Decision 40 COM 10B.1

Follow-up to the Second Cycle of the Periodic Reporting Exercise for Asia and Pacific region

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/16/40.COM/10B,
2. Recalling Decisions 37 COM 10C.1, 38 COM 10B.1 and 39 COM 10B.1 adopted at its 37th (Phnom Penh, 2013), 38th (Doha, 2014) and 39th (Bonn, 2015) sessions respectively,
3. Welcomes the progress made in the follow-up of the Second Cycle of Periodic Reporting in the Asia and the Pacific region;
4. Thanks the governments of Japan, the Republic of Korea, Malaysia and the Netherlands for their contributions towards supporting follow-up activities to the Second Cycle of Periodic Reporting in the region of Asia and the Pacific;
5. Also thanks the World Heritage Institute of Training and Research for the Asia and the Pacific Region (WHITR-AP) and the Centre for World Natural Heritage Management and Training (WNHM) for the Asia and the Pacific region for their contributions to the implementation of activities outlined in the Capacity Building Strategy and Associated Programmes for Asia and the Pacific (CBSAP-AP), as part of the follow-up to the Second Cycle of Periodic Reporting; further thanks the International Centre on Space Technologies for Natural and Cultural Heritage (HIST, China) for its initiative in promoting regional cooperation on World Heritage in Asia and the Pacific;
6. Takes note of the finalization of the updated Pacific World Heritage Action Plan (2016-2020) with the aim of increasing awareness at community, national, regional and global levels of the heritage of the Pacific Island nations and their contribution to sustainable development, and enhancing the Pacific nations’ capacity to prepare sound nominations and effectively manage World Heritage sites;
7. Also takes note of the progress made on the Silk Roads nomination process, initiated by the Asian States Parties in collaboration with the World Heritage Centre, and commends the fruitful international cooperation between the national institutions of various States Parties in the region, which makes this project a good practice example for other serial transnational nominations;
8. Reiterates its invitation to States Parties in Asia and the Pacific to actively implement the relevant sub-regional Action Plans, and also encourages them to intensify their contributions towards the implementation of follow-up activities, to be devised in close collaboration with the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies;
9. Reminds States Parties which have not already done so to submit their Retrospective Statements of Outstanding Universal Value by 1 February 2017 at the latest, as well as clarifications of boundaries by 1 December 2016 at the latest;
10. Requests the World Heritage Centre to present a progress report on the implementation of the Action Plans for Asia and the Pacific at its 41st session in 2017.