VII.36 Dja Faunal Reserve (Cameroon)
The Committee noted with concern that logging activities, carried out under commercial, as well as sustainable forestry schemes, are contributing to the growing biological isolation of the Reserve and are not welcome by the local people. An IUCN project is aiming to minimise the degree of the Reserve's isolation through the establishment of a buffer zone and a protected corridor linking Dja with adjacent forests. New logging roads facilitate access for hunters, and concessionaires have logged forests up to the boundary of the Reserve. Staff belonging ...
Sites: Dja Faunal Reserve
VII.37 Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks (Canada)
The Committee noted with concern the potential threats to the integrity of this site due to the proposed Cheviot Mine Project, designed to exploit a large, open-pit coal mine, located 1.8 km from the Jasper National Park portion of this World Heritage area. Despite the fact that during the environmental assessment process conservation organizations and Parks Canada expressed concern regarding the negative impacts, e.g. loss or alienation of wildlife habitat, impacts on essential wildlife travel corridors etc., which the proposed mining ...
VII.38 Galapagos National Park (Ecuador)
The Committee took note of the detailed report provided by the Government of Ecuador on 15 November 1997 concerning the situation of the Galapagos Islands as well as of further information by IUCN. The Committee decided the following:
1) Noting the relevant decisions taken by the World Heritage Committee at its 19th and 20th sessions, and by the Bureau of the Committee at its 20th and 21st sessions in June 1996 and June 1997 respectively;
2) Commending the recent efforts and commitment of the Government of Ecuador to address the complex threats ...
Sites: Galápagos Islands
VII.39 Kamchatka Volcanoes (Russian Federation)
IUCN summarised its recent report, prepared by two experts who visited this site at the invitation of the Russian Federation for Environmental Protection. IUCN reviewed a proposed mining project, whose location was determined to be about 5 km outside of the World Heritage area. The location of the mine may not pose a major environmental or aesthetic problem but would disrupt migratory wildlife of the region and fisheries resources. While the question of whether or not mining and conservation can co-exist in the area is yet to be answered, ...
Sites: Volcanoes of Kamchatka
VII.40 Canaima National Park (Venezuela)
The Committee recalled that, when it inscribed this site on the World Heritage List in 1994, it requested that IUCN and the State Party discuss and agree upon boundaries for the World Heritage site. Since then, although the boundaries of the World Heritage site still remain to be finalised, the national electricity company (EDELCA) has proposed to erect a series of power transmission lines across about 160 km of the Park. An adequate environmental impact study has not been conducted and traditional Pemon communities inhabiting the area are ...
Sites: Canaima National Park
VII.41 The Committee noted the decisions of the twenty-first extraordinary session of the Bureau as reflected in the Report of the Bureau session (Working Document WHC-97/CONF.208/4B Section III.A.c), on the following natural properties:
Great Barrier Reef (Australia)
Belovezhskaya Pushcha/Bialowieza Forest (Belarus/Poland)
Talamanca Range-La Amistad Reserves/La Amistad National Park (Costa Rica/Panama)
Shirakami Sanchi and Yakushima Island (Japan)
Whale Sanctuary of El Viscaino (Mexico)
Arabian Oryx Sanctuary (Oman)
Lake Baikal (Russian Federation)
Virgin Komi Forests (Russian ...
VII.42 Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu (Peru)
The Committee, having examined the report of IUCN and ICOMOS, expressed its concern about the deficient management arrangements for the Sanctuary and urged the Peruvian authorities to establish an adequate management structure for the site. It furthermore recommended them to prepare a comprehensive master plan as an overall guiding instrument for conservation, planning, infrastructural interventions, tourism development, etc.
The Committee requested the Peruvian authorities to examine the report with great attention and to transmit its ...
VII.43 The Committee noted the decisions of the twenty-first extraordinary session of the Bureau as reflected in the Report of the Bureau session (Working Document WHC- 97/CONF.208/4B Section III.B.c), on the following mixed properties:
Kakadu National Park (Australia)
Tasmanian Wilderness (Australia).
VII.44 Butrinti (Albania)
The Committee took note of the report of the UNESCO-ICOMOS-Butrint Foundation assessment mission to the World Heritage site of Butrinti, Albania. It expressed its serious concern about the damages caused to the World Heritage site and about its conditions in terms of protection, management and conservation. The Committee noted that the Minister of Culture of Albania, by letter dated 20 November, fully endorsed the report and requested the World Heritage Committee to inscribe Butrinti on the List of World Heritage in Danger. The Committee welcomed the Minister's ...
Sites: Butrint
VII.52 Kathmandu Valley (Nepal)
The World Heritage Committee at its seventeenth session in 1993 expressed deep concern over the state of conservation of the Kathmandu Valley site and considered the possibility of placing this site on the List of World Heritage in Danger, following discussions on the findings of the 1993 Joint UNESCO-ICOMOS Review Mission (hereafter referred to as the 1993 Mission).
Since then, H.M. Government of Nepal has given priority to responding to the sixteen points of concern raised by the 1993 Mission. However, the Bureau, at its twenty-first session (June ...
Sites: Kathmandu Valley
VII.54 Complex of Hué Monuments (Vietnam)
The Committee took note of the information provided by the Secretariat concerning damage caused by the 24 September 1997 typhoon to the historic buildings of Hué; and of continued building violations in the buffer zones which may undermine the integrity of this site. The Committee expressed its appreciation for the agreement for decentralized co-operation between the Province of Hué, the City of Lille and UNESCO, which should enable a thorough review of the land-use and building regulations of the protected area and the buffer zones of the site ...
Sites: Complex of Hué Monuments
VII.55 The Committee noted the decisions of the twenty-first extraordinary session of the Bureau on the following cultural properties as reflected in the report of the Bureau session, Working Documents WHC-97/CONF.208/4B Section III.C.c):
Joya de Ceren Archaeological Site (El Salvador)
Le Canal du Midi (France)
Mont-Saint-Michel and its Bay (France)
Ashanti Traditional Buildings (Ghana)
Maya Site of Copan (Honduras)
Agra Fort, Taj Mahal, Fatehpur Sikri (India)
Quseir Amra (Jordan)
Town of Luang Prabang (Lao People's Democratic Republic)
Pre-Hispanic City of Teotihuacan ...
Sites: Ancient City of Damascus Ancient City of Polonnaruwa Ancient City of Sigiriya Archaeological Ruins at Moenjodaro Asante Traditional Buildings Baroque Churches of the Philippines Canal du Midi Historic Areas of Istanbul Historic Centre of Bukhara Historic Town of Zabid Island of Mozambique Joya de Cerén Archaeological Site Maya Site of Copan Mont-Saint-Michel and its Bay Old Town of Galle and its Fortifications Old Town of Segovia and its Aqueduct Pre-Hispanic City of Teotihuacan Quseir Amra Rangiri Dambulla Cave Temple Sacred City of Anuradhapura Sacred City of Kandy Taj Mahal Town of Luang Prabang
21 COM VIII.11
Invitation to the Consultative Body to Re-examine the Criteria Concerning the Inscription of Cultural Heritage
"The World Heritage Committee,
Emphasizing that the Constitutional Act of UNESCO which foresees that it will assist in maintaining, advancing and diffusing knowledge whilst protecting the conservation and safeguarding of universal heritage and in recommending to concerned peoples of international conventions to this effect,
Recalling that Article 1 of the Convention concerning the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage considers as "cultural heritage" the monuments, groups of buildings and sites which are of outstanding universal value from the historical, aesthetic or ...
21 COM VIII.11
Re-examine of the Criteria Concerning the Inscription of Cultural Heritage and Authenticity
VIII.11
The World Heritage Committee,
Emphasizing that the Constitutional Act of UNESCO which foresees that it will assist in maintaining, advancing and diffusing knowledge whilst protecting the conservation and safeguarding of universal heritage and in recommending to concerned peoples of international conventions to this effect,
Recalling that Article 1 of the Convention concerning the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage considers as "cultural heritage" the monuments, groups of buildings and sites which are of outstanding universal value from the historical, aesthetic ...
VIII.1 The Committee examined eight natural nominations and two mixed sites received for review by IUCN. The Committee noted that two sites had been withdrawn by States Parties: Fossil Forest of Dunarobba (Italy) and Vodlozero National Park (Russian Federation) before the twenty-first session of the Bureau. The Committee recalled that the Bureau at its twenty-first session had decided not to examine the nomination of Biogradska Gora National Park (No. 838) submitted by the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro) as well as the nomination of Central Karakorum National Park ...
Heard and McDonald Islands
577Rev.
Australia
N(i)(ii)
The Committee inscribed this property under criteria (i) and (ii). It noted that this site is the only volcanically active sub-Antarctic island and illustrates ongoing geomorphic processes and glacial dynamics in the coastal and submarine environment and sub-Antarctic flora and fauna, with no record of alien species. The Committee repeated its request by the sixteenth session for further documentation on the marine resources of the ...
Sites: Heard and McDonald Islands
Macquarie Island
629 Rev.
Australia
N(i)(iii)
The Committee recalled that it had referred this nomination back to Australia in order that new material can be assessed. In presenting its revised evaluation, IUCN stated that the nomination had been submitted for its geological and not for its biological values, and that the sixteenth session of the Committee declined the nomination requesting Australia to consider Macquarie Island for its biological values and had noted its potential as part of an international World Heritage site with the Subantarctic Islands of New Zealand. ...
Sites: Macquarie Island
Sundarbans
798
Bangladesh
N(ii)(iv)
The Committee recalled that the Bureau had suggested that the initial nomination was of insufficient size and encouraged the authorities of Bangladesh to consider enlarging the nomination to include the Sundarbans East and South Wildlife Sanctuaries. It commended the Government of Bangladesh for responding to this request to extend the boundaries of the site to now include all three wildlife sanctuaries.
The Committee inscribed the site under criteria (ii) and (iv) as one of the largest remaining areas of mangroves in the world, which supports ...
Sites: The Sundarbans
Cocos Island National Park
820
Costa Rica
N(ii)(iv)
The Committee inscribed Cocos Island National Park under natural criteria (ii) and (iv) because of the critical habitats the site provides for marine wildlife including large pelagic species, especially sharks. The Committee commended the Government of Costa Rica for its initiative to incorporate the marine environment into the Park and encouraged it to extend management from 8km to the 15km legal limit around the ...
Sites: Cocos Island National Park
Morne Trois Pitons National Park
814
Dominica
N(i)(iv)
The Committee inscribed the Morne Trois Pitons National Park on the basis of natural criteria (i) and (iv) for its diverse flora with endemic species of vascular plants, its volcanoes, rivers and waterfalls, illustrating ongoing geo-morphological processes with high scenic value.
The Committee commended the authorities of Dominica for their response to the Bureau's request to provide a time frame for the revision of the management plan and for having submitted a technical assistance request for this ...