
28COM Suzhou, China (2004)
27COM Paris, France (2003)
26COM Budapest, Hungary (2002)
25COM Helsinki, Finland (2001)
24COM Cairns, Australia (2000)
23COM Marrakesh, Morocco (1999)
22COM Kyoto, Japan (1998)
21COM Naples, Italy (1997)
20COM Mérida, Mexico (1996)
19COM Berlin, Germany (1995)
18COM Phuket, Thailand (1994)
17COM Cartagena, Colombia (1993)
16COM Santa Fe, USA (1992)
15COM Carthage, Tunisia (1991)
14COM Banff, Canada (1990)
13COM Paris, France (1989)
12COM Brasilia, Brazil (1988)
11COM Paris, France (1987)
10COM Paris, France (1986)
09COM Paris, France (1985)
08COM Buenos Aires, Argentina (1984)
07COM Florence, Italy (1983)
06COM Paris, France (1982)
05COM Sydney, Australia (1981)
04COM Paris, France (1980)
03COM Luxor, Egypt (1979)
02COM Washington, D.C (1978)
01COM Paris, France (1977)

Extraordinary Sessions

10EXTCOM Paris, France (2011)
9EXTCOM Paris, France (2010)
08EXTCOM Paris, France (2007)
07EXTCOM Paris, France (2004)
06EXTCOM Paris, France (2003)
05EXTCOM Paris, France (2001)
04EXTCOM Paris, France (1999)
03EXTCOM Paris, France (1999)
02EXTCOM Paris, France (1997)
01EXTCOM Paris, France (1981)

Bureau

29BUR Durban, South Africa (2005)
27BUR Paris, France (2003)
26BUR Paris, France (2002)
25EXTBUR Helsinki, Finland (2001)
25BUR Paris, France (2001)
24EXTBUR Cairns, Australia (2000)
24BUR Paris, France (2000)
23EXTBUR Marrakesh, Morocco (1999)
23BUR Paris, France (1999)
22EXTBUR Kyoto, Japan (1998)
22BUR Paris, France (1998)
21EXTBUR Naples, Italy (1997)
21BUR Paris, France (1997)
20EXTBUR Mérida, Mexico (1996)
20BUR Paris, France (1996)
19EXTBUR Berlin, Germany (1995)
19BUR Paris, France (1995)
18EXTBUR Paris, France (1994)
18BUR Paris, France (1994)
17EXTBUR Paris, France (1993)
17BUR Paris, France (1993)
16BUR Paris, France (1992)
15BUR Paris, France (1991)
14BUR Paris, France (1990)
13BUR Paris, France (1989)
12BUR Paris, France (1988)
11BUR Paris, France (1987)
10BUR Paris, France (1986)
09BUR Paris, France (1985)
08BUR Paris, France (1984)
07BUR Paris, France (1983)
06BUR Paris, France (1982)
05BUR Paris, France (1981)
04BUR Paris, France (1980)
03BUR Cairo, Egypt (1979)
02BUR Paris, France (1979)
01BUR UNESCO Paris (1978)

More
Committee Decisions
Committee Sessions
Bureau meetings
Committee Rules of Procedure

Established under the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage adopted by the General Conference of UNESCO at its seventeenth session on 16 November 1972. The Rules of Procedure were last revised by the World Heritage Committee at its thirty-fifth session (UNESCO, 2011).

Documents
Events
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