25 BUR III.52
Report on the activities undertaken by the Secretariat since the twenty-fourth session of the Committee
A meeting of a small Drafting Group to prepare the revision of the Operational Guidelines will be held at UNESCO Headquarters from 8 to 12 October 2001 instead of 10-14 September 2001 as originally arranged.
On an exceptional basis, the Bureau decided to allocate the sum of US$30,000 from the World Heritage Fund in 2001 (Chapter III – International Assistance) for the organisation of the meeting of the Drafting ...
V.122 The Bureau noted that IUCN informed the Centre that a severe shortage of funds is impeding the anti-poaching operations and affecting the management of Kaziranga National Park. It is estimated that more than 200 rhinos have been poached and 60 poachers have been killed in the Park in the last decade. More resources are needed to improve the protection of the Park. However, it has been reported that there have been problems with designated funding provided to the Regional Government actually reaching the Park. Consequently, few of the patrol vehicles are in ...
Sites: Kaziranga National Park
V.150 The Bureau was informed that on 9 May 2001 a fax was received from Parks Canada providing new information on a number of developments since November 2000, which was transmitted to IUCN for review.
V.151 The Delegate of Canada informed the Bureau that staff from Gros Morne continue to work directly with the forestry company and the provincial government to ensure that the ecological integrity and the World Heritage values of the national park are recognized, taken into account and maintained in the context of forest operations. Canada ...
Sites: Gros Morne National Park
V.146 The Bureau noted that IUCN reviewed the information from the Minister of Environment and Water (MOEW) of Bulgaria dated 20 October 2000 and that no further information had been provided by the State Party. IUCN noted that the ski developments of 1985/86 were in compliance with the then existing Nature Protection Act and occupy an area of 48 ha. On 18 ha of this area, however, two ski runs and one chair lift do not function properly and there are consequent problems of overcrowding and traffic congestion on narrow roads. The Territorial Development ...
Sites: Pirin National Park
V.142 IUCN received reports in relation to the Bialowieza Forest, Poland, which state that the Government has abandoned its plans to enlarge the Park due to the lack of funds, and that funding for the existing Park remains at minimal levels. There are also disturbing reports about a doubling of cutting rates in the commercially-managed part of the Forest outside the World Heritage site, and lobbying to cut areas of old growth forest. While this information does not pertain to the part of the Forest designated as the World Heritage site, it can be ...
Sites: Białowieża Forest
V.138 The Bureau noted a progress report received for the development of the Action Plan for Canaima National Park from the Venezuelan authorities in December 2000. The aim of the Action Plan is to promote dialogue between all the stakeholders of the National Park in order to create favourable collaboration for the protection of the Park. To this end, three workshops were held in 2000 for the Pemon Communities living within or near the National Park. The themes discussed included community participation, environmental education, ecotourism and protection of flora ...
Sites: Canaima National Park
V.130 The Bureau was informed that on 16 January 2001, the Ecuadorian oil tanker Jessica ran aground at the entry to the port of Baquerizo Moreno on San Cristobal Island. It was carrying 160,000 gallons of diesel oil and 80,000 gallons of bunker fuel. Most of the oil leaked into the sea covering an area of 3,000km2 reaching the shores of the Islands of Santa Fe, Santa Cruz, Floreana and Isabela. Species affected by the oil include sea lions, marine birds, sea turtles and iguanas. Given the quantity of fuel spilled, the immediate impacts could have been far worse, ...
Sites: Galápagos Islands
V.128 The Bureau noted that no information was received from the State Party concerning the proposed IUCN/UNESCO monitoring mission. IUCN informed the Bureau that an IUCN representative would visit Colombia in November 2001 that would be an opportunity to obtain more information to be made available for the Committee meeting in December in Finland.
V.129 The Bureau requested the Centre and IUCN to collaborate with the State Party to schedule the mission to the site. The programme of a field visit should review the state of ...
Sites: Los Katíos National Park
V.126 The Bureau noted that IUCN has been alerted to the planned construction of a road through the centre of Royal Chitwan National Park. A bridge is apparently already under construction at Kasara, over the Rapti River, and is high enough to provide access across the River during the monsoon season. The road is being constructed to provide access to the area south of the Park, especially the Madi Village area. Given the large scale of the bridge, it is expected that the road will also be a substantial one. The road will effectively cut the Park in half and may ...
Sites: Chitwan National Park
V.79 The Bureau examined the report on the state of conservation as presented within WHC-2001/CONF.205/4 concerning the Shalamar Gardens. The Bureau recalled that the property faced threats caused by the lack of a comprehensive management strategy and plan, urban encroachment and ad-hoc public works. The need for enhancing the capacity of site management authorities in conservation techniques, project elaboration, and site presentation was also noted. The Centre informed the Bureau that the reformulated international assistance request had been received ...
V.119 The Bureau noted that the Government of Bangladesh has approved a plan for Shell to explore blocks of the Sundarbans for oil and gas. The block known as ‘Block 5’ contains the Sundarbans Reserved Forest, which includes the World Heritage site. 40% of this Block constitutes the Sundarbans Reserved Forest. The IUCN Office in Bangladesh is maintaining contact with Shell who have advised that they intend to conduct aero-magnetic and seismic surveys in Block-5. Aero-magnetic surveys will involve low flights by specialized aircraft. Activities related ...
Sites: The Sundarbans
V.113 It has been reported to IUCN that a mining company, Centennial Coal, has lodged a development application with an environment impact statement for a major mining lease extension for the Clarence Colliery. The Clarence Colliery is located on Newnes Plateau that adjoins the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area to the east. The report received by IUCN notes three environmental concerns related to this proposal which are likely to directly affect the World Heritage values of the Greater Blue Mountains Area. These are: water pollution, water conservation ...
Sites: Greater Blue Mountains Area
V.2 The Bureau was informed that the Minister of State for the Environment, by letter of 19 June 2001, notified the Centre that the Colon Road had been definitively closed as of 13 June 2001. Nearly 300 cadres belonging to the Brazilian Federal Police took part in the operation, sinking the raft used as transport and scarifying the 17 km road. Replanting of the impacted area with native species is now completed. The local people are not happy about the closure of the road and the Government of Brazil is seeking the co-operation ...
Sites: Iguaçu National Park
V.6 The Bureau noted that the State Party has yet to respond to the recommendations of the twenty-fourth session of the Committee (Cairns, 2000). The Bureau learnt that the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences prepared, with financial support from the Ramsar Small Grants Fund for Wetlands Conservation and Wise Use, a management plan for Srebarna. The Ramsar Bureau has recommended the establishment of an indicator system with several simple, specific and easily measurable parameters to systematically monitor and rapidly detect changes in the ...
Sites: Srebarna Nature Reserve
V.8 The Bureau noted that representatives of the Centre, IUCN, the State Party and the Earth Conservancy, a conservation NGO working closely with the State Party to protect the site, undertook a site visit from 5 to 13 May 2001 to assess the state of conservation and prepare a rehabilitation plan for the site. The Bureau took note of the detailed conclusions and recommendations of the mission report, including description of urgent actions needed for the rehabilitation of the site, outlined in ...
V.259 An ICOMOS expert mission was undertaken to the site in order to assess the impact of a road construction project on the universal values of the site. ICOMOS presented the conclusions of the mission.
V.260 The Bureau notes the conclusion of the ICOMOS expert mission to Weimar, that the proposed bypass road (Variant 1): (i) will bring relief to the centre of the city of Weimar, (ii) will not have a negative impact on the fabric of the Tiefurt Schloss and its grounds and (iii) that mitigation measures will be able to conceal the road and ...
Sites: Classical Weimar
V.261 The Secretariat informed the Bureau that an ICOMOS mission visited the site on 11 and 12 May 2001 to evaluate the damage caused by acts of vandalism that occurred between 12 and 13 April 2001 at Mnajdra, a part of the World Heritage site.
V.262 During his intervention, the ICOMOS Representative indicated that this report comprises several recommendations and in particular:
the need for a more complete management plan for all the Megalithic Temples of Malta
the need to reinforce security measures for the whole site
the need to ...
Sites: Megalithic Temples of Malta
V.268 The Secretariat introduced this item by summarising the report that had been received from the Polish Minister of Internal Affairs and Administration on the Government Strategic Programme Oswiecim, the International Group of Experts and the matter of the buffer zone around the World Heritage site. In this context the Secretariat referred to and projected on the screen the delimitation of the site and its buffer zone as proposed in the nomination that was submitted by Poland in 1978. Furthermore, the Secretariat informed the Bureau that it had received a ...
V.15 This site too has been threatened by coltan miners. Efforts to control poaching and mining have been somewhat more successful in Okapi than in Kahuzi Biega. The armed forces of Uganda assisted the staff to evict several poachers from Okapi in late 2000. The leader of the rebel group in control of this part of the DRC territory had ordered the removal of all miners from the site. Effective action is being taken by the staff and the rebel forces in the area and the threat to this site from miners and poachers has been brought under some degree of ...
Sites: Okapi Wildlife Reserve
V.18 This was the only site under direct control of ICCN-Kinshasa. In Salonga, the Director General of ICCN has developed a number of small projects supporting the conservation of key wildlife species in co-operation with NGO partners like the Zoological Society of Milwaukee (ZSM) and the Max Plank Institute (MPI) of Germany. IUCN has been informed by ICCN that uncontrolled poaching of elephants and the bonobos, lack of equipment for staff for anti-poaching work, insufficient numbers of guards and inadequate training available for guards are some ...
Sites: Salonga National Park
V.116 The Bureau noted that the State Party, via a letter dated 18 April 2001, has transmitted to the Centre its response to the priority action areas described in the ACIUCN Report that was reviewed by the twenty-fourth extraordinary session of the Bureau. The State Party response has been transmitted to IUCN for review.
V.117 The Delegate of Australia informed the Bureau that it was developing a proposal for the information of the Committee in Helsinki in December, 2001, that would rename the property Australia’s Tropical ...
Sites: Wet Tropics of Queensland
V.29 The Bureau learned that a Centre/IUCN mission was fielded to the site from 8 to 13 April 2001 and noted the detailed report on the conclusions and recommendations of the mission submitted as WHC-2001/CONF.205/INF.7.
V.30 The Bureau was informed that a high-level mission to the site had been fielded in March 2000 by the Amhara Regional Government which is now directly responsible for the Park. As a result of that mission, a high-level Simen Mountains Development and Conservation Co-ordination Committee, chaired ...
Sites: Simien National Park
V.34 The Bureau learned that the Centre has been co-operating with the Fauna and Flora International (FFI), a conservation NGO working with the Governments of the two States Parties, and with Liberia which embraces parts of the Mt Nimba ecosystem. Two meetings to promote dialogue among the three countries, FFI, the Centre and other stakeholders were planned for 2001. The meetings were intended to contribute to the long-term conservation of Mt Nimba by: establishing and encouraging contacts between technical staff, site managers, decision-makers and ...
V.36 The Bureau was informed that the State Party has not yet responded to the conclusions and recommendations of the UNESCO/IUCN mission undertaken to the site in October 2000. The Bureau noted that Rio Platano has been included as a pilot site in two projects approved by the UN Foundation for execution by the Centre in July 2000. They are: UNESCO/UNEP/RARE Center for Tropical Conservation project on "Linking Conservation of Biological Diversity with Sustainable Tourism Development at World Heritage sites"; and the UNESCO/IUCN project on: "Enhancing ...
V.38 The Bureau was informed that the IUCN/Centre mission to the site, foreseen for May 2001, is now postponed until October/November 2001 due to climatic and security related reasons. IUCN has received reports that indicate continuing insurgency in the area. Alleged in-fighting within the United Liberation Front of Assam is speculated to have caused a movement of insurgents into the Sanctuary in December 2000 from the Bhutan side of the transborder Manas ecosystem. The Chief Minister of Assam has informed the State Assembly that offensive operations ...
Sites: Manas Wildlife Sanctuary
V.42 The Bureau was informed that since the end of the rebellion in the area, a number of visits to the Reserves have been fielded by the national agency responsible for the management of the site. Local people have regained their confidence and are actively participating in development activities. The Programme of Support for the Management of the Natural Reserves held an extraordinary session of its Pilot Committee on 7 February 2001 and a new phase of project activities is due to be in place before the end of 2001 or early 2002. Danish and Swiss ...
V.45 The Bureau recalled that at its last session (Cairns, 2000), the Committee approved a sum of US$ 130,475 for a project on the "Fight against Salvinia molesta in the Delta of the Senegal River at Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary". Since then, the Centre and IUCN, together with the Ramsar Secretariat and the State Party, have been developing a plan to eradicate and control invasive species in the Wetlands of the Senegal River Delta and the Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary.
V.46 A two-person expert mission to the site ...
V.51 The Bureau was informed that the total rainfall during the years 1999 and 2000 has been below average and insufficient to trigger the closing of the sluice gates at Oued Tinja, resulting in sea water flowing into the Lake. No release of water from other sources has been made in an effective manner during the years 2000 and 2001. Salinity of the Lake water has increased during this period, the composition of water birds has become dominated by salt tolerant species such as shelducks and shovelers.
V.52 At its ...
Sites: Ichkeul National Park
V.57 The Bureau was pleased to learn that security conditions in the Park have improved and that this Park will be re-opened to visitors in July 2001. Security has been improving since the beginning of 2000 through the efforts of the Uganda Police Department Force (UPDF). The Central Tourist Circuit has been opened and maintained as of March 2000. In preparing the Park for renewed visitation, the Ugandan Wildlife Authority (UAW) intends to (a) equip the site with a VHF Radio System or other communication network; (b) repair the Kurt Shafer Bridge; (c) ...
V.60 The Bureau was informed that the State Party has provided a detailed report on the state of conservation of this site, updating actions taken during the first half of 2001. The salient features of the report are:
Structural modifications and acquisition of key lands judged necessary for restoration on the periphery of the Park are progressing in a satisfactory manner and are facilitating the flow of an increasing volume of water through the slough into north-east Florida Bay. Since 1994, south Florida has in general experienced wetter ...
Sites: Everglades National Park
V.62 The Bureau learnt that the State Party has provided a detailed report on the state of conservation of Yellowstone; the salient features of the report are:
Although the New World Mine had been acquired from its owner, i.e. Crown Butte Mines, for US$ 65 million and hence will not be developed, clean-up of old mining waste rock and tailings left over from 100 years of mining activity is critical to the ecological health of the Park; the US Forest Service has began remedial measures to mitigate the effects of historic mining in 2001;
Concerned ...
Sites: Yellowstone National Park
V.64 The Secretariat informed the Bureau of the joint mission of UNESCO-ICOMOS-Butrint Foundation to Albania that was undertaken from 19 to 25 April 2001 at the request of the World Heritage Committee to assess the implementation of the programme of corrective measures that was adopted at the time of the inscription on the List of World Heritage in Danger in 1997.
V.65 The mission concluded that very important measures had been taken by the Government of Albania in establishing the appropriate legal and institutional ...
Sites: Butrint
V.70 The Bureau recalled that the inscription of this site on the List of World Heritage in Danger in 1999 was prompted by the construction of two intrusive suspension bridges that dominate the extraordinary natural environment of the site. Noting that a large area of over 30 km2, including numerous archaeological ruins, fortifications, palatial complexes, and active religious centres of pilgrimage, are designated as World Heritage, the Bureau recalled that the Committee had requested the Indian authorities to elaborate, adopt and implement a ...
Sites: Group of Monuments at Hampi
V.75 The Secretariat informed the Bureau of the results of the mission to Oman, recently carried out by the Centre, with particular regard to the good prospect for the restoration of the Fort and the scope and objectives of the Management Plan to be prepared for the conservation and presentation of the site. The Bureau was informed of the decision made by the Omani authorities to entrust the preparation of the Management Plan to a British consulting firm, based in Oman. The Secretariat reported that the consulting firm is to ensure that the Management ...
Sites: Bahla Fort
V.236 The Bureau noted the information received from the State Party in February 2001 concerning proposed plans for the expansion of a military airport within 2 km of Sigiriya. The national authorities had stated that the airport, if and when constructed, would negatively impact upon the site through:
Sonic vibrations which would cause damage to ancient wall plasters with paintings and inscriptions, as well as to the rock surface which is already peeling.
Aircraft-generated pollution that would damage the above-mentioned wall plaster and rock ...
Sites: Ancient City of Sigiriya
V.82 The Secretariat reported on the findings of the joint multidisciplinary mission carried out by ICOMOS to Zabid, confirming the extremely serious conditions of the site. According to the mission’s report, 35% of the urban texture of Zabid has disappeared or has been replaced with modern constructions since the time of inscription. 20% of the old houses have been vacated by their former habitants, and the city market has been almost completely abandoned. Mention was made of the main qualifying points of the Action Plan envisaged by the joint ...
Sites: Historic Town of Zabid
V.91 The Bureau noted that the State Party has had some delay in preparing a management plan from the international assistance approved by the twenty-fourth session of the Bureau. IUCN was concerned about the ongoing illegal activities in the Mt. Kenya Forest, despite the Kenya Wildlife Service taking over responsibility last year for a larger part of the Mt. Kenya Forest. Forest excisions still take place on the ground, in particular in the Mt. Hombe and Ragati blocks of Mt Kenya Forest, outside the World Heritage site. In February 2001, the ...
V.93 The Bureau noted that the State Party had not responded to the concerns expressed by the twenty-fourth extraordinary session of the Bureau over the reported proposals to transfer animals, including the Derby Eland, from the World Heritage site. It also had not invited a monitoring mission to the site as requested by the Bureau. IUCN reported the concern about the capture and removal of wildlife from Niokolo-Koba National Park. For example, from April to July 1999, a South African team captured 74 roan antelope, 10 buffalo and 23 ...
Sites: Niokolo-Koba National Park
V.98 The Bureau noted that the Centre received a “Draft Plan to Control Vehicle Congestion in the Ngorongoro Crater”. Through a letter from the UNESCO Office, the State Party requested assistance to undertake a study to evaluate the environmental impact of vehicle pressure in the Ngorongoro Crater and to examine ways of managing vehicle numbers with a view to keeping a balance between protecting the ecosystem and maintaining tourism. There has been a 7% annual increase in tourists to Ngorongoro Crater since 1991, and the Crater ...
Sites: Ngorongoro Conservation Area
V.103 The Bureau noted that the Centre received International Assistance requests amounting to less than US$20,000 each from both Zambia and Zimbabwe for the organization of national meetings leading to a bilateral meeting. The contracts for the organization of the meetings are under preparation and it is expected that the national meetings will take place during 2001.
V.104 The Delegate of Zimbabwe endorsed the reports presented and underscored the urgency of the organization of such a bilateral meeting. He noted that constructions are ...
V.106 The Bureau recalled that at the twenty-fourth session of the World Heritage Bureau, the State Party was requested to submit a report on the grounding of a vessel in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area on 9 November 2000. The State Party transmitted a report to the Centre via letter of 19 April 2001, which was sent to IUCN for review and comments.
V.107 The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) noted that the vessel caused severe but localised damage to the Sudbury Reef. The ship ploughed a path through the reef, ...
Sites: Great Barrier Reef
V.153 IUCN received reports by the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society - Northwest Territories Chapter (CPAWS-NWT), and confirmed by the State Party, that the Canadian Zinc Corporation has submitted land use applications to the MacKenzie Valley Land and Water Board, in order to support future production at the Prairie Creek mine site. The mine is located immediately upstream from Nahanni National Park, in the South Nahanni watershed, about 15km north of the World Heritage site boundary. Although the mine infrastructure has been in place since the early 1980s, the ...
Sites: Nahanni National Park
V.158 The Bureau was informed that IUCN received a recent report, which again highlights the threats to the site, including lack of management, hunting and gold mining. Bystrinsky Nature Park, one of the five components of this site, continues to be the area most significantly threatened. The Park has no staff. Forest fires are reported to consume significant parts of the Park each year. The Park has been divided into 24 hunting leases, half of which are owned by large businesses outside of the region, and permitted by local authorities and not by the ...
Sites: Volcanoes of Kamchatka
V.163 The Bureau noted that no new information on the road proposal was received from the State Party. The Director of the UNESCO Office, Moscow, attended the meeting “The socio-economic development of the Altai Republic and the perspectives of the development of the transport system in the South of Siberia”, which was held on 15 to 16 December 2000 in Gorno Altaisk. He noted that awareness building must be raised among the decision-makers in the Altai Government with regard to the obligations under the World Heritage Convention. He furthermore pointed ...
Sites: Golden Mountains of Altai
V.166 The Observer of Spain informed the Bureau that the follow-up to the "Donana 2005" Conference was foreseen to be organized in Huelva from 26 to 28 November 2001 and that invitations have already been issued. He also provided documentation on the project that was made available to all Bureau members. He stated that the Donana 2005 project was the most ambitious environmental project in Spain to ameliorate the situation of the site following the mining spill, and that a technical group and a scientific committee had been ...
Sites: Doñana National Park
V.168 The Bureau recalled the World Heritage Committee recommendations to expand the boundaries of the World Heritage site to include the surrounding marine area and to revise the management plan. IUCN reviewed a letter from the State Party dated 26 October 2000, updating progress on these recommendations as follows: boundary extension: A marine survey has been carried out to obtain the necessary data to inform on the issue of the extension of the site. The UK Government seeks to bring forward proposals for an extension to the site by June 2002. Management Plan: It ...
Sites: St Kilda
V.170 In noting that the Jabiluka uranium mine site (on a mineral lease surrounded by Kakadu National Park) remains on a stand-by and in an environmental management phase, the Bureau examined reports received from the State Party, IUCN, the Gundjehmi Aboriginal Corporation and environmental groups.
V.171 The State Party informed the Bureau that the Jabiluka Mineral Lease was granted under Northern Territory legislation in 1982 for a period of 42 years. The operating company has approvals under Australian law to develop the Jabiluka project ...
Sites: Kakadu National Park
V.195 The Bureau was informed that no substantive report on the state of conservation of the property was submitted by the State Party as requested at the twenty-fourth extraordinary session of the Bureau. However, the Bureau was informed that the Peruvian Government had suspended the cable car project, although final confirmation from the Government was still pending.
V.196 The Bureau stressed once again the need to implement the recommendations made by the UNESCO-IUCN-ICOMOS mission of 1999 that were fully endorsed by the Committee at its ...
V.198 The Secretariat informed the Bureau of the content of the reports received since the last session of the Committee (Cairns, 2000) from the two consultants contracted by the Centre over the past year to co-ordinate and advise on the activities for the rehabilitation of Islamic Cairo.
V.199 On the issue of urban rehabilitation, the Bureau noted the intention of the Egyptian authorities to organize, in collaboration with the Centre, a seminar in Cairo to review and discuss current projects, strategies and on-going studies, particularly ...
Sites: Historic Cairo
V.203 The Secretariat reported to the Bureau on information received, that certain local authorities were still considering having a new section of the Greater Cairo Ring Road built to cross the plateau of the Pyramids, despite the existence of a recently built by-pass linking the Ring Road to the road to Alexandria. The Bureau’s attention was also drawn to the need to regulate the use of the area surrounding the pyramids, currently encroached by settlements and commercial activities.
V.204 The Delegate of Thailand expressed his ...
V.206 The Secretariat reported to the Bureau on the findings of the recent mission to Thebes/Qurnah by an ICOMOS expert to investigate on the on-going relocation of the inhabitants of the village, and subsequent demolition of their houses. It was pointed out that the issues in Qurnah were of a twofold nature. On the one hand, ICOMOS was requested to clarify the extent of the threats posed by the village to the exceptional archaeological heritage of the site, which justified its inscription in the first place; and on the other hand, to assess the cultural and ...
V.212 The Secretariat informed the Bureau on the contents of the Draft Petra Park Operational Plan for the management of the site, prepared by a U.S. National Park Service team with funding from a World Bank Project. This Operational Plan was presented to a group of stakeholders, including UNESCO, during a Workshop held in Amman in January 2001. A copy of this Operational Plan was requested and obtained by ICOMOS for consultation.
V.213 The Bureau noted that this Operational Plan does not constitute a duplication of the Master Plan prepared ...
Sites: Petra
V.216 The Secretariat informed the Bureau on the recommendations made during the Workshop organized in November 1999 by the Centre, the Delft University and the Lebanese American University. This Workshop was held further to another workshop organized by the same bodies and held in April 1999, and its proceedings were made public only recently (April 2001).
V.217 The attention of the Bureau was drawn to the need that these recommendations be carefully evaluated and taken into account by the concerned Lebanese authorities in view of the ...
Sites: Byblos
V.220 The Secretariat informed the Bureau on the findings of the mission carried out by a Centre staff to Ouadane and Chinguetti in April 2001 to assess the state of conservation and discuss with the national authorities possible measures to be taken for their safeguarding. The Bureau noted that the restoration works of the Mosque of Ouadane, funded under the World Heritage Convention, are proceeding according to schedule and should be completed by the end of the summer.
V.221 The Bureau noted the various problems gravely affecting these ...
V.223 The Bureau, recalling the recommendations of the Joint ICOMOS-ICCROM Reactive Monitoring Mission undertaken in September 1999, adopted by the Bureau at its twenty-third extraordinary session, noted that the State Party had not transmitted information concerning the implementation of the short and long-term actions for the sustainable conservation and development of the site. The Centre has since received numerous independent reports expressing alarm over the state of conservation of the site, particularly in Locality 1 and other excavated caves. Recently, the ...
V.227 The findings of the ICOMOS Mission undertaken to the Potala Palace and Jokhang Monastery (26 February - 6 March 2001) were examined by the Bureau, following its request for the mission at its twenty-fourth extraordinary session. The ICOMOS Mission had been undertaken in conjunction with the evaluation mission for the nomination of the extension of the site to include the Norbulingka Palace.
V.228 The Bureau’s attention was drawn to the uncontrolled urban development and expansion of tourism related facilities which are ...
V.233 The Bureau examined further information transmitted by the State Party to the Centre concerning the destruction caused by the 24 March 2001 Geiyo Earthquake, which resulted in minor damage to the Honsha-Haraiden, Sessha-Marodo-Jinja, Higashi-Kairou, Massha-Hokoku-jinja-Honden and Sessha Omotojinja-Honden. The damaged parts of these buildings were restored in May 2001 by the responsible authorities, following international conservation norms. Minor damage to stone walls observed in certain areas have been recorded and preparation is underway to financially and ...
Sites: Itsukushima Shinto Shrine
V.241 The Bureau was informed that the Deputy Director of the Centre, who visited the site in April 2001, observed the urgently required conservation needs of the main historic building, the 17th century Dutch Reformed Church, notably the need to repair the roof and stain-glass windows to prevent rainwater infiltration. Moreover, the Bureau took note with concern, of the extent of deformation to the urban historic fabric which undermines the authenticity of this town, characterized by the Portuguese, Dutch, English, Chinese and Indian building traditions. ICOMOS ...
V.244 The World Heritage Centre informed the Bureau that the State Party had submitted a substantive report answering the concerns regarding perceived demographic pressures and their impact on the World Heritage values.
V.245 The Bureau congratulated the State Party on its clear vision of the problems facing the site, as well as on the far-reaching actions taken or being planned to mitigate them. The Bureau requested ICOMOS to study the report in the context of the ICOMOS/UNESCO monitoring mission, which the twenty-fourth session of the ...
Sites: Brasilia
V.246 The World Heritage Centre informed the Bureau that it had received a report on the damage caused by the earthquake that struck Central America on 13 January 2001. The tremors aggravated damage already experienced in 1976 and caused moderate damage but heightened the danger of collapse for some of the buildings. The Centre is currently discussing an emergency assistance request with the State Party.
V.247 ICOMOS reported on the results of an expert mission, which evaluated the impacts of the construction of a shopping centre on the ...
Sites: Antigua Guatemala
V.250 The Secretariat informed the Bureau that it had received through the Permanent Delegation of Peru a report from the Mayor of Arequipa on the damages that the earthquake of 23 June 2001 caused to the Historical Centre of Arequipa. It was reported that:
about 20% of the monuments in the city show considerable damage, particularly around the Plaza Mayor;
15% of the buildings in the Centre are uninhabitable;
60% have suffered moderate or light damage;
the Cathedral has lost two of its towers and one third of its central cupola;
numerous monuments, churches ...
V.254 The Secretariat informed the Bureau that during the course of last year, it had received information informing of concern over the planned cruise-ship landing at Pointe-à-Carcy and its possible impact on the universal values of the Historic District of Quebec. In response, the Government of Canada, through Parks Canada, provided information on the process of consultation and assessment of the project and submitted substantive documentation on the project, on the results of the public consultations and on the cultural resource assessment that had been prepared ...
V.12 In Virunga a joint monitoring exercise carried out by the International Gorilla Conservation Programme (IGCP), Fauna and Flora International (FFI), WWF-International and the Diane Fossey Gorilla Fund International (DFGF-I) revealed that the population of the mountain gorillas has increased from 320 before the war (1989) to 355 in 2001. Control of illegal activities in the southern sector has been more effective due to co-operation between staff and military forces. However, many other indicators of the site's integrity are showing negative trends: ...
Sites: Virunga National Park
V.13 Among the five DRC sites, conditions for the conservation of wildlife are more stable in Garamba. The staff appear to have established good relations with other stakeholders in the area and minimised poaching threats; the number of the northern white rhino population is estimated to be similar to pre-war levels, i.e. 25 –35 individuals. The need to sustain this relative stability in the conservation status of Garamba is however a continuing concern for all stakeholders.
Sites: Garamba National Park
V.14 Reports received by IUCN point to extensive poaching on wildlife, including on the endangered lowland gorillas and elephants. 90% of the Park is still inaccessible to the staff, the status of the lowland gorillas and the elephants is of serious concern. The Diane Fossey Gorilla Fund estimates that the population of the endangered lowland gorilla, about 8000 before the war, may have dropped to around 1000; elephants have become a rare sight in Kahuzi-Biega and most of the decline in the populations of these two flagship species is attributed to ...
Sites: Kahuzi-Biega National Park
V.28 The Bureau noted that following the recommendation of the Committee made at its last session (Cairns, Australia, November - December 2000), Sangay National Park has been included as one of the ten pilot sites in a UNESCO/IUCN/UNF-UNFIP Project entitled: "Enhancing our heritage: monitoring and managing for success in World Natural Heritage sites". The 4-year project financed at a total cost of US$ 2 million by UNF-UNFIP will elaborate and test a monitoring regime for Sangay National Park with indicators and benchmarks, including those that could ...
Sites: Sangay National Park
The Secretariat reported on the earthquake that occurred in the south of Peru on 23 June 2001 and caused the loss of life of seventy people, made more than 20,000 people homeless and seriously affected the infrastructure in the region. It also reported that the World Heritage site of Arequipa suffered damage, most particularly the cathedral. The Secretariat noted that the inscription of the site on the World Heritage List in 2000 was the culmination of a great effort of the national and municipal authorities in establishing adequate protection and management arrangements for the site. A ...
V.97 The Bureau recalled its earlier requests concerning the situation at the site. It requested that the Centre and IUCN continue efforts to verify with the Ugandan authorities, the needs for support for purchase of vehicles and staff training, and to continue assisting the Ugandan authorities to obtain financial support from suitable sources including the World Heritage Fund.
V.235 The Bureau examined the state of conservation of the site and noted with appreciation, the recent measures taken by the national authorities in close co-operation with the World Heritage Centre and the UNESCO Kathmandu Office, to address the recommendations of the World Heritage Committee, its Bureau, ICOMOS and the Centre. The Bureau commended the national authorities for taking the necessary actions to temporarily suspend the development of the fragile Maya Devi Temple remains until the elaboration of the guiding principles for its conservation, ...
V.248 The Bureau noted that the authorities had submitted, during its session, reports on the state of conservation and management of the site. It requested the Secretariat and ICOMOS to study the reports and to consider them in the context of a joint UNESCO-ICOMOS mission that should be undertaken in order to assess the state of conservation and management of the site. The mission report should be submitted to the twenty-fifth extraordinary session of the Bureau for examination.
V.249 The Bureau noted with concern the very slow progress being made in the elaboration of a Master Plan for the site. It stressed the importance of having a plan to ensure co-ordination of any type of intervention or protective measure. The Bureau encouraged the national authorities to formulate clear objectives for the future protection of the site and incorporate them into a detailed Master Plan at the earliest possible date. Furthermore, it suggested that the international assistance request, that is currently being revised, concentrate on the activities most ...
Sites: Chavin (Archaeological Site)
V.258 No information was made available to the Bureau for further examination of the impact of the Havel waterway improvement project on the cultural landscape of Potsdam. Therefore, the Bureau requested the German authorities to collaborate with ICOMOS in the assessment of the impact of the Havel project and requested the German authorities to submit a report by 15 September 2001 for examination by the Bureau at its twenty-fifth extraordinary session.
V.279 The Bureau requested the Russian authorities to submit a report on the state of conservation of the site by 15 September 2001 to assess, at its twenty-fifth extraordinary session, the ways in which the Bureau may be able to collaborate with the Russian authorities to ensure proper conservation of the site.
Sites: Kizhi Pogost
V.280 The Bureau noted and endorsed the opinion expressed by ICOMOS that the proposed increase of the dam and water level of a barrage in the regions of Aragon and Navarra (the Embalse de Yesa) would seriously affect the values of the Route of Santiago in the area concerned, as well as the values of several related historical monuments. The Bureau requested ICOMOS to continue its dialogue with the Spanish authorities to assess the impact of the enlargement of the barrage and to discuss if proposed mitigation measures (such as the relocation of monuments or the ...
V.281 The Bureau took note of information that the Secretariat had provided in the working document on the state of conservation of the following properties:
Noel Kempff Mercado National Park (Bolivia)
Morne Trois Pitons National Park (Dominica)
Huascaran National Park (Peru)
Lake Baikal (Russian Federation)
Hatra (Iraq)
Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Genbaku Dome) (Japan)
Joya de Ceren Archaeological Site (El Salvador)
Cultural Landscape of Sintra (Portugal)
(i) Preparatory Assistance
Cultural
Indonesia - "Preparation of a Tentative List and a nomination dossier of potential Cultural Heritage properties in Bali"
VII.22 The Bureau approved this request for US$ 30,000.
In view of the limited Preparatory Assistance budget remaining for 2001, the Bureau decided to utilize the budget allocated to Technical Co-operation for financing this ...
(i) Preparatory Assistance
Cultural
Togo - "Preparation of a nomination dossier for the inscription on the World Heritage List of the Vernacular Settlement of Betammaribé"
VII.23 The Bureau approved this request for US$ 27,043.
In view of the limited Preparatory Assistance budget remaining for 2001, the Bureau decided to utilize the budget allocated to Technical Co-operation for financing this ...
25 BUR VII.24
Requests for International Assistance - Technical Co-operation - Natural - Philippines
(ii) Technical Co-operation
Natural
Philippines - "Community based sustainable tourism in Puerto Princessa subterranean River National Park World Heritage Site"
VII.24 The Bureau approved an amount of US$23,000 to support the Community Based Sustainable Tourism activities for the conservation of Puerto Princessa National Park of the Philippines, subject to the receipt of the US$ 194 arrears from 2000 contribution to the World Heritage Fund.
The Bureau also recommended that the State Party and the Centre discuss the suggestion of IUCN concerning the possible elaboration of a ...
(ii) Technical Co-operation
Natural
Indonesia - "For the preparation of a Strategic Planning for the Conservation and Effective Management of Lorentz National Park"
VII.28 The Bureau approved an amount of US$30,000, requesting the State Party to work in collaboration with other potential donors, conservation NGOs and the private sector, and in particular the local communities, for the preparation of the strategic plan and seek their full support for the long-term conservation of the Lorentz National ...
Sites: Lorentz National Park
25 BUR VII.29
Requests for International Assistance - Technical Co-operation - Cultural - Mozambique
(ii) Technical Co-operation
Cultural
Mozambique - "Preparation of a management and conservation plan for the Island of Mozambique"
VII.29 The Bureau approved this request for US$ 29,980, requesting the State Party to consider increasing its national contribution for the proposed activity through the mobilization of the National Consultant who benefits from the Africa 2009 course taking place in 2001.
Sites: Island of Mozambique
(ii) Technical Co-operation
Cultural
Vietnam - "Strategic development of management capacity of Hoi An Ancient Town"
VII.30 The Bureau approved this request for US$ 28,290, requesting the World Heritage Centre to coordinate the implementation of the activity in close collaboration with the State Party and the Regional Advisor for Culture in the Asia-Pacific Region (UNESCO Bangkok Office).
Sites: Hoi An Ancient Town
(iii) Training
Cultural
India - "Darjeeling Himalayan Railway World Heritage Area Workshop"
VII.32 The Bureau approved a reduced amount of US$ 28,000, recommending to the State Party that the costs indicated for invitation cards, daily newsletters, and folders be economized.
The Bureau furthermore requested that the State Party ensure the involvement of immovable cultural heritage professionals in the continued development and implementation of training ...
Sites: Mountain Railways of India
VII.34 In examining the three Emergency Assistance requests,
the Bureau decided to exceptionally waiver the application of paragraph 96 of the Operational Guidelines to provide Emergency Assistance to two World Heritage properties that clearly required special and urgent attention.
The Bureau noted the constraint in the allocation of Emergency Assistance caused by the distinction made between “unexpected phenomena” and “gradual phenomena” of paragraph 96 of the Operational Guidelines, and
requested the Centre and the Advisory Bodies to consider the relevance of ...
(iv) Emergency Assistance
Natural
Uganda - "Emergency Assistance for Rwenzori Mountains National Park"
VII.35 The Bureau approved this request for US$64,500 as Emergency Assistance on an exceptional basis and recommended that the Centre and IUCN co-operate with the State Party to obtain necessary information to ensure rapid and effective implementation of the project.
The Bureau noted that should the State Party find that the US$ 64,500 is insufficient to purchase the necessary equipment and undertake the construction and repair activities foreseen, the State Party may consider ...
(iv) Emergency Assistance
Cultural
Algeria - "Elaboration of an emergency plan and implementation of corrective measures for the Archaeological site of Tipasa"
VII.36 The Bureau approved this request for an amount of US$ 35,500 on an exceptional basis as Emergency Assistance.
Sites: Tipasa
(iv) Emergency Assistance
Cultural
Peru - "Consolidation and restoration of the Cathedral of Arequipa"
VII.37 The Bureau approved this request for an amount of US$ 75,000, and requested the Secretariat that the assistance be implemented through the UNESCO Representative in Lima who should be requested to release funds on the basis of detailed budget and work-plans and who should carefully monitor and report on the execution of the ...