Decision 45 COM 9A

Upstream Process

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/23/45.COM/9A,
2. Recalling Decision 44 COM 9A adopted at its extended 44th session (Fuzhou/online, 2021), and its previous decisions concerning the Upstream Process,
3. Also recalling that upstream support should take place at an early stage, preferably at the moment of preparation or revision of States Parties’ Tentative Lists, welcomes that States Parties from all regions make use of the Upstream Process;
4. Also welcomes the preparation by the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies of a toolkit to operationalize the “Guidance on Developing and Revising World Heritage Tentative Lists”, in response to Upstream Process requests concerning Tentative Lists and invites States Parties to follow this guidance and toolkit whether or not they engage with the Upstream Process;
5. Recognizes the efforts undertaken by the State Party involved, the Advisory Bodies and the World Heritage Centre in the implementation so far of the project and decides to phase out the Pilot Project of the Coral Stone Mosques of the Maldives (Maldives);
6. Takes note of the progress made regarding the Upstream Process requests received from 2018 to 2021;
7. Further welcomes the submission of the Upstream Process requests received by the 31 March 2022 and 31 March 2023 deadlines, and the efforts by the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies to process all requests received in the timeliest manner possible within the resources available;
8. Also invites the States Parties to contribute extra-budgetary resources for the overall coordination and capacity building support of the Upstream Process, and also decides, in case the resources are insufficient to ensure continuity, to supplement the funding of an extra-budgetary position from the Upstream Support budget line in the World Heritage Fund;
9. Thanks the States Parties of Slovenia, Switzerland and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland for their financial support to the overall coordination of the Upstream Process;
10. Requests the World Heritage Centre, in collaboration with the Advisory Bodies, to present a progress report on the support offered to Upstream Process requests received, for consideration at its 46th session.