Resolution 17 GA 9

Future of the World Heritage Convention

The General Assembly,

1. Having examined Documents WHC-09/17.GA/9 and WHC-09/17.GA/INF.9
2. Noting that the World Heritage Convention is approaching universal ratification and that its 40th anniversary is to be celebrated in 2012 and, therefore, that it is appropriate to reflect on the successes of the Convention and also how it can best be implemented to meet the emerging challenges and opportunities it faces while also increasing its relevance and engagement with communities around the world,
3. Considering the results of the Workshop to reflect on the Future of the World Heritage Convention, which took place from 25 to 27 February 2009 at UNESCO Headquarters, and taking into account the subsequent discussions of the consultative group established by the World Heritage Committee during its 33rd Session, held in Seville in June 2009;
4. Welcomes the progress report on the implementation of the Global Strategy for a Credible, Representative and Balanced World Heritage List from 1994 to 2009 (Document WHC-09/17.GA/9 Part III) while observing that improved indicators and analysis would be necessary for future reports of progress achieved in the framework of the Global Strategy;
5. Notes that the draft vision presented to the General Assembly (Document WHC-09/17.GA/INF.9) should take into account suggestions made during the debate on this issue at the 17th session of the General Assembly so that it could be used as a basis for further discussion by the World Heritage Committee at its 34th and 35th sessions and by the General Assembly of States Parties at its 18th session in 2011;
6. Calls upon States Parties to cooperate in continuing the process of reflection on the future of the World Heritage Convention, addressing inter alia the following important topics:
   1. the relationship between the World Heritage Convention, conservation and sustainable development;
   2. the credibility of the public image of the Convention, awareness raising and community involvement in the implementation of the World Heritage Convention;
   3. capacity building for States Parties, particularly for developing countries and other stakeholders, to implement the World Heritage Convention;
   4. strategic management and the Global Strategy for a Credible, Representative and Balanced World Heritage List;
   5. the efficiency and transparency of decision-making of the statutory organs of the World Heritage Convention;
   6. working relationships with other relevant Conventions and UNESCO programmes;
7. Welcomes the development of a draft Action Plan, recognizing that further work is required to both prioritize actions, as well as develop an effective implementation of the Plan;
8. Requests that the views of all States Parties related to the identification of priorities in the Action Plan be solicited by the World Heritage Centre prior to the 34th session of the World Heritage Committee in 2010;
9. Further requests that discussion take place during the 34th session of the World Heritage Committee in 2010 involving all interested States Parties to the Convention to prioritize the actions in the Action Plan based on input from States Parties, to reorganize it on the basis of the strategic objectives (5 Cs) and to report back to the General Assembly of States Parties at its 18th session in 2011;
10. Invites States Parties to take the initiative in convening expert meetings on the above issues with a view to identifying key policy questions for discussion during the 34th and 35th sessions of the World Heritage Committee and submit them for consideration and adoption by the General Assembly at its 18th session in 2011;
11. Welcomes the offer of Australia and Bahrain to host an expert meeting in Bahrain on the decision-making procedures of the statutory organs of the World Heritage Convention to identify opportunities for increasing the efficiency and transparency of these procedures, and requests the World Heritage Centre, in cooperation with these two States Parties, to launch and facilitate consultations on the meeting's scope and agenda for discussion by the World Heritage Committee at its 34th session in 2010;
12. Also welcomes the offer of Brazil to host in 2010 an expert meeting on the relationship between the World Heritage Convention, conservation and sustainable development;
13. Further welcomes the offer by Australia and Japan to host such a meeting pursuant to paragraph 14 of the Decision 33 COM 14A.2 in Document WHC-09/17.GA/INF.9 including the issues of Tentative Lists and International Assistance for improving the process of nominations;
14. Calls upon the World Heritage Centre, the Advisory Bodies and other partners to increase significantly their support to States Parties, particularly less developed countries, in the identification of cultural, natural and mixed properties for Tentative Lists as well as in the harmonization of their Tentative Lists taking into account existing relevant studies;
15. Requests the World Heritage Centre to convene in 2010, through extra-budgetary funding, a meeting of the existing unesco category 2 centres active on World Heritage issues together with representatives of relevant UNITWIN networks, UNESCO Chairs, other regional and national research centres at the regional and national levels and graduate programmes in order to facilitate their activities and to strengthen their regional relevance;
16. Also requests the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies to help facilitate the above activities and to provide the General Assembly at its 18th session in 2011 with a summary of the work undertaken in relation to the reflection on the future of the Convention, including an independent evaluation by UNESCO’s external auditor on the implementation of the Global Strategy from its inception in 1994 to 2011 and the Partnership for Conservation Initiative (PACT), based on indicators and approaches to be developed during the 34th and 35th sessions of the World Heritage Committee.