Decision 12 COM XII.49-56

Situation of the World Heritage Fund and Budget for 1989

49. The Committee took note of document SC-88/CONF.001/7 which consisted essentially of a series of financial statements for mandatory and voluntary contributions to the World Heritage Fund for the financial periods covering 1981-83, 1984-85, 1986-87 and 1988-89 as at 30 September 1988. The Committee noted that since this date a number of contributions had been received and that several projects for international assistance had been approved, which resulted in a revised balance available for 1989 amounting to $2,112,974 as at 25 November 1988.

50. The Committee specifically took account of the need to allocate a maximum of resources for technical cooperation and training activities, which were of particular use to developing States Parties. The representative of Yemen drew the Committee's attention to the need to substantially increase the budget allocations for training and technical cooperation in order to ensure the protection of the cultural and natural heritage of the lesser developed countries. The Committee requested the Secretariat to work with States Parties in order to use the resources of the World Heritage Fund as much as possible in a catalytic manner, for example in combining World Heritage projects with those of other international bodies such as UNDP, the World Bank, the World Wide Fund for Nature, etc.

51. The Committee decided that the funds allocated for technical cooperation and training should be used in a flexible manner such that funds could be transferred inbetween these budget lines in order to meet requests from States Parties.

52. The Committee also considered the need to maintain the high quality of the advisory services provided to the Committee by ICOMOS and IUCN, who were increasingly asked to monitor properties inscribed on the World Heritage List and to advise on international assistance requests and their implementation.

53. As regards the allocation for temporary assistance to the Secretariat, the Committee was of the opinion that this budget line should be reduced as much as possible to ensure the maximum use of the World Heritage Fund for the protection of listed properties. In this respect, the former Chairman, Mr. J. Collinson, recalled the decision of the Director-General in reply to his letter dated 17 June 1988 to provide six additional posts under Unescos' Regular Programme to meet the needs of the World Heritage Secretariat. The Secretariat informed the Committee that owing to budget constraints within the Organization, it had not yet been possible to establish these posts but there were indications that this situation could be resolved progressively in the near future, thereby releasing the funds allocated for temporary assistance. The Committee recommended that the Chairman write to the Director­-General to reiterate the Committee's grave concern to establish the Secretariat on a permanent basis under the Unesco Regular Programme and to indicate that an allocation for temporary assistance to the Secretariat would probably not be granted by the Committee in future years.

54. The Committee recommended that a sum of $20,000 be earmarked for the purpose of the global studies recommended by the Working Group of the Committee. The use of these funds would be decided upon by the Bureau at its thirteenth session in 1989.

55. In order to ensure equitable representation of the different regions and cultural areas of States Parties, the Committee requested the Secretariat to prepare a proposal for consideration by the Bureau at its next session concerning the possibility of allocating a portion of the Fund which would be used under very strict conditions to support the participation of the experts in cultural and/or natural heritage of the lesser developed States Members at the sessions of the Committee and its Bureau.

56. In accordance with the above considerations, the Committee adopted the following budget for 1989.

_{* The funds for technical cooperation and training can be used in an interchangeable manner.}