The World Heritage Committee,
- Having examined Document WHC-07/31.COM/5.2,
- Recalling the decision adopted by the Executive Board at its 176th session (176 EX/Special Plenary Meeting/Decision), which "requests the Director-General within the framework of the World Heritage Convention, to propose to the World Heritage Committee at its forthcoming session a mechanism to ensure the proper implementation of the World Heritage Committee decisions",
- Affirming that nothing in the present decision shall affect each State Party's primary duty to ensure the identification, protection and conservation of World Heritage properties, as stipulated in Article 4 of the World Heritage Convention;
- Adopts with immediate effect, the reinforced monitoring mechanism proposed by the Director-General to ensure the proper implementation of the World Heritage Committee's decisions and requests the World Heritage Centre to refine the operational aspects of this mechanism in close consultation with the Advisory Bodies, and with the Chairperson of the World Heritage Committee;
- Acknowledges that the verification process under the reinforced monitoring mechanism may be activated in exceptional and specific cases either by the World Heritage Committee or the Director-General and underlines that reinforced monitoring is a constant cooperative process with the State Party concerned, which will always be undertaken in full consultation and with its approval;
- Calls on the States Parties to contribute to resource mobilization with a view to reinforcing the monitoring of properties inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger, as foreseen in the World Heritage Convention;
- Requests the World Heritage Centre to present to the World Heritage Committee, at its 33rd session in 2009, a report regarding the implementation of the reinforced monitoring mechanism with a view to assessing the lessons learned during this period, prior to institutionalizing the reinforced monitoring mechanism in the Operational Guidelines.