Resolution 16 GA 10

Policy document on the impacts of Climate Change on World Heritage properties

The General Assembly,

7. Having examined Document WHC-07/16.GA/10,
8. Recalling Decisions 30 COM 7.1 and 31 COM 7.1, adopted respectively at the 30th (Vilnius, 2006) and 31st (Christchurch, 2007) sessions of the World Heritage Committee,
9. Taking into account the relevant issues identified in the recent Thematic Debate of the Executive Board on UNESCO’s role in addressing climate change within its mandated areas of competence and also noting the upcoming meetings on climate change in Bali in December 2007 (Thirteenth session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC (COP 13) and the third meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP 3), Bali, Indonesia, 3 to 14 December 2007) and in Denmark in 2009 (Fifteenth session of the Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC (COP 15) and the fifth meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP 5), Copenhagen, Denmark, 30 November 2009 - 11 December 2009);
10. Adopts the “Policy Document on the Impacts of Climate Change on World Heritage Properties” and strongly recommends its use by all concerned, together with the report on “Predicting and Managing the impacts of climate change on World Heritage” and the “Strategy to Assist States Parties to Implement Appropriate Management Responses” contained in World Heritage Paper No: 22;
11. Encourages UNESCO and the Advisory Bodies to disseminate widely the Policy Document, the Report and Strategy, referred to in paragraph 2 above, and other relevant publications to all concerned, including the general public, and promote their application;
12. Requests the World Heritage Committee to institute a mechanism for the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies to periodically review and update the Policy Document, and other related documents, so as to make available the most current knowledge and technology on the subject to guide the decisions and actions of the World Heritage community.
13. Urges the States Parties to participate in the United Nations climate change conferences with a view to achieving a comprehensive post-Kyoto agreement, and to fund and support the research needs as identified in the adopted Policy document.
14. Further requests the Director-General and the World Heritage Committee to strengthen its relations with all organizations working with climate change particularly the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) secretariats, and specifically with regards to the effect of climate change on World Heritage properties, with a view to delivering as one UN.