IUCN-Assistance to the World Heritage Centre for implementing the Strategic Action Plan for the Training of Specialists in Natural Heritage

XI.1 The Chairperson presented the documents related to agenda item 11:

• WHC-98/CONF.203/13, which presents the World Heritage Fund, the income and forecasts, the work plan and the proposed budget;
• WHC-98/CONF.203/13Add., which presents the approved financial statements of the World Heritage Fund as at 31 October 1998;
• WHC-98/CONF.203/INF.19, which presents the approved international assistance requests as at 15 November 1998.

Furthermore, it is recalled that the advisory bodies (ICOMOS, IUCN and ICCROM) had submitted their activity reports for 1997 concerning the implementation of the World Heritage Convention (Document WHC-98/CONF.203/INF.13).

Finally, the Chairperson reminded the Committee of the decisions that had been taken during this session:

- first, take note of the approved accounts of the World Heritage Fund as at 31 December 1997 and the provisional accounts for 1998 up to 31 October 1998,

- adopt the budgetary ceiling for 1999,

- allocate budgetary amounts to the different chapters according to the approved ceiling and the Committee's decisions taken during the discussions on other items of the agenda,

- examine and approve the provisional budget for 2000.

XI.2 The Deputy Director of the Centre then presented the agenda item as follows:

• the response of the World Heritage Centre to the recommendations of the financial and administrative audit,
• the resources available for the implementation of the Convention (contributions of States Parties, Regular Programme budget, extrabudgetary funds, staff costs of the World Heritage Centre) and the state of the approved accounts of the World Heritage Fund as at 31 October 1998,
• the situation of the World Heritage Centre as at 31 October 1998,
• the budgetary proposal for 1999 and the provisional budget for 2000.

XI.3 The Committee congratulated the Secretariat for the efforts made to improve the financial management of the World Heritage Fund. It noted the creation of a database for monitoring international assistance and preparatory action for the establishment of an integrated information management for the overall work. Members of the Committee warmly thanked Finland, the United Kingdom and the United States of America for their efforts in contributing towards the installation of this system.

XI.4 Concerning the outstanding mandatory contributions, the Committee wished that the Secretariat contact the States Parties concerned to encourage them to pay their outstanding dues. The Secretariat informed the Committee that the outstanding dues of fifteen States Parties represented 93% of the total outstanding contributions. It also informed the Committee that, taking into consideration the new rate of calculating UNESCO Member States' contributions¹, the total mandatory contributions to be perceived would change from US$ 2,011,116 in 1997 to US$ 1,998,522 in 1999. Consequently, the Secretariat proposes to inform the General Assembly of States Parties and to propose a minimum amount as contribution.

XI.5 After several questions concerning the Reserve Fund and its replenishment, the global amount of the budget was approved. This amount, taking account of the decisions taken by the Committee during its earlier sessions, amounts to four million six hundred and seventy-six thousand United States dollars (US$ 4, 676,000). The provisional budget for the year 2000 was fixed at four million eight hundred thousand United States dollars (US$ 4,800,000). The Emergency Reserve Fund approved for 1999 is six hundred thousand United States dollars (US$ 600,000).

XI.6 The resources of the World Heritage Centre were also discussed by the Committee.

- From 1997 to 1998, the Centre experienced a reduction of two associate expert posts, whilst the contracts of three associate experts presently working at the Centre will terminate during the first six months of 1999. Consequently, the Secretariat requested the Committee to study the possibility of reinforcing the Secretariat through new associate expert posts.

- With regard to the Regular Programme budget of the Centre, on steady decrease since the past two biennium, the Committee was requested to provide its support for the next budgetary exercise (2000-2001) to assist the Centre to carry out its mission.

XI.7 The decisions of the Committee for the chapters and components of the budget are as follows:

Chapter I - Implementation of the Convention

An amount of US$ 30,000 is reserved for the organization of the extraordinary session of the Committee that will discuss the state of conservation of Kakadu National Park (Australia). This approximate amount replaces the amount deducted from the budget of Chapter V by the Committee.

The Consultative Body for the financial and management evaluation of the Centre will not receive a budgetary allocation.

The evaluation of international assistance for an amount of US$ 40,000 of which the use is submitted for the decision of the next Bureau based on a proposal to be presented by the Secretariat, is approved.

The amount of US$ 40,000 for the Strategic Planning Working Group was not approved.

The total approved for Chapter I amounted to US$ 225,

With regard to the budgetary line for attendance at statutory meetings, and following interventions concerning the use of this amount, the Secretariat proposed that the Committee study the possibility of opening this line to States Parties non-members of the Committee belonging to the group of least developed countries (LDC). No formal decision was taken on this matter by the Committee.

Chapter II - Establishment of the World Heritage List

Following discussions concerning the components of this Chapter: amounts allocated to ICOMOS and IUCN; the place of ICCROM in this Chapter and the possibility to retain a budgetary allocation for other organizations and institutions in the advisory body services (implementation level is at 60% as at 31 October 1998), the Committee approved this Chapter in its entirety.

The total amount approved for Chapter II amounted to US$ 975,000. ICOMOS requested that one contract be established for its Global Strategy activities and advisory services.

Chapter III - Technical Implementation of the Convention

The amount foreseen for ICCROM for Training activities was adjusted in accordance with the decisions of the Committee and reduced to US$ 241,000.

The other budgetary lines were approved.

The total approved for Chapter III amounted to US$ 2,626,000.

Chapter IV - Reactive monitoring and submission of periodic Reports

This Chapter was approved without change and the total for Chapter IV therefore amounted to US$ 465,000.

Chapter V - Documentation, information and education

Following the decisions of the Committee during discussions on item 15 of the agenda,

US$ 5,000 proposed in the component "Documentation" for the application of thematic categories of properties included on the World Heritage List and the Tentative Lists was not approved.

US$ 25,000 proposed in the component "Information material" for the application of a marketing strategy for the promotion of sales of the World Heritage Review was not approved.

The total approved for this Chapter amounted to US$ 385,000.

The approved budget by chapter and component is provided in the following Table.

Approved budget for 1999 and Tentative Budget for 2000

(in United States Dollars) 

¹ Since the United Kingdom rejoined UNESCO, the scale used to calculate the contributions, voted by the General Conference passed from 70 to 100, reducing minimal annual contributions to the Fund to US$ 27.

² The use of this amount is submitted for the decision of the Bureau based on the proposal which will be presented by the Secretariat at the twenty-third session.