Periodic Reporting

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined document WHC/23/45.COM/10B,
2. Recalling Decisions 41 COM 10A, 42 COM 10A, 43 COM 10B and 44 COM 10D adopted at its 41st (Krakow, 2017), 42nd (Manama, 2018), 43rd (Baku, 2019) and extended 44th (Fuzhou/Online, 2021) sessions respectively,
3. Commends the efforts of States Parties in the Latin America and the Caribbean region in the completion and submission of Section I, and the very high level of completion and submission of Section II of the Periodic Reporting questionnaire;
4. Thanks the Regional World Heritage Institute in Zacatecas (Mexico) and the Regional Heritage Management Training Centre ‘Lucio Costa’ (Brazil), and Advisory Bodies in facilitating the Periodic Reporting exercise in the region;
5. Welcomes with satisfaction the Third Cycle Regional Report in Latin America and the Caribbean and encourages the States Parties to widely disseminate it among all relevant stakeholders in the region;
6. Takes note of the planned publication of the Third Cycle Periodic Report in the Latin America and the Caribbean region in the World Heritage paper series, subject to the availability of funding resources, and invites States Parties to contribute financially for this purpose;
7. Also commends the joint efforts made by the national Focal Points and World Heritage site managers, the UNESCO World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies in producing an Action Plan framework in an adaptable format, in order to facilitate its appropriation and implementation by the States Parties;
8. Endorses the Third Cycle Regional Framework Action Plan developed in cooperation with all States Parties and other heritage stakeholders in the region and notes with satisfaction that the priorities align with those set out in the Declaration unanimously adopted at the UNESCO World Conference on Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development – MONDIACULT 2022 (Mexico City, 2022) and the reflections undertaken at the international conference ‘The Next 50 - The Future of World Heritage in Challenging Times, Enhancing Resilience and Sustainability’ (Delphi, 2022);
9. Encourages States Parties to appropriate the Third Cycle Regional Framework Action Plan into their national and sub-regional heritage strategies and policies, and requests the World Heritage Centre, in collaboration with the Advisory Bodies, the Category 2 Centres, and other partners, to support States Parties in its implementation;
10. Also requests the UNESCO World Heritage Centre to monitor the implementation of the Framework Regional Action Plan in view of preparing a mid-cycle assessment report to be presented to World Heritage Committee after three years.

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined document WHC/23/45.COM/10A,
2. Recalling Decisions 41 COM 10A, 43 COM 10B and 44 COM 10D adopted at its 41st (Krakow, 2017), 43rd (Baku, 2019) and extended 44th (Fuzhou/online, 2021) sessions respectively;
3. Notes with satisfaction that the overwhelming majority of States Parties in the Asia and the Pacific region participated in the completion and submission of Section I (State Party level) and Section II (World Heritage property level) of the Periodic Reporting questionnaire;
4. Acknowledges that the region of Asia and the Pacific was the first to undergo the Periodic Reporting exercise entirely online due to the global sanitary situation, and thanks the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, the Advisory Bodies, Category 2 Centres, the UNESCO Field Offices and in the region for adapting the training and accompaniment throughout the exercise in line with new engagement modalities;
5. Notes with satisfaction that a number of States Parties organised national meetings of Periodic Reporting stakeholders at different stages of the reporting process, and thanks the States Parties in the region for their flexibility and dedication throughout the Third Cycle of Periodic Reporting exercise in Asia and the Pacific, and especially the national Focal Points and World Heritage site managers for their commitment and active participation;
6. Thanks the State Party of the Republic of Korea, through its Cultural Heritage Administration, for its contributions towards supporting the implementation of the Third Cycle of Periodic Reporting in the region of Asia and the Pacific via the UNESCO/Republic of Korea Funds-in-Trust mechanism;
7. Welcomes with satisfaction the Third Cycle Regional Report for the Asia and the Pacific region and encourages all States Parties to widely disseminate its main outcomes among all relevant stakeholders in the region;
8. Endorses the Third Cycle Regional Framework Action Plan developed in cooperation with all States Parties and other heritage stakeholders in the region and notes with satisfaction that the priorities align with those set out in the Declaration unanimously adopted at the UNESCO World Conference on Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development – MONDIACULT 2022 (Mexico City, September 2022) and the reflections undertaken at the international conference “The Next 50 - The Future of World Heritage in Challenging Times, Enhancing Resilience and Sustainability” (Delphi, November 2022);
9. Encourages States Parties to appropriate the Regional Framework Action Plan into their national and sub-regional heritage strategies and policies, and requests UNESCO, in collaboration with the Category 2 Centres, the Advisory Bodies and other partners, to support States Parties in its implementation;
10. Notes that the Republic of Korea has approved, under its Funds-in-Trust at UNESCO, an extra-budgetary project to be coordinated by the World Heritage Centre on transboundary heritage in the region and beyond, as a follow-up of the main priorities identified through the Third Cycle of Periodic Reporting, invites the Advisory Bodies and other relevant technical partners to provide advisory services and participate in the activities associated with this project, and also encourages all interested Donors to support activities that are in line with the priorities and activities identified in the Framework Action Plan by making dedicated funding available to the World Heritage Centre and the UNESCO Field Offices;
11. Encourages States Parties in the region to initiate regular meetings at the regional and/or sub-regional level to ensure continuous implementation and monitoring of the Regional Framework Action Plan, and invites States Parties and other relevant stakeholders to support such efforts;
12. Takes note of the possible publication of a World Heritage Papers Series volume dedicated to the Third Periodic Report for the Asia and the Pacific region, if the financial situation permits, and encourages States Parties to make financial contributions available at the World Heritage Centre for this purpose;
13. Requests the UNESCO World Heritage Centre to monitor the implementation of the Framework Action Plan for Asia and the Pacific in view of preparing a mid-cycle assessment report after 3 years.

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined document WHC/21/44COM/10A,
2. Recalling Decisions 41 COM 10A, 42 COM 10A and 43 COM 10B adopted at its 41st (Krakow, 2017), 42nd (Manama, 2018), and 43rd (Baku, 2019) sessions respectively,
3. Commends the efforts of States Parties in the Arab States region in the completion and submission of Section I, and the very high level of completion and submission of Section II of the Periodic Reporting questionnaire;
4. Expresses its sincere appreciation to the authorities of Bahrain and Egypt for hosting training workshops, in collaboration with the World Heritage Centre and the Arab Regional Centre for World Heritage (ARC-WH), in the framework of the Third Cycle of Periodic Reporting exercise;
5. Also expresses its sincere appreciation to the significant support provided by ARC-WH in facilitating the Periodic Reporting exercise in the Region;
6. Welcomes with satisfaction the Third Cycle Regional Report in the Arab States region and encourages the States Parties to widely disseminate it among all relevant stakeholders in the Region;
7. Takes note of the planned publication of the Third Cycle Periodic Report in the Arab States region in the World Heritage paper series, subject to the availability of funding resources, and invites States Parties to contribute financially for this purpose;
8. Endorses the Third Cycle Regional Action Plan and its three Strategic Objectives, and takes note with appreciation of the joint efforts by the World Heritage Centre, the World Heritage national focal points and sites managers, ARC-WH, and the Advisory Bodies to produce an Action Plan framework in adaptable format, in order to facilitate its appropriation and integration by the States Parties;
9. Also encourages the States Parties to appropriate the Action Plan and integrate relevant actions in country or site-specific action plans, as well as to collaborate to ensure the implementation of joint actions;
10. Requests the World Heritage Centre, in collaboration with the Advisory Bodies, ARC-WH, and other relevant partners, to provide technical support to States Parties in implementing the Action Plan, when feasible;
11. Also requests the World Heritage Centre to monitor the implementation of the Regional Action Plan in view of preparing a mid-cycle assessment report to be presented to World Heritage Committee after three years;
12. Further requests the World Heritage Centre to prepare a progress report on the follow-up of the Third Cycle of Periodic Reporting in the Region for examination at its 46th session.

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined document WHC/21/44COM/10B,
2. Recalling Decisions 41 COM 10A and 43 COM 10B adopted at its 41st (Krakow, 2017) and 43rd (Baku, 2019) sessions respectively;
3. Notes with satisfaction that all States Parties of the Africa region participated in the completion and submission of Section I (State Party level) and Section II (World Heritage property level) of the Periodic Reporting questionnaire;
4. Commends the authorities of South Africa, Côte d’Ivoire and Kenya for hosting sub-regional workshops for the Third Cycle of Periodic Reporting exercise;
5. Thanks the African World Heritage Fund (AWHF), Regional Coordinator and Mentors, Advisory Bodies as well as the World Heritage Centre for their continuous support throughout the exercise; also thanks all national focal points and World Heritage site managers for their commitment and participation throughout the Third Cycle of Periodic Reporting exercise despite the challenging situation of the COVID-19 pandemic;
6. Welcomes with satisfaction the Third Cycle Regional Report in the Africa region and encourages all States Parties to widely disseminate among all relevant stakeholders in the region, and takes note of the possible publication of the Third Periodic Report in the Africa region in the World Heritage paper series, if the financial situation permits and encourages States Parties to contribute financially for this purpose;
7. Endorses the Third Cycle Regional Action Plan and its five Strategic Objectives recommended by the States Parties following the Final Regional Workshop of February 2021;
8. Encourages States Parties to appropriate the Regional Action Plan into their national, sub-regional and regional heritage strategies and requests the World Heritage Centre in collaboration with Advisory Bodies, and other partners, to support States Parties in its implementation;
9. Further encourages the States Parties to initiate regular meetings at regional and/or sub-regional level to ensure continuous monitoring in the implementation of the Action Plan;
10. Thanks the Governments of China, Flanders (Belgium), France, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Sultanate of Oman and the European Union for their contributions towards supporting the implementation of the Third Cycle Action Plan in Africa;
11. Welcomes the commitment and support of the AWHF to assist the African States Parties in the implementation of the Action Plan and calls upon African States Parties to provide financial and human resource support to the AWHF;
12. Further requests the World Heritage Centre to monitor the implementation of the Regional Action Plan in view of preparing a mid-cycle assessment report;
13. Finally requests the World Heritage Centre to prepare a progress report on the Third Cycle of Periodic Reporting for examination at its 46th session.

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/19/43.COM/10B,
2. Recalling Decision 41 COM 10A and Decision 42 COM 10A adopted respectively at its 41st session (Krakow, 2017) and its 42nd session (Manama, 2018);
3. Notes with appreciation the successful commencement of the Third Cycle of Periodic Reporting in the Arab States region and the preparation for the start of the exercise in the Africa region;
4. Welcomes the update of the training and guidance tools developed by the Secretariat to facilitate a State Party-driven approach as well as the development of new communication tools to facilitate the exercise of the National Focal Points and World Heritage site managers;
5. Requests the Secretariat to continue to ensure that a holistic approach is operated across the regions;
6. Further notes with appreciation the committed support provided by the Arab Regional Centre for World Heritage (ARC-WH) in facilitating the Periodic Reporting exercise in the Arab States region, and thanks them in advance for their continued work to complete the process, and to contribute to the subsequent regional report and regional action plan;
7. Welcomes the commitment of the African World Heritage Fund (AWHF) to assist in facilitating the Periodic Reporting exercise in the Africa region, by organizing regional meetings and providing targeted technical support to States Parties, in close collaboration with the World Heritage Centre;
8. Takes note with appreciation of the contribution of the Republic of Korea towards the preparation of the Third Cycle of Periodic Reporting in the region of Asia and the Pacific;
9. Also requests the World Heritage Centre to submit to the Committee a progress report on the overall conduct and coordination of the Third Cycle of Periodic Reporting, including the activities carried out in the preparation for the start of the exercise in the Asia and the Pacific region at its 44th session in 2020.

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/18/42.COM/10A,
2. Takes note with appreciation of the World Heritage Centre’s efforts to implement the Decision 41 COM 10A, and in particular of the set of training and guidance materials which have been developed to ensure a holistic approach to the Periodic Reporting Exercise in the Third Cycle and to facilitate a State-Party driven exercise;
3. Requests that the World Heritage Centre make these resources available to a broad range of World Heritage stakeholders and ensure that they are widely disseminated to foster effective preparation in the regions, in particular for the Arab States Region as the first region to report in the period 2018–2019;
4. Also takes note of the ongoing work on the Analytical Framework for the Third Cycle of Periodic Reporting, and encourages the World Heritage Centre to continue to develop new methods of analysis and technical improvements for the Third Cycle of Periodic Reporting;
5. Reconfirms that, as per previous practice, the Periodic Reporting questionnaire will be accessible electronically to the relevant region from September of each reporting year, and that completed questionnaires should be submitted by July of the following year;
6. Requests the World Heritage Centre to submit to the Committee a progress report on the overall conduct and coordination of the Third Cycle of Periodic Reporting at its 43rd session in 2019;
7. Welcomes the offer of the Arab Regional Centre for World Heritage (ARC-WH) to assist in facilitating the Periodic Reporting exercise in the Arab States region, organize regional meetings and provide targeted technical support to States Parties, in close collaboration with the World Heritage Centre.

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/17/41.COM/10A,
2. Recalling Decisions 38 COM 5F.2, 39 COM 10B.5, and 40 COM 10A, adopted at its 38th (Doha, 2014), 39th (Bonn, 2015) and 40th (Istanbul/UNESCO, 2016) sessions respectively,
3. Notes with appreciation the successful implementation of the Reflection Period by the Secretariat, in consultation with the Advisory Bodies, and the use of innovative and cost-effective working methods;
4. Commends the Periodic Reporting Reflection Expert Group for the extensive and in-depth work carried out;
5. Thanks all States Parties who volunteered to participate in the Testing Phase for their active engagement in the Periodic Reporting Reflection;
6. Welcomes the recommendations and improvements proposed with regard to the format, content, relevance, analysis and use of data in the Periodic Reporting process;
7. Also welcomes the inclusion in the revised questionnaire of questions relating to synergies with other international instruments and programmes on cultural and natural heritage; questions relating to the implementation of the 1972 UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Protection, at National level, of the Cultural and Natural Heritage and to the 2011 Recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape, as well as questions assessing the implementation of the World Heritage Policy for integrating a sustainable development perspective into the processes of the World Heritage Convention, and of other key policies adopted by the World Heritage Committee;
8. Further welcomes the development of strengthened and comprehensive indicators to improve follow-up on progress made by State Parties in the implementation of the Convention as well as the 1972 Recommendation concerning the Protection, at National Level, of the Cultural and Natural Heritage, further to the Recommendation of the Evaluation of UNESCO’s Standard-Setting Work of the Culture Sector (Part III – 1972 Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage);
9. Takes note with appreciation of the analytical framework developed by the Expert Group and decides that it will be used as a global template for the analysis of data, for all regions, during the Third Cycle of Periodic Reporting;
10. Also takes note of the feasibility study concerning the production of a global World Heritage report and recommends that further work on the format and resourcing of the report be carried out using responses from States Parties and Site Managers in the first years of the Third Cycle;
11. Also decides to maintain the order of regions and the 6-year periodicity of the Periodic Reporting cycles, with one region reporting every year (Arab States, Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, Europe and North America) and one year between cycles for a reflection, if necessary, and for the production of a global report on the basis of the outcomes of the cycle across all regions;
12. Further decides to officially launch the Third Cycle (2017-2022), but in view of the need to allow sufficient time for appropriate preparation, by the Secretariat, and by the States Parties of the Arab States region, exceptionally postpones the start of the Periodic Reporting of all regions by one year, starting with the Arab States region in 2018, followed by the Africa region in 2019, and so on;
13. Encourages the active engagement of the States Parties in the following reporting cycles, and furthermore decides, that, in view of the current financial and human resources constraints of the World Heritage Centre, its role should consist of ensuring a holistic approach across regions, by providing overall coordination, guidance tools and analysis, as well as facilitating a State Party-driven approach, and invites the States Parties to contribute extrabudgetary resources for this purpose, and further decides, in case the resources are insufficient to ensure continuity, to supplement the funding of an extra-budgetary position from the Periodic Reporting budget line in the World Heritage Fund;
14. Approves the revised Chapter V of the Operational Guidelines “Periodic Reporting on the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention” and the revised Annex 7 to the Operational Guidelines, on the Format of the Periodic Reporting Questionnaire, contained in Annex IV of Document WHC/17/41.COM/10A.

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/16/40.COM/10B,
2. Recalling Decisions 36 COM 10B, 37 COM 10B, 38 COM 10A.2, 39 COM 10A.1 and 39 COM 10B.5 adopted at its 36th (Saint Petersburg, 2012), 37th (Phnom Penh, 2013), 38th (Doha, 2014) and 39th (Bonn, 2015) sessions respectively,
3. Welcomes progress made by the World Heritage Centre and the States Parties in the follow-up of the Second Cycle of Periodic Reporting in Europe and North America, and notes with satisfaction the activities and initiatives that have been undertaken by States Parties in the implementation of the Action Plans for Europe and for North America;
4. Also notes with satisfaction the two publications produced by the World Heritage Centre, World Heritage in Europe Today and Understanding World Heritage in Europe and North America: Final Report of the Second Cycle of Periodic Reporting, 2012-2015 (World Heritage Paper Series, no. 43), which contribute to the wide dissemination of the results of the second cycle of Periodic Reporting in Europe;
5. Commends the World Heritage Centre for progress made on the Helsinki Action Plan Monitoring Survey, whose innovative format will allow for data collection in a simple and cost-effective way, and encourages States Parties of the Europe region to respond to the survey launched in October 2016;
6. Reiterates its invitation to the States Parties of the Europe region to actively implement the Helsinki Action Plan and also encourages them to continue the activities towards the implementation of the Action Plan in close collaboration with the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies;
7. Further encourages the States Parties of Canada and the United States of America to continue their cooperation in the implementation of the five-year Action Plan for North America, and recalls that a number of proposed actions require the further strengthening of cooperation with the State Party of Mexico, taking into consideration the shared natural and cultural heritage of the three States Parties;
8. Also commends the States Parties for their efforts in continuing the work undertaken in the framework of the Retrospective Inventory and preparing retrospective Statements of Outstanding Universal Value, and encourages furthermore the States Parties to finalize this important work in the best of time;
9. Also reiterates that the follow-up of the Second Cycle of Periodic Reporting has considerable resource and work load implications, and encourages furthermore States Parties to financially support the implementation of the regional Action Plans through support to the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies;
10. Requests the World Heritage Centre to present a progress report, based on the results of the Helsinki Action Plan Monitoring Survey, on the follow-up activities of the Second Cycle of Periodic Reporting carried out by the States Parties in the Europe region, to the World Heritage Committee at its 41st session in 2017;
11. Also requests the States Parties of Canada and United States of America to submit a progress report on the implementation of the Action Plan to the World Heritage Centre, for presentation to the World Heritage Committee at its 42nd session in 2018.

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/16/40.COM/10B,
2. Recalling Decisions 37 COM 10A, 38 COM 10B.4 as well as 39 COM 10B.4, adopted at its 37th (Phnom Penh, 2013), 38th (Doha, 2014) and 39th (Bonn, 2015) sessions respectively,
3. Takes note of the progress accomplished in the follow-up activities of the second cycle of the Periodic Reporting for Latin America and the Caribbean regarding the Retrospective Inventory process and encourages the States Parties of the region to continue their efforts in the implementation of its recommendations;
4. Reminds States Parties which have not already done so to submit their Retrospective Statements of Outstanding Universal Value by 1 February 2017 at the latest, as well as clarifications of boundaries by 1 December 2016 at the latest;
5. Notes with appreciation the contribution of the Centre Lucio Costa for Capacity-Building on Heritage Management (C2C-LCC), category 2 centre under the auspices of UNESCO, to the development and implementation of a Capacity-Building Strategy as a follow-up to the Action Plan for World Heritage in South America 2015-2020 (PAAS 2015-2020) and encourages the Centre to continue its cooperation with the World Heritage Centre on the implementation of the Capacity Building Programme and activities related to World Heritage;
6. Reiterates its request to Central American States Parties to work in close coordination with the World Heritage Centre to organize a meeting for the establishment of a sub-regional Action Plan with the participation of all stakeholders;
7. Takes note of the progress made with a view to consolidate the establishment of the UNESCO category 2 centres for World Heritage in Zacatecas (Mexico) and in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) and encourages Mexico and Brazil to continue their efforts in this regard;
8. Requests the World Heritage Centre to present a progress report on the implementation of the Action Plan for Latin America and the Caribbean that allows a comparison of implementation status with the approved Action Plan at its 41st session in 2017.

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/16/40.COM/10B,
2. Recalling Decisions 35 COM 10C.3, 37 COM 10C.3, 38 COM 10B.3 and 39 COM 10B.3 adopted at its 35th session (UNESCO, 2011), 37th (Phnom Penh, 2013), 38th (Doha, 2014) and 39th (Bonn, 2015) sessions respectively,
3. Acknowledges the progress accomplished in the follow-up of the second cycle of Periodic Reporting in the Arab States and encourages them to continue their efforts in the implementation of recommendations;
4. Notes with concern that the safeguarding of cultural heritage in countries of the region which are affected by conflicts has become one of the priorities of the Regional Programme;
5. Reminds the States Parties about the importance of the Bonn Declaration adopted by the World Heritage Committee at its 39th session (Bonn, 2015);
6. Recalls the recommendation of the Chairperson of the 35th session of the World Heritage Committee (UNESCO, 2011), contained in her letter addressed to all the Arab countries, on the establishment of national entities for World Heritage;
7. Encourages States Parties to continue the implementation of the Recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape in order to enhance the conservation of urban heritage sites inscribed on the World Heritage List;
8. Thanks the Arab Regional Centre for World Heritage (ARC-WH), based in Bahrain, for its support to the implementation of the Regional Programme and invites Arab States to strengthen their cooperation with the ARC-WH;
9. Reminds States Parties which have not already done so to submit their Retrospective Statements of Outstanding Universal Value by 1 February 2017 at the latest, as well as clarifications of boundaries by 1 December 2016 at the latest;
10. Requests the World Heritage Centre to present a progress report on the implementation of the Action Plan for Arab States that allows a comparison of implementation status with the approved Action Plan at its 41st session in 2017.

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/16/40.COM/10B,
2. Recalling Decisions 36 COM 10A, 37 COM 10C.2, 38 COM 10B.2 and 39 COM 10B.2 adopted at its 36th (Saint Petersburg, 2012), 37th (Phnom-Penh, 2013), 38th (Doha, 2014) and 39th (Bonn, 2015) sessions respectively,
3. Welcomes the progress made in the follow-up of the second cycle of Periodic Reporting in the Africa Region, while expressing its concerns regarding the relatively weak implementation rate of the Regional Action Plan by African States Parties;
4. Notes with appreciation the financial contribution of the Governments of Norway, Flanders (Belgium), Spain, South Africa, the Netherlands, the People’s Republic of China, Burkina Faso, the European Union, as well as IUCN, the UNDP/GEF Small Grants Programme, , the African World Heritage Fund and the host countries of all capacity-building workshops towards activities carried out in the framework of the implementation of the Action Plan for the Africa region and its regional capacity-building programme;
5. Calls upon States Parties to financially and technically support the implementation of the Action Plan for the Africa region through follow-up activities with the World Heritage Centre, the Advisory Bodies and the African World Heritage Fund; and to take advantage of the annual mobilization of the African World Heritage Day on 5 May in fostering support for the Action Plan for the Africa region;
6. Commends the States Parties of the Africa Region who have been actively implementing the Action Plan; and requests States Parties, who have not already done so, to establish their National World Heritage Committees and to develop their National Action Plans and Budgets, as well as to inform the World Heritage Centre when they are operational;
7. Further reminds States Parties which have not already done so to submit their Retrospective Statements of Outstanding Universal Value by 1 February 2017 at the latest, as well as clarifications of boundaries by 1 December 2016 at the latest;
8. Notes with appreciation the Ngorongoro Declaration, and also commends the World Heritage Centre and the African World Heritage Fund for organizing the travelling exhibitions “African World Heritage: a pathway for development” and “African Heritage under Threat” to enhance awareness raising;
9. Takes note of the capacity building activities implemented in April-May 2016 in the framework of the commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the African World Heritage Fund including the Youth Forum on “Youth and World Heritage in Africa” implemented in partnership with the World Heritage Centre and the Robben Island World Heritage property in South Africa;
10. Requests the World Heritage Centre, in collaboration with the Advisory Bodies, the African World Heritage Fund and the regional capacity building organizations and with the support of States Parties, to continue its efforts to coordinate and implement the Regional Capacity-Building Programme according to the Action Plan 2012-2017;
11. Also requests the States Parties, in consultation with the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies, to pay special attention to the management of properties inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger;
12. Further requests the World Heritage Centre to present a progress report on the implementation of the Action Plan for the Africa Region at its 41st session in 2017.

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/16/40.COM/10B,
2. Recalling Decisions 37 COM 10C.1, 38 COM 10B.1 and 39 COM 10B.1 adopted at its 37th (Phnom Penh, 2013), 38th (Doha, 2014) and 39th (Bonn, 2015) sessions respectively,
3. Welcomes the progress made in the follow-up of the Second Cycle of Periodic Reporting in the Asia and the Pacific region;
4. Thanks the governments of Japan, the Republic of Korea, Malaysia and the Netherlands for their contributions towards supporting follow-up activities to the Second Cycle of Periodic Reporting in the region of Asia and the Pacific;
5. Also thanks the World Heritage Institute of Training and Research for the Asia and the Pacific Region (WHITR-AP) and the Centre for World Natural Heritage Management and Training (WNHM) for the Asia and the Pacific region for their contributions to the implementation of activities outlined in the Capacity Building Strategy and Associated Programmes for Asia and the Pacific (CBSAP-AP), as part of the follow-up to the Second Cycle of Periodic Reporting; further thanks the International Centre on Space Technologies for Natural and Cultural Heritage (HIST, China) for its initiative in promoting regional cooperation on World Heritage in Asia and the Pacific;
6. Takes note of the finalization of the updated Pacific World Heritage Action Plan (2016-2020) with the aim of increasing awareness at community, national, regional and global levels of the heritage of the Pacific Island nations and their contribution to sustainable development, and enhancing the Pacific nations’ capacity to prepare sound nominations and effectively manage World Heritage sites;
7. Also takes note of the progress made on the Silk Roads nomination process, initiated by the Asian States Parties in collaboration with the World Heritage Centre, and commends the fruitful international cooperation between the national institutions of various States Parties in the region, which makes this project a good practice example for other serial transnational nominations;
8. Reiterates its invitation to States Parties in Asia and the Pacific to actively implement the relevant sub-regional Action Plans, and also encourages them to intensify their contributions towards the implementation of follow-up activities, to be devised in close collaboration with the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies;
9. Reminds States Parties which have not already done so to submit their Retrospective Statements of Outstanding Universal Value by 1 February 2017 at the latest, as well as clarifications of boundaries by 1 December 2016 at the latest;
10. Requests the World Heritage Centre to present a progress report on the implementation of the Action Plans for Asia and the Pacific at its 41st session in 2017.

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/16/40.COM/10A,
2. Recalling Decision 39 COM 10B.5, adopted at its 39th session (Bonn, 2015),
3. Also recalling that the third cycle of Periodic Reporting was suspended at its 39th session (Bonn, 2015) with the launch of a two-year Periodic Reporting Reflection Period, 2015-2017;
4. Commends the World Heritage Centre for the work undertaken, in particular with regards to the organization of the Global Periodic Reporting Reflection Survey;
5. Notes with appreciation the participation of the States Parties to the World Heritage Convention in the Global Periodic Reporting Survey and takes note of the Survey’s results;
6. Takes note of the Terms of Reference of the Periodic Reporting Experts Group;
7. Also takes note that no extrabudgetary resources have been provided for hosting Periodic Reporting reflection meetings and therefore calls upon States Parties to volunteer to participate in a consultative testing phase of the revised questionnaire, to be carried out online in the first quarter of 2017;
8. Also reiterates its request to the World Heritage Centre to present for examination by the World Heritage Committee an updated format of the questionnaire and proposals for improving the process, relevance, analysis and use of data, as well as a proposal of a revised version of Chapter V of the Operational Guidelines (Periodic Reporting on the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention) and Annex 7 (Format for the Periodic Reporting of the application of the World Heritage Convention), at its 41st session in 2017.

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC-15/39.COM/10A,
2. Recalling Decision 38 COM 10A.1, adopted at its 38th session (Doha, 2014),
3. Welcomes the preparation of the Action Plan by the World Heritage Focal Points from North America, illustrating the close cooperation between the two States Parties of Canada and the United States of America, and takes note of the efforts to further strengthen the cooperation with the State Party of Mexico for a number of the proposed actions taking into consideration the shared natural and cultural heritage of the three States Parties;
4. Acknowledges and endorses the Second Cycle Action Plan for the sub-region of North America and its five result areas (Future Tentative Lists; Strategies for public information and outreach about World Heritage; Increased communication and cooperation between World Heritage site managers throughout the sub-region; International Assistance to World Heritage properties; Integration into existing areas of sub-regional cooperation);
5. Commends the States Parties for their efforts to continue the work undertaken in the framework of the Retrospective Inventory and the preparation of the Retrospective Statements of Outstanding Universal Value, and encourages the States Parties to finalise this important work in the best of time;
6. Takes note of the proposed timeframe of five years for the implementation of the Periodic Reporting Action Plan for North America, and requests the States Parties of Canada and United States of America to submit a progress report on the implementation of the Action Plan to the World Heritage Centre, for presentation to the World Heritage Committee at its 40th session in 2016.

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC-15/39.COM/10A,
2. Recalling Decisions 36 COM 10B, 37 COM 10B and 38 COM 10A.2, adopted at its 36th (Saint-Petersburg, 2012), 37th (Phnom Penh, 2013) and 38th (Doha, 2014) sessions respectively,
3. Expresses its sincere appreciation for the considerable efforts made by all States Parties in Europe in submitting the Periodic Reporting questionnaires and thanks all the Focal Points and Site Managers for their participation and commitment;
4. Also thanks the authorities of Azerbaijan, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, Romania and Sweden for their support in organizing regional and sub-regional meetings in collaboration with the World Heritage Centre since the end of the First Cycle of Periodic Reporting;
5. Further thanks the Finnish authorities for successfully organising the final regional meeting (Helsinki, Finland, 1-2 December 2014) to discuss the outcomes of the Second Cycle of the Periodic Reporting exercise and develop, with the active participation of the Focal Points, the Framework Action Plan for Europe;
6. Commends the World Heritage Centre for the production of a number of tools to guide and assist Focal Points and Site Managers (online Periodic Reporting platform, handbook, video tutorials, FAQ); for the technical support provided throughout the exercise; for making the Summary Reports for each property and State Party available publically on its website as soon as possible after submission, in agreement with the States Parties; and for sharing the national Periodic Reporting datasets with the relevant national authorities;
7. Welcomes with satisfaction the Final Report on the Second Cycle of Periodic Reporting in Europe and encourages the States Parties to widely disseminate the Report among all relevant stakeholders in the region;
8. Acknowledges and endorses the Second Cycle Framework Action Plan for Europe (“Helsinki Action Plan”) and its three core objectives (Identification and Protection of Outstanding Universal Value; Effective Management of World Heritage Properties; Increased Awareness of the Convention), and takes note with appreciation of the joint efforts by the World Heritage Centre, the Focal Points and the Advisory Bodies to produce a Framework Action Plan in an innovative format, in order to facilitate its appropriation and integration into national, sub-regional and regional strategies;
9. Strongly encourages the States Parties to integrate all relevant elements of the Helsinki Action Plan into to their national strategies for World Heritage;
10. Also encourages the States Parties to make use of all the data and information provided to them during the Second Cycle of Periodic Reporting to implement the Action Plan at all levels, in particular with regard to the management of World Heritage properties (including management plans, sustainable tourism strategies, disaster and risk preparedness strategies, etc.);
11. Further encourages the States Parties to collaborate at regional and/or sub-regional level to ensure the implementation of this Action Plan, for instance by organising regular (sub-) regional meetings;
12. Requests the States Parties to devote the necessary technical and financial resources to implementing the Action Plan at all levels, and also requests the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies to provide technical support at the request of States Parties;
13. Welcomes the World Heritage Centre’s initiative to share the results of a short monitoring survey with the States Parties every two years, in order to assist them in the implementation of the Action Plan, and further encourages the States Parties to actively support this pilot follow-up initiative;
14. Decides that the significant modifications to boundaries and changes to criteria (re- nominations) requested by the States Parties in Europe as a follow-up to the Second Cycle of Periodic Reporting will not fall within the limit of two nominations per State Party per year imposed by Paragraph 61 of the Operational Guidelines, while they will still fall within the overall yearly limit for complete nominations established by the Operational Guidelines. This decision shall apply for the 1 February 2016 and 1 February 2017 deadlines for Europe, after which the normal limits established in Paragraph 61 will be resumed;
15. Further notes that  the  follow-up  to  the  Second  Cycle  of  Periodic  Reporting  has considerable resource and workload implications for the World Heritage Centre, the Advisory Bodies and the States Parties, and further encourages the States Parties not only to make all the resources necessary for this follow-up available at national level, but also to support the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies;
16. Finally requests the World Heritage Centre to prepare a progress report on the follow-up to the Second Cycle of Periodic Reporting for examination at its 40th session in 2016.

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined document WHC-15/39.COM/10B,
2. Recalling Decisions 34 COM 10A, 35 COM 10A, 36 COM 10A, 37 COM 10A and 38 COM 5F adopted respectively at its 34th (Brasilia, 2010), 35th (UNESCO, 2011), 36th (Saint Petersburg, 2012), 37th (Phnom Penh, 2013) and 38th (Doha, 2014) sessions,
3. Congratulates the States Parties to the World Heritage Convention for having actively participated and completed the Second Cycle of the Periodic Reporting Exercise and takes note of their efforts to ensure relevant follow-up at the regional, national and site levels;
4. Notes with appreciation that the outcomes of the Second Cycle relate fully to the main purposes of the Periodic Reporting exercise as defined by Paragraph 201 of the Operational Guidelines;
5. Also notes that valuable feedback has been received from States Parties and other World Heritage stakeholders with regard to the process, format, relevance, use and analysis of data derived from the Periodic Reporting;
6. Further notes that the existing results reporting framework, which includes the Periodic Reports, should be strengthened through the development of comprehensive indicators and benchmarks to improve follow-up on progress made by State Parties with the implementation of both the 1972 Convention and the 1972 Recommendation concerning the Protection, at National Level, of the Cultural and Natural Heritage, further to Recommendation 1 of the Evaluation of UNESCO’s Standard-Setting Work of the Culture Sector, 1972 Convention, acknowledged by Decision 38 COM 5F.2 of the Committee, according to which the matter will be addressed during the Reflection Period on Periodic Reporting;
7. Decides to suspend the second cycle of Periodic Reporting and launch a two-year Periodic Reporting Reflection Period from 2015-2017;
8. Requests the World Heritage Centre to bring this matter to the attention of the General Assembly of the States Parties to the Convention, at its 20th session (Paris, 2015), in an information document and also requests that the comments of the States Parties be sought on the matters of reviewing the process, format, relevance, use and analysis of data and efficiency of the Periodic Reporting exercise as well as synergies with other UNESCO culture conventions, preferably by means of a questionnaire;
9. Calls upon States Parties and other World Heritage stakeholders to provide extra-budgetary resources to ensure a proper reflection, including through hosting at least two Periodic Reporting reflection meetings with the participation of selected representatives of States Parties from all regions, Advisory Bodies, the World Heritage Centre, UNESCO Field offices, UNESCO Institute for Statistics, category 2 centres as well as experts that have been involved in the second cycle of Periodic Reporting;
10. Further decides that a small expert working group will be entrusted with drafting an updated format of the questionnaire and proposals for improving the process, relevance, analysis and use of data, further to feedback of States Parties and outcomes of Reflection meetings, in accordance with Terms of Reference which will be included in the progress report to be presented to the World Heritage Committee at the 40th session in 2016;
11. Requests furthermore the World Heritage Centre to present for examination by the World Heritage Committee an updated format of the questionnaire and proposals for improving the process, relevance, analysis and use of data, as well as a proposal of a revised version of Chapter V of the Operational Guidelines (Periodic Reporting on the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention) and Annex 7 (Format for the Periodic Reporting of the application of the World Heritage Convention), at its 41st session in 2017.

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC-15/39.COM/10B,
2. Recalling Decision 36 COM 10A, Decision 37 COM 10C.2 and Decision 38 COM 10B.2 adopted at its 36th session (Saint Petersburg, 2012), 37th session (Phnom-Penh, 2013) and 38th session (Doha, 2014) respectively;
3. Welcomes the progress made in the follow-up of the second cycle of Periodic Reporting in the Africa Region, while expressing its concerns regarding the weak implementation rate of the regional Action Plan by African States Parties;
4. Notes with appreciation the financial contribution of the Governments of Norway, Flanders (Belgium), Spain, South Africa and the Netherlands, IUCN, the UNDP/GEF Small Grants Programme, the MAVA Foundation, the African World Heritage Fund (AWHF) as well as the host countries of all capacity-building workshops to activities carried out in the framework of the implementation of the Action Plan for the Africa Region and its regional capacity-building programme;
5. Calls upon States Parties to financially and technically support the implementation of the Regional Action Plan for the Africa Region through follow-up activities with the World Heritage Centre, the Advisory Bodies and the African World Heritage Fund;
6. Commends the States Parties of the Africa Region who have been actively implementing the Action Plan; and requests States Parties, who have not already done so, to establish their National World Heritage Committees and to develop their National Action Plans and Budgets, as well as to inform the World Heritage Centre when they are operational;
7. Further reminds States Parties which have not already done so to submit their Retrospective Statements of Outstanding Universal Value by 1 February 2016 at the latest, as well as clarifications of boundaries by 1 December 2015 at the latest;
8. Also requests the World Heritage Centre, in collaboration with the Advisory Bodies, and with the support of States Parties, to continue its efforts to coordinate and implement the Regional Capacity-Building Programme according to the Action Plan 2012 – 2017;
9. Further requests the States Parties, in consultation with the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies, to pay special attention to the management of properties inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger;
10. Furthermore requests the World Heritage Centre to present a progress report on the implementation of the Action Plan for the Africa Region at its 40th session in 2016.

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined document WHC-15/39.COM/10B,
2. Recalling Decision 38 COM 10B.4 adopted at the 38th session (Doha, 2014);
3. Takes note of the progress accomplished in the follow-up activities of the second cycle of the Periodic Reporting for Latin America and the Caribbean and encourages the States Parties of the region to continue their efforts in the implementation of its recommendations;
4. Notes with appreciation the elaboration of the two sub-regional Action Plans for the Caribbean and for South America;
5. Further notes with appreciation the support of the Government of Peru for the organization of the sub-regional meeting for the elaboration of the World Heritage Action Plan for South America (Cuzco, 5 to 7 May 2015);
6. Encourages Central American States Parties to work in close coordination with the World Heritage Centre to organize a meeting for the establishment of a sub-regional Action Plan with the participation of all stakeholders;
7. Encourages Mexico and Brazil to continue their efforts in view to consolidate the establishment of the UNESCO category 2 centres for World Heritage in Zacatecas (Mexico) and in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil);
8. Reminds States Parties which have not already done so to submit their Retrospective Statements of Outstanding Universal Value by 1 February 2016 at the latest, as well as clarifications of boundaries by 1 December 2015 at the latest;
9. Takes note that, in conformity with Decision 38 COM 10B.4, the World Heritage Centre will provide a report on the progress made in the implementation of the regional and sub-regional Action Plans at its 40th session in 2016.

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC-15/39.COM/10B,
2. Recalling Decisions 36 COM 10A, 37 COM 10C.1 and 38 COM 10B.1 adopted at its 36th session (Saint Petersburg, 2012), 37th session (Phnom Penh, 2013) and 38th session (Doha, 2014) respectively;
3. Welcomes the progress made in the follow-up of the second cycle of Periodic Reporting in the Asia and the Pacific region;
4. Thanks the governments of Japan, Korea and the Netherlands for their contributions to supporting World Heritage follow-up activities on the second cycle of Periodic Reporting in the Asia and the Pacific region;
5. Also thanks the World Heritage Institute of Training and Research for the Asia and the Pacific Region (WHITR-AP), a category 2 centre under the auspices of UNESCO, for its contribution to the implementation of activities concluded in the Capacity-Building Strategy and Associated Programmes for Asia and the Pacific (CBSAP-AP) for the follow-up to the second cycle of Periodic Reporting; and the International Centre on Space Technologies for Natural and Cultural Heritage (HIST, China) for its initiative in promoting regional cooperation on World Heritage in Asia and the Pacific;
6. Takes note of the progress made on the Silk Roads nomination process, initiated by the Asian States Parties in collaboration with the World Heritage Centre, that includes fruitful cooperation between national institutions from various Asian States Parties resulting in an example of best practice for other serial transnational nominations, and developing a tool for international cooperation, shared approaches, better management and conservation practice, as well as sustainable tourism management of the Silk Road heritage corridors;
7. Reiterates its invitation to Asia and the Pacific States Parties to actively implement the respective sub-Regional Action Plans and also encourages them to intensify their contributions to the implementation of follow-up activities while working closely with the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies;
8. Requests the World Heritage Centre to present a progress report on the follow-up activities to the second cycle of Periodic Reporting at its 40th session in 2016.

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined document WHC-14/38.COM/10B,
2. Recalling Decision 37COM 10A adopted at the 37th session (Phnom Penh, 2013),
3. Congratulates the States Parties of Latin America and the Caribbean region for their efforts to continue follow-up actions to the exercise of the second cycle of the Periodic Reporting exercise for Latin America and the Caribbean, and adopts the 2014-2024 regional Action Plan;
4. Notes with appreciation the support of the Government of Brazil and the National Institute for Historic and Artistic Heritage (IPHAN) in organizing the regional meeting “Towards defining an Action Plan for World Heritage in Latin America and the Caribbean”, in close cooperation with the World Heritage Centre, UNESCO Office in Brasilia, the Advisory Bodies and the category 2 centres of the Region;
5. EncouragesStates Parties and all other World Heritage partners and stakeholders in Latin America and the Caribbean to cooperate actively to ensure the implementation of the Action Plan,  which reflects regional priorities to include, but not limited to, education and public awareness, disaster risk management, integrated heritage management, and sustainable tourism in World Heritage properties;
6. Calls upon the States Parties from the Region to support the implementation of the 2014-2024 Action Plan and also encourages them to provide technical and financial resources at national level for its implementation;
7. Further encourages States Parties to continue working, in close cooperation with the World Heritage Centre, Advisory Bodies and the Region’s category 2 centres, to develop sub-regional action plans, based on the Action Plan and taking into consideration and building upon the achievements of the previous plan with a focus on the specific needs of each sub-region;
8. Acknowledges the progress made by the States Parties of Mexico and Brazil in effectively establishing the UNESCO category 2 centre for the World Heritage in Zacatecas, Mexico, as well as the UNESCO Lucio Costa category 2 centre of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and strongly encourages them to continue their efforts in cooperation with the World Heritage Centre, States Parties and Advisory Bodies to initiate a capacity-building programme for the management and conservation of World Heritage in the region;
9. Also calls upon States Parties from other regions to support the efforts of the Latin American and the Caribbean Region in implementing the Action Plan, in the spirit of the international cooperation promoted by the World Heritage Convention;
10. Reminds States Parties which have not already done so to submit their Retrospective Statements of Outstanding Universal Value by 1 February 2015 at the latest, as well as clarifications of boundaries by 1 December 2014 at the latest;
11. Requests the World Heritage Centre to provide information on the progress made in the implementation of the regional Action Plan and sub-regional action plans at its 40th session in 2016.

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined document WHC-14/38.COM/10B,
2. Recalling Decision 35 COM 10C.3, adopted at its 35th session (UNESCO, 2011),
3. Takes note of the progress accomplished in the follow-up of the Second Cycle of Periodic Reporting in the Arab States and encourages them to continue their efforts in the implementation of its recommendations;
4. Commends the States Parties of the Arab Region for their commitment and thanks all focal points for their effective participation and involvement;
5. Notes with satisfaction the increased number of focal points designated for issues related to natural heritage and reiterates its request to those States Parties that have not yet done so yet to designate a focal point for nature;
6. Also encourages the States Parties to follow the recommendation of the Chairperson of the World Heritage Committee (June 2011), in her letter to the Arab States regarding the establishment of national entities for World Heritage;
7. Further encourages the States Parties to continue in the implementation of the Recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape, in order to enhance the conservation of urban ensembles inscribed on the World Heritage List;
8. Also notes with appreciation the commitment and important financial contribution of the Arab Regional Centre for World Heritage (ARC-WH), based in Bahrain, to projects aiming at developing the implementation of the Convention in the Arab States and invites the Arab States to reinforce their cooperation with the ARC-WH;
9. Reminds States Parties which have not already done so to submit their Retrospective Statements of Outstanding Universal Value by 1 February 2015 at the latest, as well as clarifications of boundaries by 1 December 2014 at the latest.

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC-14/38.COM/10B,
2. Recalling Decision 36 COM 10A, adopted at its 36th session (Saint Petersburg, 2012), and Decision 37 COM 10C.2 adopted at its 37th session (Phnom-Penh, 2013),
3. Welcomes the progress made in the follow-up of the second cycle of Periodic Reporting in the Africa Region;
4. Notes with appreciation the financial contribution of the Governments of Norway, Flanders (Belgium), Spain, South Africa and the Netherlands, as well as UNDP/GEF Small Grants Programme and the MAVA Foundation to activities carried-out in the framework of the implementation of the Action Plan for the Africa Region and its Regional Capacity Building Programme;
5. Calls upon State Parties to financially and technically support the implementation of the Regional Action Plan for the Africa Region through follow-up activities with the World Heritage Centre, the Advisory Bodies and the African World Heritage Fund;
6. Reiterates its request to State Parties to submit their national plans and budgets to the World Heritage Committee as indicated in the Expected Result 1 of the Action Plan for 2012-2017, and in accordance with the Management and Conservation Plans of the properties, in order to protect their Outstanding Universal Value;
7. Reminds States Parties which have not already done so to submit their Retrospective Statements of Outstanding Universal Value by 1 February 2015 at the latest, as well as clarifications of boundaries by 1 December 2014 at the latest;
8. Requests the World Heritage Centre, in collaboration with the Advisory Bodies, and with the support of States Parties, to continue its efforts to coordinate and implement the Regional Capacity Building Programme according to the Action Plan 2012-2017;
9. Also requests the State Parties, in consultation with the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies, to pay special attention to the management of properties inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger due to armed conflict;
10. Further requests the World Heritage Centre to present a progress report on the implementation of the Action Plan for the Africa region at its 39th session in 2015.

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC-14/38.COM/10B,
2. Recalling decisions 36 COM 10A and 37 COM 10 C.1, adopted at its 36th session (Saint Petersburg, 2012) and 37th session (Phnom Penh, 2013) respectively,
3. Welcomes the progress made in the follow-up of the second cycle of Periodic Reporting in the Asia and the Pacific region;
4. Notes with appreciation the contribution of the Government of Australia to the organization of a sub-regional workshop in the Pacific for the follow-up of the second cycle of Periodic Reporting;
5. Also notes with appreciation the contribution of the World Heritage Institute of Training and Research for the Asia and the Pacific Region (WHITR-AP), a category 2 centre under the auspices of UNESCO, to the implementation of integrated capacity building activities for the follow-up to the second cycle of Periodic Reporting; and the International Centre on Space Technologies for Natural and Cultural Heritage (HIST, China) for its initiative in promoting regional cooperation on World Heritage in Asia and the Pacific;
6. Encourages the Centre for World Natural Heritage Management and Training for Asia and the Pacific Region, established as part of the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) as a category 2 centre under the auspices of UNESCO, to support capacity building and training activities for natural World Heritage in the region;
7. Calls upon Asia-Pacific States Parties to actively implement the Regional Action Plans and also encourages them to intensify their contributions to the implementation of follow-up activities while working closely with the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies;
8. Reminds States Parties which have not already done so to submit their Retrospective Statements of Outstanding Universal Value by 1 February 2015 at the latest, as well as clarifications of boundaries by 1 December 2014 at the latest;
9. Requests the World Heritage Centre to present a progress report on the implementation of the Action Plans for Asia and the Pacific region at its 39th session in 2015.

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC-14/38.COM/10A,
2. Recalling Decision 37 COM 10B, adopted at its 37th session (Phnom Penh, 2013),
3. Welcomes the preparation of the Periodic Report for North America by the World Heritage Focal Points from North America, illustrating the close cooperation between the two States Parties of Canada and the United States of America;
4. Takes note of the Periodic Report for North America and the activities undertaken as a follow-up of the First Cycle, including the work undertaken in the framework of the Retrospective Inventory and the preparation of the retrospective Statements of Outstanding Universal Value and encourages the States Parties to continue this important work;
5. Decides that the significant modifications to boundaries and changes to criteria (re-nominations) requested by the States Parties of Canada and the United States of America as a follow-up to the Second Cycle of the Periodic Reporting exercise will not fall within the limit of two nominations per State Party per year imposed by Paragraph 61 of the Operational Guidelines, while they will still fall within the overall limit of forty-five complete nominations per year. This decision shall apply for the 1 February 2015 and 1 February 2016 deadlines for the sub-region of North America, after which time the normal limit established in Paragraph 61 will be resumed;
6. Also encourages the States Parties to prepare an Action Plan to address the main conclusions, issues and opportunities identified in the Periodic Report for North America and present it to the World Heritage Committee at its 39th session in 2015.

The World Heritage Committee,

1.  Having examined Document WHC-13/37.COM/10C,

2.  Recalling Decision 36 COM 10A , adopted at its 36th session (Saint Petersburg, 2012),

3.  Welcomes the progress made in the follow-up of the second cycle of Periodic Reporting in Asia and the Pacific;

4.  Thanks the Government of Indonesia for its contribution to the organization of a sub-regional workshop for the follow-up of the second cycle of Periodic Reporting;

5.  Also thanks the World Heritage Institute of Training and Research for the Asia and the Pacific Region (WHITRAP), the UNESCO Category 2 Centre for its contribution to the implementation of integrated capacity-building activities for the follow-up to the second cycle of Periodic Reporting;

6.  Calls upon States Parties to actively implement the regional Action Plans and encourages them to intensify their contributions to the implementation of follow-up activities while working closely with the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies;

7.  Requests the World Heritage Centre to present a progress report at its 38th session in 2014.

The World Heritage Committee,

1.  Having examined Document WHC-13/37.COM/10C,

2.  Recalling Decision 36 COM 10A, adopted at its 36th session (Saint Petersburg, 2012),

3.  Welcomes the progress made in the follow-up of the second cycle of Periodic Reporting in the Africa Region;

4.  Thanks the Government of South Africa and the UNESCO Category 2 Centre, the African World Heritage Fund (AWHF) for financing and organizing the 40 ^th anniversary conference on World Heritage and Sustainable Development; and for contributing to the implementation of integrated capacity-building activities for the follow-up to the second cycle of Periodic Reporting;

5.  Also thanks the Governments of Norway, Flanders (Belgium), Spain and UNDP for their financial contribution to workshops carried-out in the framework of the implementation of the 2012-2017 Action Plan for Africa and its Regional Capacity Building Programme;

6.  Further thanks the Government of Switzerland for generously supporting the publication of the first publication on World Heritage sites in Africa: “African World Heritage: A Remarkable Diversity”;

7.  Calls upon States Parties to financially and technically support the implementation of the Regional Action Plan (2012-2017) through follow-up activities with the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies;

8.  Reiterates its request to State Parties to submit their national plans and budgets, which should be drawn up in accordance with the Management and Conservation Plans of the properties, in order to protect their Outstanding Universal Value;

9.  Further reminds States Parties which have not already done so to submit their Retrospective Statements of Outstanding Universal Value by 1 February 2014 at the latest, as well as clarifications on boundaries by 1 December 2013 at the latest;

10.  Encourages States Parties to intensify their contributions to the AWHF while working closely with the Fund to improve the implementation of the World Heritage Convention in the Africa region;

11.  Requests the World Heritage Centre, in collaboration with the Advisory Bodies, and with the support of States Parties to continue its efforts to coordinate and implement the Regional Capacity Building Programme as per the Action Plan 2012-2017;

12.  Also requests the State Parties in consultation with the World Heritage Centre and Advisory Bodies, to pay special attention to the management of properties inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger due to armed conflict;

13.  Further requests the World Heritage Centre to present a progress report on the implementation of the Action Plan for the Africa region at its 38th session in 2014.

The World Heritage Committee,

1.  Having examined Document WHC-13/37 COM/10C ,

2.  Recalling Decision 35 COM 10C.3 , adopted at its 35th session (Brasilia, 2011) ,

3.  Takes note of the progress accomplished in the follow-up of the second cycle of Periodic Reporting in the Arab States;

4.  Commends the States Parties of the Arab Region for their commitment and thanks especially all focal points for their effective participation and involvement;

5.  Notes with satisfaction the designation of focal points for natural heritage related issues and requests the States Parties which have not yet done so to designate a focal point for nature;

6.  Encourages the States Parties to follow the recommendation of the Rabat meeting regarding the establishment of national entities for World Heritage;

7.  Also thanks the Arab Regional Centre for World Heritage (ARC-WH), based in Bahrain, for its commitment and its important financial support to projects aiming at developing the implementation of the Convention in the Arab States and invites the latter to reinforce their cooperation with the Regional Centre;

Reiterates its request to the Arab States Parties to submit the remaining retrospective Statements of Outstanding Universal Value, no later than 1 February 2014 , and boundary clarifications for their properties, no later than 1 December 2013

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Documents WHC-12/36.COM/10D and WHC-12/ 36.COM/INF.10D,
2. Recalling Decision 35 COM 10A, adopted at its 35th session (UNESCO, 2011),
3. Welcomes the progress made in the follow-up of the second cycle of Periodic Reporting in the Africa Region;
4. Takes note that important discussions have been carried out in the African region relating to development activities and resource extraction in and around World Heritage properties in Africa;
5. Recommends States Parties from other regions to join States Parties in Africa in discussing and reflecting on the same subject with a view to coming up with a common approach at a later meeting of the Committee;
6. Thanks the State Party of South Africa for its offer to host the special 40th anniversary conference on World Heritage and sustainable development;
7. Welcomes the publication initiative on World Heritage in the Africa Region and thanks the State Party of Switzerland for its financial support and encourages its effective implementation;
8. Endorses the Regional Action Plan 2012-2017, and its Regional Capacity Building Programme, prepared by the States Parties and also thanks the Director-General of UNESCO for her support to the preparatory phase;
9. Further thanks the States Parties of Belgium (in particular the Government of Flanders), Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, South Africa, and Switzerland, as well as IUCN, the African World Heritage Fund and the Nordic World Heritage Foundation for their committed support to the implementation of the Action Plan 2012-2017 and in particular the follow-up programmes of the second Periodic Reporting for the Africa Region;
10. Calls upon States Parties to support the implementation of the Action Plan 2012-2017 and also encourages them to intensify their contributions to the African World Heritage Fund while working closely with the Fund to improve on the implementation of the World Heritage Convention in the region;
11. Requests the States Parties of the Africa region to participate in the implementation of the 2012-2017 Action Plan, namely by producing national plans and budgets before the end of October 2012. These national plans should be drawn up in accordance with the Management and Conservation Plans of the properties, in order to protect their Outstanding Universal Value;
12. Also requests the World Heritage Centre, in collaboration with the Advisory Bodies, and with the support of States Parties to continue its efforts to coordinate and implement the Regional Capacity Building Programme as per the Action Plan 2012-2017;
13. Further requests the World Heritage Centre to pay special attention to the management of properties inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger, ensuring the application of the Reinforced monitoring mechanism and the mobilization of adequate resources;
14. Requests furthermore the World Heritage Centre to publish the synthesis report of the second cycle of Periodic Reporting, for wider dissemination and to keep it informed of the progress achieved in the implementation of the Action Plan at its 37th session in 2013.

The World Heritage Committee,

1.   Having examined Document WHC-12/36.COM/10C,

2.   Recalling decisions 28 COM 16, 7 EXT.COM 5E, 29 COM 5, 30 COM 11E, 32 COM 11D, 34 COM 10B.2 and 35 COM 10B adopted at its 28th (Suzhou, 2004), 7th extraordinary (UNESCO, 2004),29th (Durban, 2005), 30th (Vilnius, 2006), 32nd (Quebec City, 2008), 34th (Brasilia, 2010) and 35th (UNESCO, 2011) sessions, respectively,

3.   Acknowledges the information provided on the progress made in the implementation of the second cycle of the Periodic Reporting exercise in the Latin America and the Caribbean Region (LAC) and commends the States Parties for their efforts to achieve objectives in accordance with the approved calendar;

4.   Commends the States Parties of the LAC Region for their active involvement and commitment to the Periodic Reporting exercise;

5.   Thanks the States Parties of Dominican Republic, Brazil and Mexico for their financial and in-kind contributions to the organization of sub-regional meetings;

6.   Welcomes the financial collaboration for the Periodic Reporting exercise provided by the Spanish Funds-in-Trust for World Heritage, Category 2 Centres, States Parties and Advisory Bodies, and encourages them to continue to provide assistance for the implementation of the process;

7.   Takes note of the progress made  by the Qhapaq Ñan project, coordinated by the World Heritage Centre, and for the fruitful cooperation between national institutions from the various States Parties to develop it further as a best practice for other transnational and serial nominations, as requested by Decision 31 COM.12B;

8.   Requests the States Parties of the Latin America and the Caribbean Region to complete and submit the Periodic Reporting questionnaires to the World Heritage Centre by 31 July 2012;

9.   Also requests the World Heritage Centre to submit a final report on the results of the Second Cycle of the Periodic Reporting exercise for Latin America and the Caribbean for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 37th session in 2013.

The World Heritage Committee,

1.   Having examined Document WHC-12/36.COM/10B,

2.   Recalling Decisions 30 COM 11A.1, 30 COM 11A.2, 31 COM 11A.1, 31 COM 11A.2, 32 COM 11D, 34 COM 10B.3 and 35 COM 10C.2 adopted at its 30th (Vilnius, 2006), 31st (Christchurch, 2007), 32nd (Quebec City, 2008), 34th (Brasilia, 2010) and 35th (UNESCO, 2011) sessions, respectively,

3.   Takes note of the follow-up activities to the first cycle of the Periodic Reporting exercise in the region of Europe and North America and the activities in preparation of the launching of its second cycle;

4.   Thanks the Maltese authorities for having hosted the preparatory meeting for Mediterranean Europe in Valetta from 21 to 24 September 2011 and the Icelandic authorities for having hosted the preparatory meeting for Nordic, Baltic and Western Europe in Reykjavik from 18 to 21 October 2011;

5.   Also thanks the Nordic World Heritage Foundation for its collaboration in the preparation of the second cycle of the Periodic Reporting exercise, including preparation of meetings as well as relevant tools;

6.   Expresses its sincere appreciation to the German authorities for having proposed to host a meeting for Nordic, Baltic, Western and Mediterranean Europe in Berlin from 19 to 20 September 2012, the Georgian authorities for having proposed to host a meeting for Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe in autumn 2012, the Italian authorities for having proposed to host a meeting for Mediterranean Europe in Florence in September 2013 and the authorities of Luxembourg for having proposed to host a meeting for Nordic, Baltic and Western Europe in 2013/2014;

7.   Welcomes the initiative of the World Heritage Centre and ICCROM to address the priority needs in training and capacity-building for the preservation of World Heritage properties in Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe, by an integrated and targeted strategy in the context of the Second Cycle of Periodic Reporting;

8.   Commends the States Parties which have submitted draft retrospective Statements of Outstanding Universal Value before the official launching of the Periodic Reporting exercise as requested in Decision 35 COM 10C.2 and urges the States Parties to submit the pending retrospective Statements of Outstanding Universal Value as soon as possible;

9.   Reiterates its gratitude to the States Parties of Andorra, Monaco, Portugal and the Netherlands who have made financial contributions to the implementation of the second cycle of the Periodic Reporting exercise in Europe and North America, acknowledges with thanks the pledge by the Flemish Government to financially support the exercise and encourages further support and collaboration for the future;

10. Also takes note of the Road Map developed at the Reykjavik meeting in 2011 and requests the States Parties to make an effort towards a coordinated approach for its implementation;

11. Decides to launch the second cycle of the Periodic Reporting in the Europe and North America region and also reiterates that it will take place on a two-year basis (North America, Western, Nordic and Baltic Europe sub-regions, for the first year, and Mediterranean, Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe, for the second year) provided that a report on the Periodic Reporting exercise for North America will be presented at the 38th session of the World Heritage Committee in 2014, and an overall report on the Periodic Reporting exercise for Europe will be presented at the 39th session of the World Heritage Committee in 2015;

12.  Also welcomes the creation of the web platform for the follow-up and implementation of the Periodic Reporting exercise and also encourages the States Parties, the World Heritage Centre, the Advisory Bodies and other concerned partners to explore all the opportunities that this tool can provide for the joint implementation of the exercise;

13.   Also requests the World Heritage Centre to report back to the World Heritage Committee on progress achieved in the Periodic Reporting exercise at its 37th session in 2013.

The World Heritage Committee,

1.   Having examined document WHC-12/36COM/10A;

2.   Recalling Decisions 34 COM 10C and 35 COM 10C.1 adopted respectively at its 34th session (Brasilia, 2010) and 35th session (UNESCO, 2011);

3.   Expresses its sincere appreciation to the States Parties from Asia and the Pacific for their efforts in preparing and submitting their Periodic Reports and thanks especially all focal points and site managers for their effective participation and commitment;

4.   Notes with satisfaction that all the 41 States Parties of Asia and the Pacific fully participated in the Periodic Reporting exercise and all 41 questionnaires of the Section I and all 198 questionnaires of the Section II were successfully submitted;

5.   Also notes with satisfaction that all the 166 draft retrospective Statements of Outstanding Universal Value were submitted to the World Heritage Centre;

6.   Thanks the authorities of Australia, China, French Polynesia, India, Republic of Korea, and Samoa for their support in organizing regional and sub-regional meetings;

7.   Also notes the successful use of the electronic tool and the ensuing pertinent documentation gathered in the World Heritage Centre database for future monitoring and follow-up;

8.   Welcomes with satisfaction the synthesis report of Asia and the Pacific and endorses the regional Action Plan proposed by the focal points during the Suwon meeting for Asia, and the Pacific Action Plan adjusted by the focal points during the Apia meeting for the Pacific;

9.   Decides that significant modifications to boundaries and changes to criteria (renominations) requested by States Parties as a follow-up to the second cycle of the Periodic Reporting exercise will not fall within the limit of two nominations per State Party per year imposed by Paragraph 61 of the Operational Guidelines, while they will still fall within the overall limit of forty-five complete nominations per year. This decision shall apply for the 1 February 2013 and 1 February 2014 deadlines for Asia and the Pacific, after which time the normal limit established in Paragraph 61 will be resumed;

10.  Encourages the States Parties and all other World Heritage partners and stakeholders in Asia and the Pacific to actively cooperate and to take the necessary actions to follow-up in a concerted and concrete manner the implementation of the Action Plans;

11.   Also encourages the World Heritage Institute of Training and Research for the Asia and the Pacific Region (WHITRAP), the UNESCO Category 2 Centre, to take a lead in developing a regional capacity-building strategy and associated programmes;

12.  Further notes that the proposals contained in the Action Plans have considerable resource and workload implications for the States Parties, the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies and encourages States Parties to contribute to their implementation through extra-budgetary funding;

13.   Also welcomes the proposals made by the Governments of China, Indonesia, and the Islamic Republic of Iran to organize sub-regional workshops on several issues identified in the Action Plan and the proposals made by the Governments of Japan and the Republic of Korea to financially contribute to the implementation of Action Plans and the follow-up of Periodic Reporting;

14.   Also thanks the Government of Japan for financing the development of a publication of the outcome of Periodic Reporting of Asia and the Pacific, and requests the World Heritage Centre to widely disseminate the Periodic Report among all stakeholders in the region;

15.   Requests the States Parties to continue to work closely with the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies to further develop and implement both at national and sub-regional levels operational programmes based on the Regional Action Plans, and also requests the World Heritage Centre to present a progress report thereon at its 37th session in 2013.

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC-11/35.COM/10C,

2. Recalling Decision 34 COM 10C adopted at its 34th session (Brasilia, 2010),

3. Takes note of the information proving the progress accomplished in the preparations of the second cycle of the Periodic Reporting exercise in the Asia and the Pacific region;

4. Commends the States Parties of the Asia and the Pacific region which have engaged themselves in the Periodic Reporting exercise for their active involvement and commitment, and especially for submitting all the draft retrospective Statements of Outstanding Universal Value of 166 properties in the region;

5. Thanks the States Parties of Australia, China, India, Japan, the Republic of Korea, France (French Polynesia) and Samoa for their financial and in-kind contributions to the organization of regional/sub-regional workshops and other activities;

6. Also thanks regional training institutions in Asia for their support and encourages them to continue to assist the process;

7. Requests the States Parties of the Asia and the Pacific region to complete and submit the Periodic Report questionnaires to the World Heritage Centre, at the latest by 31 July 2011;

8. Also requests the World Heritage Centre to submit a final report on the results of the second cycle of the Periodic Reporting exercise for Asia and the Pacific for examination by the World Heritage Committee, at its 36th session in 2012.

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC-11/35.COM/10B,

2. Recalling decisions 28 COM 16, 7 EXT.COM 5E, 29 COM 5, 30 COM 11E, 32 COM 11D and 34 COM 10B.2 adopted respectively at its 28th session (Suzhou, 2004), 7th extraordinary session (UNESCO, 2004), 29th session (Durban, 2005), 30th session (Vilnius 2006), 32nd session (Quebec City, 2008) and 34th session (Brasilia, 2010),

3. Takes note of the progress achieved in the follow-up to the first cycle of Periodic Reporting in the Latin America and Caribbean region, as well as the results of activities in preparation for the launching of its second cycle, and in particular of the sub-regional workshops organized in Zacatecas (Mexico), Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), and Bridgetown (Barbados);

4. Welcomes the financial collaboration for the Periodic Reporting exercise offered by the Spanish Funds-in-Trust for World Heritage, Category 2 centres and States Parties and encourages them to continue to provide assistance for the implementation of the process;

5. Commends the States Parties of the Region for their achievements in the submission of the draft retrospective Statements of Outstanding Universal Value before the official launching of the Periodic Reporting exercise as requested in Decision 31 COM 11D.1;

6. Decides to launch the second cycle of the Periodic Reporting in the Latin American and Caribbean region and requests the States Parties to actively participate in this process;

7. Welcomes the creation of the web platform for the follow-up and implementation of the Periodic Reporting exercise and encourages the World Heritage Centre, States Parties, Category 2 centres, Advisory Bodies and other concerned partners to explore all the opportunities that this tool can provide for communication and coordination;

8. Also requests States Parties of the Latin American and Caribbean region and the Advisory Bodies to complete the review process for the retrospective Statements of Outstanding Universal Value for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 36th session in 2012;

9. Notes with satisfaction the results already achieved and also requests the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies to continue providing assistance to the States Parties in the Latin American and Caribbean region in the framework of the second cycle of the Periodic Reporting;

10. Further requests the World Heritage Centre to keep it informed of progress achieved in the Periodic Reporting exercise at its 36th session in 2012.

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined document WHC-11/35COM/10A,

2. Recalling Decisions 33 COM 11C and 34 COM 10B.1, adopted respectively at its 33rd session (Seville, 2009) and 34th session (Brasilia, 2010);

3. Expresses its sincere appreciation to the States Parties from the Africa region for their efforts in preparing and submitting their Periodic Reports;

4. Notes with satisfaction that all the 44 States Parties of the Africa region participated in the completion of Section I of the Periodic Reporting questionnaire and that all 78 World Heritage properties in the region were reported on;

5. Commends the Governments of Senegal, Cameroon, Kenya, Namibia and South Africa for respectively hosting various meetings for the Periodic Reporting exercise;

6. Thanks the Governments of Norway, Switzerland, the Netherlands and France, as well as the African World Heritage Fund and the Nordic World Heritage Foundation for their support;

7. Also thanks in particular, the Regional Coordinator, all Focal Points and site managers for their commitment and participation throughout the periodic reporting exercise;

8. Also notes the successful use of the electronic tool and the ensuing pertinent documentation gathered in the World Heritage Centre database for future monitoring and follow-up;

9. Welcomes with satisfaction the synthesis report of the Africa region States Parties and encourages the development of a regional Action Plan as agreed by the States Parties at the final Regional meeting in South Africa and thanks the government of Denmark for its support towards this process;

10. Strongly encourages publication of the synthesis report of the Africa region States Parties to ensure its wide distribution in the region, and calls on the international community to support this action;

11. Decides that significant modifications to boundaries and changes tocriteria (re-nominations) requested by States Parties as a follow-up to theSecond Cycle of the Periodic Reporting Exercise will not fall within the limit of two nominations per State Party per year imposed byParagraph 61 of the Operational Guidelines, while they will still fall within the overall limit of forty-five complete nominations per year.This decision shall apply for the 1February2012 and 1February2013 deadlines for the Africa region, after which time the normal limit established in Paragraph 61 will be resumed;

12. Further notes the States Parties' request for concerted efforts to effectively address the conflicting interests of conservation and development needs and requests the World Heritage Centre to organise, in partnership with the African World Heritage Fund, a special meeting on managing the impacts of development activities and resource extraction in and around World Heritage properties in the Africa region;

13. Recognises the valuable role played by local communities, including indigenous peoples, in the management of cultural and natural heritage properties in Africa and also requests that research programmes on African World Heritage properties should also focus on the involvement of the local communities in their implementation and derivation of direct benefits;

14. Takes note of the initial work undertaken by the two regional training institutions, Ecole du Patrimoine Africain and Centre for Heritage Development in Africa, to propose a Capacity Building Strategy, and calls on the international community to continue the support to these two institutions so that they can continue to play a vital role in the implementation of the Convention in the region;

15. Encourages States Parties to focus on national train-the-trainers programmes to ensure that the impacts of the global World Heritage Capacity Building Strategy are maximised at national level while fully involving young professionals in these activities for long term sustainability;

16. Also welcomes the role that the African World Heritage Fund (AWHF) has been playing in the implementation of its mandate and calls upon African States Parties to reinforce their financial and human resource support for the Fund;

17. Also calls upon African State Parties to avail themselves of the opportunities for International Assistance as offered by the African World Heritage Fund;

18. Further requests the States Parties to continue to work closely with the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies to further develop the regional and sub-regional Action Plans into an operational Regional Programme including priorities, time tables, and budgetary implications for the African States Parties, tailored to sub-regional needs, and finally requests the World Heritage Centre to present the Action Plan, the Africa Nature and Africa 2020 programmes to the World Heritage Committee at its 36th session in 2012.

The World Heritage Committee, 

1. Having examined Document WHC-10/34.COM/10C,

2. Recalling Decisions 31 COM 11D.1, 32 COM 11E, and 33 COM 11B, adopted respectively at its 31st session (Christchurch, 2007), 32nd session (Quebec City, 2008), and 33rd session (Seville, 2009),

3. Takes note of the progress achieved in the follow up to the first cycle of Periodic Reporting, as well as the results of activities in preparation for the launching of its second cycle, and in particular of the sub-regional Workshops organised in Maupiti (French Polynesia, France), Taiyuan (China), and Dehradun (India);

4. Decides to launch a second cycle of Periodic Reporting in Asia and the Pacific region and requests the States Parties of Asia and the Pacific region to actively participate in this process;

5. Also requests States Parties of Asia and the Pacific region to prepare all the missing retrospective Statements of Outstanding Universal Value concerning properties located in their territory and to submit them to the World Heritage Centre before 1 February 2011 for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 36th session in 2012;

6. Further requests the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies to provide assistance to the States Parties in Asia and the Pacific region in the preparation of Periodic Reporting;

7. Requests furthermore the World Heritage Centre to keep it informed of progress achieved in the Periodic Reporting exercise at its 35th session in 2011.

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC-10/34.COM/10B and Information Document WHC-10/34.COM/INF.10B,

2. Recalling Decision 33 COM 11C adopted at its 33rd session (Seville, 2009),

3. Takes note of the information provided on the progress accomplished in the preparations of the second cycle of Periodic Reporting in Africa and the final report on the implementation of the Africa 2009 programme;

4. Commends the States Parties of the Africa region which have hosted meetings in the Periodic Reporting exercise, in particular Senegal, Kenya, Cameroon, Namibia and South Africa, for their active involvement;

5. Thanks the Governments of Switzerland, Norway, the Netherlands, France, and South Africa, as well as the African World Heritage Fund and the Nordic World Heritage Foundation for their financial and technical support;

6. Also thanks the Advisory Bodies and regional training institutions in Africa for their support and encourages them to continue to assist the process;

7. Encourages the States Parties of the Africa Region to continue preparing all the missing retrospective Statements of Outstanding Universal Value of World Heritage properties situated in their territories, and to submit them at the latest by 31 August 2010 for examination at the 35th session of the World Heritage Committee in 2011;

8. Requests the States Parties of the Africa Region to complete and submit the Periodic Report Questionnaires at the latest by 30 September 2010;

9. Also requests the World Heritage Centre to submit a Final Report on the results of the second cycle of the Periodic Reporting for Africa for examination at its 35th session in 2011.

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined document WHC-10/34COM/10A,

2. Recalling Decisions 32 COM 11B and 33 COM 11A, adopted respectively at its 32nd session (Quebec City, 2008) and 33rd session (Seville, 2009),

3. Expresses its sincere appreciation to the States Parties from the Arab region for their efforts in preparing and submitting their Periodic Reports and thanks especially all Focal Points and sites managers for their effective participation and commitment;

4. Notes that some States Parties did not participate in the Second Cycle of Periodic Reporting and that two States Parties, while participating in the exercise, did not submit Section I of the Periodic Reporting questionnaire and encourages them to provide this information to complete the database;

5. Also notes the successful use of the electronic tool and the ensuing pertinent documentation gathered in the World Heritage Centre database for future monitoring and follow-up;

6. Also thanks the Bahraini and Algerian authorities for hosting respectively the launch and closure meetings for the Periodic Reporting exercise and The Netherlands National Commission for UNESCO for its financial support and further thanks ALECSO for translating the questionnaire of the second cycle of Periodic Reporting in the Arab States.

7. Welcomes with satisfaction the synthesis report of the Arab States and endorses the sub regional Action Plans proposed by the Focal Points during the Algiers final regional meeting, and requests the World Heritage Centre to disseminate the Periodic Report in English, French and Arabic, for wide distribution in the region among all stakeholders;

8. Also encourages the States Parties and all other World Heritage partners and stakeholders in the Arab States to co-operate actively and to take the necessary actions to follow-up in a concerted and concrete manner the implementation of the Action Plans for World Heritage in the region;

9. Further notes that the proposals contained in the Action Plans have considerable resource and workload implications for the Arab States Parties, the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies and further encourages States Parties to contribute to their implementation through extra-budgetary funding;

10. Also welcomes the role that the Arab Regional Centre for World Heritage (ARC-WH) in Bahrain can take in particular in terms of providing assistance to the Arab States Parties in reinforcing their capacity in the implementation the World Heritage Convention;

11. Also requests the Arab States Parties to submit the remaining retrospective Statements of Outstanding Universal Value as early as possible and not later than 1 February 2011;

12. Further requests the States Parties to continue to work closely with the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies to further develop the Action Plans into an operational Regional Programme including priorities, time tables, and budgetary implications for the Arab States, tailored to sub-regional needs, and requests furthermore the World Heritage Centre to present a progress report thereon at its 35th session in 2011.

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC-09/33.COM/11A,

2. Recalling Decisions 31 COM 11D.1 and 32 COM 11B, adopted respectively at its 31st session (Christchurch, 2007) and at its 32nd session (Quebec City, 2008),

3. Takes note of the information provided by the World Heritage Centre on progress accomplished in the implementation of the second cycle of Periodic Reporting in the Arab States;

4. Thanks the States Parties of the Arab region which have engaged in the Periodic Reporting process for their active involvement;

5. Also thanks the Kingdom of Bahrain, the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science and ALECSO for their support;

6. Requests the States Parties of the Arab region to revise or prepare all the missing retrospective Statements of Outstanding Universal Value concerning properties situated in their territories and to submit in accordance with the periodic report calendar for review in consultation with the Advisory Bodies, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 34th session in 2010;

7. Also requests the States Parties of the Arab region to complete the two sections of the Periodic Reporting Questionnaire by 31 July 2009 according to the time table agreed upon at the Bahrain Regional meeting in December 2008;

8. Further requests the States Parties of the Arab region that have not yet responded to the questions raised in 2006 in the framework of the Retrospective Inventory, to provide all clarifications and documentation requested by 1 February 2010;

9. Invites the States Parties to contribute to the implementation of the above activities and decides to allocate an amount of USD 50,000 from the World Heritage Fund for the publication of the Periodic Report and the elaboration of the new Regional Action Plan during the 2010-2011 biennium;

10. Requests moreover the World Heritage Centre to associate the States Parties to the drafting of the final report and to present the results of the Periodic Reporting exercise in the Arab States at its 34th session in 2010.

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC-09/33.COM/11C,

2. Recalling Decisions 31 COM 10 and 32 COM 11A, adopted respectively at its 31st session (Christchurch, 2007) and its 32nd session (Quebec City, 2008);

3. Takes note of the results of activities in preparation for the launching of the Second cycle of Periodic Reporting, and in particular the workshop for the preparation of draft Statements of Outstanding Universal Value organized in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (March 2009) ;

4. Expresses its thanks to the Swiss Government and the African World Heritage Fund for their financial support in the preparation of the exercise for the Second cycle of Periodic Reporting;

5. Requests the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies to pursue the implementation of the Regional Programme for Africa, and encourages them to continue seeking funding for its implementation;

6. Requests those States Parties of the Africa region that have not yet responded to the questions raised in the framework of the retrospective inventory to provide all clarifications and documentation requested before 1 February 2010 ;

7. Also requests States Parties of the Africa region to revise or prepare all the missing Statements of Outstanding Universal Value concerning properties located on their territory and to submit them by 1 February 2010 for examination at the 35th session of the World Heritage Committee in 2011;

8. Urges States Parties of the Africa region to actively participate in the second cycle of Periodic Reporting and to take the opportunity to strengthen their management capacities for World Heritage properties;

9. Invites States Parties, the African World Heritage Fund, the World Heritage Centre and all the actors involved in the conservation and management of African natural and cultural heritage to develop a fund-raising strategy to boost the financial resources required for the implementation of World Heritage Convention in Africa and encourages twinning programmes for specific action in capacity building and periodic reporting ;

10. Also invites African States Parties to host regional and sub-regional meetings foreseen in the framework of the second cycle of Periodic Reporting and thanks the State Party of Kenya for its offer to host the sub-regional meeting for Eastern Africa;

11. Also requests the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies to provide assistance to African States Parties in the preparation of the Periodic Report;

12. Decides to launch a second cycle of Periodic Reporting in the Africa region and also decides to allocate USD 150,000 for the implementation of activities foreseen in this framework;

13. Warmly acknowledges the work of the Africa 2009 and Africa Nature programmes;

14. Supports a follow-up programme for Africa 2009 and requests a report to be presented to the World Heritage Committee at its 34th session in 2010, to be integrated in the periodic reporting for Africa;

15. Further requests the World Heritage Centre, in consultation with the Advisory Bodies and the States Parties, to develop programme activities based on the results of the Africa 2009 and African Nature programmes;

16. Requests furthermore the World Heritage Centre to keep it informed of progress achieved in the Periodic Reporting exercise at its 34th session in 2010.

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined document WHC-09/33.COM/11B,

2. Recalling its Decisions 27 COM 20B.4, 30 COM 11D and 31 COM 11C adopted at its 27th (UNESCO, 2003), 30th (Vilnius, 2006), and 31st(Christchurch, 2007) sessions respectively,

3. Notes with satisfaction the significant progress achieved in implementing the World Heritage Convention in the Asia Pacific region through the execution of the Action-Asia 2003-2009 sub-regional Action Plans and the Pacific Action Plan 2009, and commends the States Parties of the Asia Pacific region, the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies, as well as the concerned institutions and donors for their contribution to the attainment of these positive results;

4. Encourages the international community, in co-operation with the World Heritage Centre, to continue its technical and financial support for the implementation of the World Heritage Convention within the Asia Pacific region;

5. Takes note of and welcomes the 'Framework for Action on World Heritage 2010-2015' prepared by the States Parties of the Pacific and their commitment to protecting the outstanding heritage of their region for future generations;

6. Invites the States Parties of the Pacific region to continue developing the Pacific Programme for 2010-2015 and to submit the finalized Action Plan covering the period 2010-2015, including a budget estimate, for the consideration of the Committee at its 34th session in 2010;

7. Decides to allocate the amount of USD 200,000 USD from the World Heritage Fund for the implementation of the activities indicated in Section III of Document WHC-09/33.COM/11B;

8. Requests the World Heritage Centre to submit a report on the development of the Action Plan Pacific 2010-2015, for consideration by the Committee at its 34th session in 2010.

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC-08/32.COM/11A,

2. Recalling Decisions 30 COM 11C.1, 30 COM 11F and 30 COM 11G adopted at its 30th (Vilnius, 2006) and decisions 31 COM 10, 31 COM 11D.1, adopted at its 31st (Christchurch, 2007) sessions respectively,

3. Recognizing the financial and technical assistance provided by various donors for the follow-up of the Periodic Reporting exercise for Africa, in particular for the implementation of the Africa Regional programme (Africa Nature and AFRICA 2009),

4. Takes note of the progress report on the follow-up activities to the Periodic Report for the Africa region;

5. Calls upon the States Parties, the World Heritage Centre and all the other stakeholders involved in the conservation and protection of natural and cultural heritage of the Africa region to establish a fund raising strategy to supplement the necessary financial resources required to implement the World Heritage Convention in Africa;

6. Recommends that States Parties, Advisory Bodies and the World Heritage Centre continue their collaboration in addressing any outstanding issues and in particular focussing on follow-up meetings and training exercises;

7. Requeststhe World Heritage Centre in collaboration with the Advisory Bodies to launch in 2009 the second Cycle of Periodic Reporting in Africa, and to undertake a retrospective inventory so as to determine the amount of information needed from State Parties, and also a first indication of the number of properties in need of a revision of their Statements of Outstanding Universal Value;

8. Further requests the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies to prepare a progress report on the follow-up to the African Periodic Report and on the preparation for the next cycle for Africa for examination by the Committee at its 33rd session in 2009.

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC-08/32.COM/11B,

2. Recalling decisions 30 COM 11C, 31 COM 7.3 and 31 COM 11D.1, adopted respectively at its 30th session (Vilnius, 2006) and 31st session (Christchurch, 2007),

3. Also recalling the need for States Parties, as stipulated in Article 5 (e) of the World Heritage Convention, "to foster the establishment or development of national or regional centres for training in the protection, conservation and presentation of the cultural and natural heritage and to encourage scientific research in this field ",

4. Takes note of the information provided by the World Heritage Centre on progress accomplished in the implementation of the Regional Programme for the Arab States;

5. Encourages States Parties of the Arab region, in cooperation with the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies, to continue with the implementation of the Regional Programme, especially the Action Plans adopted in Abu Dhabi in 2005, and develop them as operational national work plans;

6. Requests States Parties of the Arab region that have not yet responded to the questions raised in 2006 in the framework of the Retrospective Inventory, to provide all clarifications and documentation requested before 1 December 2008;

7. Also requests States Parties of the Arab region to revise or prepare all the missing Statements of Outstanding Universal Value concerning properties situated in their territories and to submit them before 1 February 2009 for examination at the 33rd session of the World Heritage Committee in 2009;

8. Urges States Parties of the Arab region to participate actively in the second cycle of periodic reporting and encourages them to take this opportunity to strengthen their management capacities for World Heritage properties;

9. Further requests the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies to provide assistance to the Arab States in the preparation of the Periodic Report;

10. Warmly welcomes the proposal of the State Party of Bahrain to create a centre for the reinforcement of the implementation of the World Heritage Convention in the Arab region, and invites it to pursue collaboration established with the World Heritage Centre, as well as the consultation with the Arab States and the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO) for the efficient development of the project, and encourages it to undertake a feasibility study and all necessary steps for the establishment of the centre as a Category II Centre under the auspices of UNESCO, and invites it to submit a progress report on the project to its 33rd session in 2009;

11. Takes note of the offer of the State Party of Egypt to establish a second centre in Cairo to give support to capacity building within the region;

12. Also requests the World Heritage Centre to submit the results of the Periodic Report for the Arab States to the Committee at its 34th session in 2010.

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC-07/31.COM/11D.1,

2. Recalling Decisions 25 COM VII.25-27 adopted at its 25th session (Helsinki, 2001), 7 EXT.COM 5 and 7 EXT.COM 5A.1 adopted at its 7th extraordinary session (UNESCO, 2004), 29 COM 11.A adopted at its 29th session (Durban, 2005), 30 COM 11G adopted at its 30th session (Vilnius, 2006);

3. Recognizing the range of benefits for the World Heritage community of the new approach for Section II of the Periodic Reporting questionnaire proposed by the "Working Group on the simplification of the Periodic Reporting questionnaire and setting up of indicators" (the Working Group);

4. Welcomes the new format for Section II as presented in Document WHC-07/31.COM/INF.11D.1;

5. Requests the World Heritage Centre and the Working Group to develop a new format for Section I, incorporating the lessons learnt from the revision of the Section II questionnaire and to finalize both Sections I and II of the revised questionnaire and decides to allocate USD 75,000 from the World Heritage Fund for these activities;

6. Requests the World Heritage Centre to develop a Web-based application of the revised questionnaire as found in WHC-07/31.COM/INF.11D.1 and decides to allocate USD 50,000 from the World Heritage Fund for this task;

7. Recognizing the pivotal importance of Statements of Outstanding Universal Value in all World Heritage processes, urges States Parties, in cooperation with the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies, to prepare all missing Statements of Outstanding Universal Value for properties in their territory before the launching of the second cycle of Periodic Reporting in their Region and decides to allocate USD 10,000 from the World Heritage Fund to the Advisory Bodies to participate in the revision of the Statements of Outstanding Universal Value for the Arab States Region;

8. Requests the World Heritage Centre to ensure it has adequate capacity and resources to continue the Retrospective Inventory as the basis to prefill the questionnaire at the outset of the Second cycle of periodic reporting in each region;

9. Acknowledges the importance and complexity of adopting a consistent approach for indicators for World Heritage properties and requests the World Heritage Centre to prepare a working document on this issue to be presented at its 32nd session in 2008;

10. Invites States Parties wishing to participate in the Field Testing of the revised questionnaire to contact the World Heritage Centre before 30 September 2007.

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC-06/30.COM/11G,

2. Recalling Decisions 25 COM VII.25-27 adopted at its 25th session (Helsinki, 2001), 7 EXT.COM 5 and 7 EXT.COM 5A.1 adopted at its 7th extraordinary session (UNESCO, 2004), and 29 COM 11.A adopted at its 29th session (Durban, 2006),

3. Recognises the importance of Periodic Reporting to ensure the implementaion of the Strategic Objectives and the credibility of the Convention and strongly encourages all State Parties to continue to support the exercise;

4. Adopts the Terms of Reference of the Periodic Reporting Reflection Year as proposed in the Document WHC-06/30.COM/11G;

5. Decides to suspend for two years the commencement of the next cycle of Periodic Reporting in order to ensure that necessary time is allocated to study and reflect on the first cycle and develop strategic direction, clear objectives and benchmarks for the next cycle;

6. Requests the Director of the World Heritage Centre to prepare a policy document on Periodic Reporting to be discussed at the 31st Session of the World Heritage Committee in 2007, prior to the General Assembly of State Parties to the Convention in 2007;

7. Decides that significant modifications to boundaries and changes to the criteria (renominations) and revisions of the statements of Significance/Outstanding Universal Value requested by States Parties as a follow up to the first Cycle of the Periodic Reporting exercise do not enter into the limit imposed by the Suzhou-Cairns Decision (Decision 28 COM 13.1); recognizing that these modifications, changes and revisions create an additional workload for, and additional resource pressures, on the World Heritage Centre, the Advisory Bodies, and the Committee, and that there may be a need to prioritise this work in the future;

8. Decides to entrust to a small Working Group composed of the UNESCO Institute of Statistics/international experts/Committee Members/ Advisory Bodies and the World Heritage Centre,

a) The simplification of the Periodic Reporting questionnaire;

b) The elaboration of indicators; and the development of a format for progress reports on Periodic Reporting with clear objectives, benchmarks, and results that facilitate global comparison and evaluation;

9. Decides to allocate US$ 40,000 for the functionning of this Working Group whose works will be submitted to the Committee at its 32nd session in 2008;

10. Decides to allocate additional support (US$ 30,000) to the Retrospective Inventory project to prepare for the next cycle of Periodic Reporting in cooperation with the Regional Units of the World Heritage Centre;

11. Requests the Director of the World Heritage Centre to prepare a project proposal for the re-organization of the data management at the World Heritage Centre, including how this system will facilitate the work with the Retrospective Inventory, State of Conservation and Periodic Reporting, and to submit it to the Committee at its 31st session in 2007;

12. Requests the Director of the World Heritage Centre to prepare a final report on the Periodic Reporting Reflection Year including all the above-mentioned elements to be examined by the World Heritage Committee at its 32nd session in 2008.

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC-06/30.COM/11F,

2. Recalling Decision 29 COM 11C.1 adopted at its 29th session (Durban, 2005),

3. Takes note of the Report of Progress Report on the implementation of the recommendations of the Periodic Report for Africa;

4. Acknowledges the efforts of the World Heritage Centre in assisting African States Parties in improving the implementation of the World Heritage Convention and in conserving properties and the progress thus far achieved in implementing the Action Plan from the Periodic Report for Africa adopted by the World Heritage Committee at its 26th session (Budapest, 2002);

5. Further acknowledges with satisfaction concerning the support provided by financial partners to Africa Regional Programme such as, the Nordic World Heritage Foundation (NWHF), Italy and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP ) for hosting and supporting the organization of the Regional Seminar on Managing World Heritage properties in Africa, further appeals to the international community both public and private as well as funds and foundations to continue to provide assistance towards the attainment of the objectives contained in the Action Plan of the Africa Periodic report;

6. Invites Africa Regional Programme partners such as NWHF, AWHF to cooperate with the World Heritage Centre, IUCN, ICOMOS and ICCROM with view to designing a long-term capacity building and institutional development programme for World Natural Heritage in Africa built on the efforts so far achieved through the Regional Programme and based on the model of the Africa 2009 programme that would ensure sustained reinforcement of World Heritage activities through capacity and institutional building, thematic meetings and networking;

7. Welcomes the launching of the African World Heritage Fund (AWHF) held in May 2006 and encourages States Parties to support and contribute to the Fund;

8. Requests the World Heritage Centre to collaborate with the relevant States Parties and with other UNESCO Departments with view to organizing the side-event dedicated to the African World Heritage cities at the 4th Africities Summit;

9. Further requests the Centre, ICOMOS, ICCROM and IUCN in collaboration with other States Parties through the AWHF to advocate the enhancement of the Africa Programme.

10. Requests the Director of the World Heritage Centre to report at its 32nd session in 2008 on the implementation of the recommendations of the Periodic Report for Africa.

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC-06/30.COM/11E,

2. Recalling Decisions 28 COM 16, 7 EXT.COM 5E and 29 COM 5 adopted at its 28th session (Suzhou, 2004), 7th extraordinary session (UNESCO, 2004) and 29th session (Durban, 2005) respectively,

3. Takes note of the information provided by the World Heritage Centre on the progress made in the implementation of the above-mentioned Decisions for the follow-up to the Periodic Report in Latin America and the Caribbean;

4. Requests the World Heritage Centre, in collaboration with the Advisory Bodies, the UNESCO regional offices and the States Parties of the region, to further develop the Caribbean and the Latin American Action Plans into operational work plans and identify partners for their implementation;

5. Invites the Director-General of UNESCO to review operations and staffing in the UNESCO regional offices to ensure that services are provided in a coordinated manner with the World Heritage Centre to assist the States Parties in Latin America and the Caribbean in the implementation of the World Heritage Convention and the respective Action Plans;

6. Calls upon the States Parties, the World Heritage Centre and all the other stakeholders involved in the protection and conservation of natural and cultural heritage of the region to establish a fund raising strategy to provide the necessary financial and human resources required to implement the World Heritage Action Plans;

7. Strongly encourages the States Parties, other World Heritage partners and stakeholders in the region to cooperate actively and take the necessary actions to follow up on the implementation of the Action Plans for World Heritage in Latin America and the Caribbean in a concerted and concrete manner;

8. Encourages the States Parties of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru to continue working together for the preparation of the trans-national nomination dossiers (Qhapaq Ñan - Main Andean Road) and requests the States Parties to submit a progress report by 1 February 2007 for examination by the Committee at its 31st session in 2007 ;

9. Calls upon the donors to continue supporting the initiative and thanks the World Heritage Centre for technical support;

10. Requests the Director of the World Heritage Centre to report at its 32nd session in 2008 on the implementation of the Caribbean and Latin American Action Plans.

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC-06/30.COM/11D,

2. Recalling decision 7 EXT.COM 5D adopted at its 7th extraordinary session (UNESCO, 2004),

3. Takes note of the outcomes of the sub-regional meetings and activities carried out in 2004 and 2005 for the implementation of the regional programmes "Action Asia 2003-2009" and "World Heritage-Pacific 2009";

4. Requests the Asia-Pacific States Parties to implement the Action Plans adopted during the sub-regional meetings, with special focus on the establishment of a national World Heritage coordinating mechanism, involving all concerned institutions, NGOs and the academic sector;

5. Strongly encourages the Asia-Pacific States Parties to take necessary action to strengthen regional cooperation mechanisms including partnerships and networks among countries in the region so as to address conservation challenges towards World Heritage in a more effective manner;

6. Invites the Director-General of UNESCO to consider means to strengthen the capacity of the UNESCO Office in Apia so as to assist the Pacific States Parties in the implementation of the World Heritage Convention;

7. Requests the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies to support the Asia-Pacific States Parties in the implementation of the national and sub-regional Action Plans;

8. Requests the Director of the World Heritage Centre to report at its 31st session in 2007 on the implementation of the recommendations of the Periodic Report for Asia Pacific;

9. Thanks the State Party of China for pursuing and making possible the World Heritage Research and Training Institute.

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC-06/30.COM/11C.1,

2. Recalling Decision 7 EXT.COM 5B adopted at its 7th extraordinary session (UNESCO, 2004),

3. Takes note of the information provided by the World Heritage Centre on the progress made in the implementation of the Regional Programme for the Arab States and in responding to the priority needs identified in the Periodic Reporting submitted by the Arab States in 2000;

4. Thanks the Flemish Authorities (Kingdom of Belgium) for the project entitled "Development of a World Heritage information management capacity in the Arab States", and the Nordic World Heritage Foundation for its assistance to the State Board of Antiquities of Iraq;

5. Expresses its gratitude to the United Arab Emirates, and especially the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority, for hosting the Regional Meeting on the Follow-up to Periodic Reporting in the Arab States, held in Abu Dhabi in December 2005;

6. Requests the States Parties, in collaboration with the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies, to continue implementing the Regional Programme, and notably the Action Plans adopted in Abu Dhabi, to be developed into operational national work plans, and to establish a fund raising strategy to provide the necessary financial and human resources required to this end;

7. Requests the Director of the World Heritage Centre to report at its 32nd session in 2008 on the implementation of the Regional Programme.

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC-06/30.COM/11B,

2. RecallingDecisions 29 COM 11 A.4 and 29 COM 11 A.5 adopted at its 29th session (Durban, 2005),

3. Noting proposals for changes to the nomination dossiers for some World Heritage properties in North America,

4. Approves the Statements of significance for the World Heritage properties in North America as included in Annex I of Document WHC-06/30.COM/11B;

5. Notes the changes to the names as indicated in Document WHC-06/30.COM/8B, and further notes the adjustments to natural heritage criteria concerning geological values, as indicated in Document WHC-06/30.COM/8D and decides to also change the name of Redwood National Park to Redwood National and State Parks;

6. Encourages the State Party of Canada to put forward extensions to Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks and Wood Buffalo National Park, pursuant to Canada's Tentative List for World Heritage Sites (2004);

7. Encourages Canada and the United States of America to submit any outstanding documentation related to World Heritage properties, as soon as possible;

8. Recommends that Canada and the United States of America continue, in cooperation with other Committee members, States Parties, the Advisory Bodies and the World Heritage Centre to explore, as appropriate, the potential for developing guidelines for management plans and principles for evaluating visual impacts for activities in and adjacent to World Heritage properties;

9. Encourages Canada and the United States of America to continue their strong collaboration and to consider how to enhance collaboration with the State Party of Mexico in matters of shared interest for natural and cultural heritage.

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC-06/30COM/11A.1 and taking note of Document WHC-06/30COM/INF.11A,

2. Recalling Decisions 25 COM VII.25-27 and 7 EXT COM 5A.2, adopted respectively at its 25th session (Helsinki, 2001) and 7th extraordinary session (UNESCO, 2004),

3. Expressing its sincere appreciation for the considerable efforts by all 48 States Parties in Europe in submitting the Periodic Reports for Section I in 2004 and Section II in 2005,

4. Notes the successful use of an electronic tool, the development of an evaluation tool and the storage in a World Heritage Centre database of all information submitted by the States Parties;

5. Thanks the German authorities for hosting a European meeting (Berlin, Germany, 8 - 9 November 2005) on the results of Periodic Reporting Section I and the finalization of Section II, as well as the development of an overall Strategic Action Plan and welcomes the "Berlin Appeal" to enhance cooperation and support by European States Parties and European Institutions on World Heritage;

6. Welcomes with satisfaction the synthesis report of the European Region illustrating a growing co-operation among States Parties;

7. Acknowledges and endorses the Action Plan of the European synthesis report on Section I and II and the sub-regional reports and requests the States Parties to make an effort towards a coordinated approach for its implementation;

8. Requests States Parties to work with the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies to start implementing the Action Plan for the European Region;

9. Further notes that preparations for the follow-up to the Periodic Reporting results, including name changes, boundary changes and statements of significance have started in some European States Parties, following the Circular Letter of 23 January 2006, and welcomes the meetings offered by the Greek authorities in November 2006, by the French authorities in October 2006 and by the Spanish authorities in January 2007, to ensure a coordinated and systematic approach of these follow-up activities;

10. Notes the importance of management plans for the protection of World Heritage properties and that many European sites reviewed lack this tool, and requests States Parties to prepare management plans for those World Heritage properties that still do not have them;

11. Recognizes the need to avoid the nomination of similar types of properties and encourages States Parties to cooperate in harmonizing their Tentative Lists by sharing information on the sites proposed;

12. Strongly encourages the States Parties in Europe to continue the improved cooperation and requests all States Parties to submit any changes to names, criteria, boundaries and statements of significance in a timely fashion and in accordance with deadlines outlined in the Operational Guidelines;

13. Notes also that such proposals (and the similar ones made in Periodic Reports for other Regions) have considerable resource and workload implications for the Committee, the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies as well as for States Parties;

14. Further requests that all European States Parties provide an official letter to the World Heritage Centre by 31 September 2006, indicating their agreement to make the electronic database available for data-sharing with the Council of Europe and other partners as well as on the World Heritage webpage for the general public;

15. Requests the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies to prepare a progress report on the follow-up to the European Periodic Report including time tables, budgetary implications and priorities for examination at its 31st session in 2007.

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Documents WHC-05/29.COM/11C.1 and WHC-05/ 29.COM/11C.2.Rev,

2. Recalling its decisions 7 EXT.COM 5C and 7 EXT.COM 7.2 adopted as its 7th Extraordinary Session (UNESCO, 2004) to support the African initiative to hold a meeting of African experts on the implementation of the World Heritage Convention and on the State of Conservation of World Heritage sites in Africa in March 2005 in Cape Town, South Africa, and to participate in the next summit of the African Union through an exhibit by the World Heritage Centre on cultural and natural World Heritage in Africa during the next summit of the African Union,

3. Welcomes with appreciation the Africa Position Paper included in Document WHC-05/29.COM/11C.2.Rev, which addresses challenges facing Africa's World Heritage properties and the possibility of setting up an African World Heritage Fund, in accordance with the outcomes of the meetings held in Somerset West, South Africa, from 15 to 18 March 2005;

4. Expresses its appreciation to the State Party of South Africa for hosting the above meetings;

5. Emphasizes its commitment to the development of strategies to conserve and protect Africa's World Heritage properties, including human resources development;

6. Recalling the Periodic Report for the African region, adopted at its 26th session (Budapest, 2002) by Decision 26 COM 20, which calls inter alia for the establishment of an African Heritage Fund,

7. Commends the African position paper and supports the principles, objectives and recommendations enshrined therein which constitutes a major step and strategic document in implementing the periodic reporting exercise for the African region and which is also at the basis of the activities of the Committee;

8. Requests the Director of the World Heritage Centre to transmit the African position paper to the General Assembly of the States Parties to the Convention at its 15th session (2005);

9. Supports the establishment of the African World Heritage Fund and requests the Director of the World Heritage Centre to report to the Committee at its 30th session (Vilnius, 2006) on the progress made towards the establishment of such a Fund;

10. Invites States Parties to the Convention to make voluntary contributions to the Fund;

11. Also invites the African World Heritage Fund, when established, to report to the World Heritage Committee on a regular basis on its activities and discuss with the Committee its orientation and strategy;

12. Further invites the African States Parties to present the 10-year Action Plan mentioned in Document WHC-05/29.COM/11C.2Rev to the Committee at its 30th session (Vilnius, 2006);

13. Reaffirms its commitment to implement its Decision 7 EXT.COM 7.2 and the recommendations set forth in the Africa Position Paper.

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Documents WHC-05/29.COM/11C and WHC-05/29.COM/16,

2. Recalling its Decision 7 EXT.COM 5C, adopted at its 7th Extraordinary Session (UNESCO, 2004),

3. Bearing in mind that all three modules of the Africa Regional Programme represent means of building in the long-term the capabilities of natural and cultural heritage site managers and other professionals in Africa for the conservation and protection of World Heritage properties,

4. Recalling with satisfaction the synthesis Periodic Report published in the World Heritage Paper Series (number 3), which gives direction for future World Heritage activities in Africa,

5. Notes with satisfaction the work that has already been carried out by the AFRICA 2009 programme, (Module I), the Africa Nature Programme (Module II), and the National Strategies Programme (Module III), and recommends that capacity building for a better implementation of the World Heritage Convention continues to be intensified over the next phases of all three modules, taking into consideration the diversity of languages with a view to promoting a more effective delivery of regional programmes;

6. Thanks the financial partners of AFRICA 2009 - the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA); through the Swedish National Heritage Board; - the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD) - and the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Italy and Finland, as well as the financial partners of AFRICA Nature programme and the programme for National Strategies - in particular, the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Italy and The Netherlands - for their continued support of the programme, and urges them to continue such support in the future;

7. Also thanks the operational partners of AFRICA 2009: -ICCROM, the World Heritage Centre, CRATerre-EAG (Ecole d'Architecture de Grenoble), EPA (Ecole du patrimoine africain), and PMDA (Programme pour le Developpement des Musees Africains)-, as well as the partners of the World Heritage Centre for Africa Nature and National Strategies programmes - IUCN, UNESCO Field Offices, National Commissions for UNESCO, African Wildlife institutions and NGOs - for their sustained efforts in the implementation of the programme;

8. Approves the activities to be carried out in the biennium 2006-2007 in the framework of Module 1 of the Regional Programme for Africa, as described in document WHC-05/29.COM/11C, and takes note of the funding request of US$200,000 submitted by ICCROM in Annex 3 of document WHC-05/29.COM/16;

9. Further approves the activities to be carried out in the biennium 2006-2007 in the framework of Modules II & III of the Regional Programme for Africa, as described in document WHC-05/29.COM/11C, and takes note of the amount of US$50,000 submitted in document WHC-05/29.COM/16 (3);

10. Encourages all States Parties to the World Heritage Convention in Africa to continue to develop initiatives to promote dialogue at all levels with a view to:

a) foster national and regional understanding for the protection of World Heritage and b) sustain their support to the three modules of the Africa Regional Programme by hosting events, and providing professionals as participants, coordinators, and resource persons;

11. Requests the Director of the World Heritage Centre to prepare the Second Periodic Reporting Exercise for Africa, and to submit the results of such exercise for examination of the Committee at its 33rd session (2009).

 (3) Subject to adoption of Document 16

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Decides, in view of the time constraints, to defer the presentation and the discussion of this item until its 30th session (Vilnius, 2006).

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC-05/29.COM/11A,

2. Recalling Decisions 25 COM VII.25-27 adopted at its 25th (Helsinki, 2001) session and 7 EXT.COM 5 and 7 EXT.COM 5A.1 adopted at its 7th extraordinary session (UNESCO, 2004),

3. Welcomes with appreciation the synthesis report of the North American region illustrating very effective cooperation between the States Parties of Canada and the United States of America;

4. Takes note of the Periodic Report and its specific recommendations for revised statements of significance, name changes, revisions of criteria and other clarifications regarding inscriptions of World Heritage properties in the region;

5. Acknowledges the recommendations for reviewing the importance of local populations in or adjacent to natural World Heritage properties; guidelines for management plans and principles for evaluating visual impacts for activities in and adjacent World Heritage properties;

6. Requests that the meeting concerning the "reflection year" referred to in Decision 7 EXT.COM 5 include:

a) forms and format of the Report;

b) training priorities arising from all reports;

c) international cooperation issues; and

d) a reflection on a new regional grouping;

7. Requests the Director of the World Heritage Centre, in consultation with the Advisory Bodies and the States Parties concerned, to report at its 30th session (Vilnius, 2006) on the proposed structure, time-schedule and resources needed for the implementation of the measures outlined in paragraph 6;

8. Strongly encourages the States Parties of Canada and the United States of America to continue the existing level of excellent cooperation.

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC-04/7 EXT.COM/5A,

2. Recalling its Decision 25 COM VII.25-27 at its 25th session (Helsinki, 2001) to examine Section I of the Periodic Report for Europe at its 29th session (Durban, 2005), and Section II at its 30th session (2006),

3. Notes the report on the progress of the Periodic Report for Europe.

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Documents WHC-04/7 EXT.COM/5C and WHC-04/7 EXT.COM/INF.11,

2. Recalling its Decision 26 COM 20, adopted at its 26th session (Budapest, 2002),

3. Notes with satisfaction the progress made in the implementation of the recommendations of the Periodic Report for Africa;

4. Thanks the Italian Government for its prompt and generous contribution to the implementation of the first session of Modules II & III of the Africa Regional Programme 2004-2007, as well as the governments and institutions detailed in the Annex for their contribution to the conservation of World Heritage Sites in Africa;

5. Invites the Director of the World Heritage Centre, in consultation with the Advisory Bodies, to take into account, in the implementation of the training component of the Africa Regional Programme, the diversity of languages as well as the need to ensure an appropriate balance between natural and cultural heritage, with a view to promoting integrated programs;

6. Takes note of the meeting of African experts on the implementation of the World Heritage Convention and on the State of Conservation of World Heritage sites in Africa planned for March 2005 in Cape Town, South Africa;

7. Calls upon the State Parties to the Convention, UNESCO, the World Heritage Centre and other partners to support this initiative;

8. Requests the Director of the World Heritage Centre to report at its 29th session (Durban, 2005) on the results and progress accomplished in the implementation of the recommendations of both the Periodic Report for Africa and the Africa Regional Programme. 

ANNEX to the Decision 7 EXT.COM 5C

List of Governments and Institutions that have contributed to the Africa Regional Programme and to the conservation of World Heritage properties in Africa:

• Belgium, Directorate-General for Development Cooperation and Federal Science Office;
• France – UNESCO Cooperation Agreement;
• Global Environment Facility (GEF)/ Small Grants Programme;
• Italy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs;
• Japan, Funds-in-Trust-Agreement with UNESCO;
• Finland, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• Netherlands, Funds-in Trust-Agreement with UNESCO;
• Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD);
• Nordic World Heritage Foundation;
• Portugal, Funds-in-Trust Agreement with UNESCO;
• Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA)
• Swedish National Heritage;
• United Nations Development Programme/Global Environment Facility (UNDP/GEF).
• United Nations Foundation (UNF)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC-04/7 EXT.COM/5B,
2. Recalling its Decisions 24 COM VII.1-4 and 27 COM 20B.I, adopted at its 24th session (Cairns, 2000) and its 27th session (UNESCO, 2003), respectively,
3. Takes note of the progress made in the implementation of the Regional Programme for the Arab States and in responding to the priority needs identified in the Periodic Report for the Arab States;
4. Thanks the Dutch Government for supporting the publication of such Periodic Report;
5. Requests the Director of the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies to continue developing the Assistance Modules, as well as projects, as part of the strategy outlined in the Regional Programme, and to consult the concerned States Parties in the process;
6. Further requests the World Heritage Centre to report at its 30th session (2006) on the outcome of the Regional Meeting foreseen in 2005 – with particular attention to the review of the Assistance Modules and the mobilization of extra-budgetary resources for their implementation.

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Requests the World Heritage Centre to produce a publication within three months, if possible, to be funded from extrabudgetary funds, on the Arab States Periodic Report carried out in the year 2000 and information on the follow-up actions.  This publication is also to be made available through electronic or other appropriate means (CD-Rom and/or on the UNESCO World Heritage Centre's web site);

2. Notes the progress made to date in the preparation for the Periodic Reporting in Latin America and the Caribbean and in Europe and North America.

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Expresses its sincere appreciation to the Asia-Pacific States Parties, the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies for their collaboration over the past 6 years that led to the successful preparation of the comprehensive "Synthesis Regional Periodic Report for the Asia-Pacific Region 2003";

2. Takes note of the sub-regional and regional recommendations and action plans proposed in the "Synthesis Regional Periodic Report for the Asia-Pacific Region 2003", which were elaborated by the States Parties together with the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies, based upon the conclusions of the Periodic Reporting Exercise and the national, sub-regional and regional Consultative Meetings;

3. Requests the World Heritage Centre to produce a publication within three months if possible, to be funded from extrabudgetary funds, on "The State of World Heritage in the Asia-Pacific Region", and to make the Report and the information contained in the Asia-Pacific States Parties' national periodic reports available through electronic or other appropriate means (CD-ROM and/or on the UNESCO World Heritage Centre's web site);

4. Recommends to the Director-General of UNESCO that he reviews operations and staffing in the regional offices in Asia and the Pacific by 2005 to ensure that improved services are provided in a co-ordinated manner with the World Heritage Centre to assist the Asia-Pacific States Parties in the implementation of the World Heritage Convention;

5. Decides to favourably consider and support the proposed Programmes "ActionAsia 2003-2009" and "World Heritage-Pacific 2009", which directly respond to the conclusions, recommendations, and action plans resulting from this Periodic Reporting Exercise (Document WHC-03/27.COM/20B);

6. Strongly encourages the Asia-Pacific States Parties to take the necessary actions to follow up in a concerted and concrete manner, the recommendations and action plans proposed at national levels to address effectively and in a timely manner the conservation challenges to World Heritage in the Asia-Pacific Region.

Report on the state of the World Heritage in the Africa Region

VII.1 The Secretariat presented the report on Periodic Reporting in the Africa Region (WHC-01/CONF. 208/7) to the Committee. As at November 2001, fifty-three sites were inscribed on the World Heritage List. Forty of these sites were inscribed prior to 1993 and located in eighteen countries, comprising twenty-three natural, sixteen cultural and one mixed site, and were the subject of this monitoring report. The strategic approach for the compilation of the report and the co-operation of the African States Parties in the Periodic Reporting Exercise was explained. Of the possible eighteen reports on the state of implementation of the Convention by the States Parties, sixteen had been received, and of a possible forty state of conservation reports, thirty-two had been received, representing a rate of 80%.

VII.2 As regards the state of the regional overview on the implementation of the Convention, the Secretariat drew the attention of the Committee to the following issues:

• Periodic Reporting on the implementation of the Convention should not only be limited to countries with sites inscribed on the List;
• Lack of policy and legislative measures for heritage conservation: where policy measures exist, the lack of solid policies and programmes to put these measures into effect is insufficient to implement them;
• High central government-driven initiatives concerning sites with little involvement of the local population or non-governmental organizations;
• Inadequate professional personnel, skills and equipment;
• Lack of scientific information to enhance and update the management knowledge and methods;
• Lack of financial resources to manage sites and techniques for mobilizing international support;
• Lack of education and public awareness concerning World Heritage values;
• Poorly defined and poorly understood World Heritage values;
• Lack of mechanisms for addressing natural and anthropic threats to World Heritage;
• Non-existence of frameworks for bi- and multilateral cooperation for designing transborder sites; and
• Lack of nominations from countries that ratified the Convention in earlier years.

VII.3 In the light of these observations, and the achievements of the Global Strategy, the Secretariat emphasized the following challenges facing World Heritage conservation in Africa:

• Mainstreaming World Heritage protection within the public and private sectors of the African countries;
• Convincing the private sector to incorporate heritage protection in their activities;
• Establish long-term conservation financing programmess for African sites (e.g. the setting up of the African Heritage Fund);
• Promoting urban and regional planning for both urban and rural heritage;
• Promoting transparency in heritage resource management;
• Promoting more proactive use of environmental assessment tools for the decision making process; and
• Effective management through regional and subregional training, accountability, cooperation, coordination and agreements.

VII.4 The Secretariat presented an Action Plan focused on:

• Co-operation and Networks for better sharing of resources;
• Training for more skilled and efficient manpower;
• Wider participation to ensure long and sustained conservation of World Heritage in Africa;
• Management to address deficiencies at the national level and on the sites;
• Scientific research and reporting to enhance knowledge at sites, and
• update methods for site protection and information sharing.

VII.5 The Secretariat recommended the convening of the second round of regional meetings with site managers. Meetings with the Permanent Delegations to UNESCO and with the National Commissions for UNESCO should also be held. The Secretariat also recommended the adoption by the Committee of the Action Plan, to be funded by the World Heritage Fund, extrabudgetary sources and the African Heritage Fund.

VII.6 Following the presentation, several interventions were made by Committee members and observers. After debate, the Committee deferred the adoption of the African Periodic Report, on the basis of the following comments:

• the complete Report should have been provided to enable the Committee to have the information which led to the conclusion and recommendations of the Report, provided as a Working Document;
• in view of the importance of the Report and the issues involved in the Periodic Reporting Exercise, the Committee requested that a copy of the report be provided to all members to provide an opportunity to thoroughly study the Report (CD-Rom version), and certain recommendations contained in the Report submitted to the Committee which may be difficult to implement.

VII.7 The Committee noted that the proposed Action Plan should be completed with a quantitative plan, highlighting actions to be undertaken in the short and in the long term, and associating the follow up activities to periodic reporting with the activities undertaken under the Africa 2009 Programme.

VII.8 As regards the proposed African Heritage Fund, while expressing the urgent need to support African countries, the Committee requested a detailed description of the Fund and suggested that it should have a structure whereby the Committee could have a say in its utilisation.

VII.9 In considering the level of awareness raising, the Committee noted that each regional action plan differed, and that more awareness raising activities are foreseen in the follow up to the Periodic Reporting Exercise. The Committee noted that the countries concerned will gain six more months following approval of the proposed cycle for periodic reporting.

VII.10 To simplify the work of the Committee, it was decided to provide the Committee with the summary report. However, the Committee was informed that the full report would be made available to its members.

VII.11 IUCN welcomed the report on Africa. Africa is the only region where the number of natural sites exceeds the number of cultural sites. In addition, 22% of all natural World Heritage sites are from Africa. Alarmingly, 42% of natural sites on the List of World Heritage in Danger are from Africa, in some cases the result of armed conflict related issues as in the Democratic Republic of Congo. IUCN considered that this required increasing emphasis by the Committee on African heritage conservation, particularly through activities which build local support, linking conservation to sustainable development and support capacity building efforts. However, it is important to understand that root causes such as poverty, debt, lack of development and ethnic conflict afflict too many African countries. These underlying causes will be addressed at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg in 2002.

VII.12 IUCN felt the report has many positive points but that the recommendations would have more impact if the set of priority items were presented in a clearer and shorter fashion. IUCN also informed the Committee that the World Parks Congress (WPC) will be held in Durban in September 2003. This 10-yearly event is key in shaping the world's protected areas now covering the equivalent of 10% of the earth's terrestrial surface. The WPC will include a major focus on World Heritage and on African conservation. The meeting will provide an important opportunity to address the issues identified in the Periodic Reporting Exercise.

VII.13 The ICCROM Representative reported that several activities proposed in the Action Plan are already being implemented by ICCROM under Africa 2009, and more links will be established with the periodic reporting.

VII.14 The Committee noted that the Action Plan as well as the recommendations were derived from consultations with the States Parties during regional meetings, responses to the questionnaires and through various consultant missions undertaken to assist the participating countries.

VII.15 As regards follow up consultations with the concerned African States Parties, the Committee noted that the Chairperson had approved two international assistance requests amounting to US$40,000 to enable the organization in Africa of two follow up meetings for Francophone and Anglophone African countries respectively.

VII.16 Taking into consideration the above observations, the Committee deferred the adoption of the African Periodic Report and the proposed Action Plan. It recommended that the Centre re-examine the African Periodic Report in consultation with the States Parties, taking into consideration the comments, and re-submit the Report to the next session of the World Heritage Committee. The Report should include more details on the proposed Action Plan and the proposed African Heritage Fund, and be circulated to the States Parties. A Progress Report on the African Periodic Reporting Exercise should be submitted to the next Bureau of the World Heritage Committee.

IX.1 The Secretariat presented the Working Document WHC-99/CONF.209/12 that contains the Action Plan for the Arab region which should be completed by December 2000, and the periodic reporting exercise for the African States that should be completed by December 2001.

IX.2 Particular mention was made of the links with the implementation of the Global Strategy. The periodic monitoring exercise would help States Parties to recognize their insufficiencies in the field of conservation and facilitate the identification of their needs. The managers of the sites will be trained and ultimately regional expert networks will be strengthened.

IX.3 In the Arab States, eighteen States Parties will have to prepare reports concerning forty-four sites (41 cultural, one mixed and two natural). The exercise for the Arab region which should be completely finalised over a period of less than eleven months, comprises the following stages:

- an analysis of information available to UNESCO and the advisory bodies (nomination files, statutory reports, mission reports, etc.);

- an information and training phase for responsible nationals in charge of the preparation of the reports of their countries (regional seminar, preparatory work, national seminars);

- preparatory phase for national reports to be attended by international consultants to assist States Parties;

- a phase for the synthesis of reports and the preparation of the regional report which should be ready by September 2000 for submission to the twenty-fourth session of the World Heritage Committee. This exercise in the Arab region, which will serve as a useful example for the other regions, will permit the (i) harmonisation of national tentative lists; (ii) validation of the use of this exercise for the revision of early nomination files, incomplete in comparison to the new format; (iii) testing the questionnaires of the exercise in a continuum way; (iv) verification of the criteria concerning the sites; (v) identification of the regional and national priorities in terms of international co-operation. Finally, it will allow the Secretariat to improve its information on the sites inscribed and will also be beneficial to States Parties.

IX.4 In Africa, eighteen States Parties will have to prepare reports concerning forty sites, twenty-three of which are natural, sixteen cultural and one mixed. The exercise for Africa was conceived in seven stages that have been established in a participatory manner to involve States Parties and site managers, thereby ensuring a training character to the preparation of the final report.

Stage I: Preparation and dispatch of a specific form to draw the attention of States Parties to the monitoring issue and to obtain a first input of information relating to the implementation of the Convention.

Stage II: Collection of preliminary results and elaboration of regional workshop programmes, to process the resulting information into a data base and to identify specific information which should be provided to each site manager during the training seminars.

Stage III: Organization of two regional training seminars: Anglophone and Francophone Africa, which will convene managers of both natural and cultural site. During these workshops, they will:

• present their sites and identify common issues;
• have the opportunity to discuss the methodology of the exercise;
• obtain additional information for the completion of the forms for each site.

These three stages should be completed by autumn 2000.

Stage IV: Exchange of additional information with site managers, before reception of the final version of the forms.

Stage V: Analysis of the forms to compare the site in situ between the time of inscription and the present; define minimal methods for regular monitoring, identify the involvement of local populations in the management of the sites and identify the site issues.

Stage VI: Identification of fragile sites and study missions (2001).

Stage VII: Completion of the final report and dissemination of the exercise, and submission of the report to the Committee for 2001. The periodic report will constitute a reflection of the situation. In a continent where the collection, analysis and stockage of information is often difficult, the emphasis will be placed on understanding the conservation process, the importance of collecting of information and its presentation and use, rather than on the exhaustive research for information.

IX.5 During these discussions, fourteen speakers took the floor, including the three advisory bodies and congratulated the Secretariat for the clarity of the document, its conception and the transparency of the proposed budget. The importance of the participatory approach and the importance given to training were also emphasized. However, the speakers insisted upon the need to continue the exercise, to establish a cumulative process, the importance of the documentation, the identification of key indicators, the implication of the local populations, and public awareness raising. They commented that this exercise should also include a communication plan. They requested that the role of the advisory bodies be defined.

IX.6 The Representative of IUCN informed the Committee that the systematic approach to periodic reporting on a regional basis is a very positive initiative but IUCN, as one of advisory bodies named in the Convention, is unclear as to what role, if any, it is expected to play in the periodic reporting process. The role of the advisory bodies in reactive monitoring is clear from the Operational Guidelines. He stated for example that the material on the process in Arab States as well as in Africa does not make any mention of the advisory bodies. With these first regional strategies, IUCN thought that it was very important that the Committee indicates clearly whether the advisory bodies have a role to play in the regions, as it will establish a pattern for the future. IUCN informed the Committee that it has rich experience in association with States Parties that it could bring to bear on periodic reporting. He recalled the statements made by several delegates that stressed the value of IUCN's input. The Representative of IUCN further noted that the involvement of the advisory bodies would have resource implications. Moreover, IUCN is working towards the World Parks Congress (held every ten years) to be convened in Durban, South Africa in September 2002, and IUCN is planning two regional working sessions in Africa - one for Francophone Africa and the other for Anglophone Africa during 2001.

IX.7 The views of IUCN were supported by ICOMOS and ICCROM and fully endorsed by several delegates. ICOMOS specifically stressed the importance of regional monitoring and stated that the periodic reporting exercise should be considered as a formative one where site managers can be trained, and called for more liaison with the with the advisory bodies in view of their experience in producing Guidelines. In reference to remarks made by several delegates on the Reference Manual for Monitoring, ICCROM clarified the place of the manual in the periodic reporting process. The Representative of ICCROM stated that the Committee had allocated US$8,000 to ICCROM in December 1998 to begin the development of a Reference Manual for Monitoring. ICCROM organized two meetings in 1999 with experts representing the advisory bodies and the World Heritage Centre, to develop an approach for preparing the manual. The purpose of the Manual is to provide guidance to site managers at the local level, a target that is recognized as important in the process of periodic reporting by several delegates. ICCROM has been working with the other advisory bodies and the World Heritage Centre in the development of the Manual, that has been designed to be a useful scientific reference tool for site managers at all levels of responsibility in carrying out their duties. ICCROM has submitted a request of US$16,000 to the current session of the Committee in order to finalize the Manual, an initiative that should be considered as complementary to the Centre's presentation.

IX.8 Several delegates stressed the importance of establishing benchmarks and indicators and while these may be established at the site level, the monitoring process should not be an end in itself, but should serve different levels of the citizenry, and should be forward-looking with a well defined objective.

IX.9 Committee members stressed that the periodic monitoring exercise should be targeted primarily to involve the States Parties and site managers, and that putting the process into the hands of the local managers would render it more useful. It was emphasized that the local population should be involved as much as possible since their participation is critical to the conservation of heritage.

IX.10 At the end of the debate, precisions and clarifications were provided by the Secretariat which has committed to reflect in the forms which will be sent to States Parties, the remarks made by the Committee.

IX.11 The Committee requested the Secretariat to take note of the proposal to invite the participation of the UNEP/PAM Programme 100 historical sites in the exercise to benefit from the resources and gain experience.

IX.12 The Committee approved the methodology, the action plan of the Arab region, as well as the strategic approach of the exercise for the African region. It took note of the budgetary proposals for 2000 that will be processed during the examination of the work plan and budget of the World Heritage Fund.

VI.1 The Committee took note of the resolution adopted by the twenty-ninth General Conference of UNESCO on the periodic reporting by the States Parties on the legislative and administrative provisions and other actions which they have taken for the application of the Convention, including the state of conservation of the World Heritage properties located on its territories. The Committee noted, in particular, points 14, 15 and 16 of the resolution in which the General Conference:

Invites the States Parties to the World Heritage Convention to submit in accordance with Article 29 of the Convention, through the World Heritage Committee, via its Secretariat the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, reports on the legislative and administrative provisions and other actions which they have taken for the application of the Convention, including the state of conservation of the World Heritage properties located on its territories;

and

Requests the World Heritage Committee to define the periodicity, form, nature and extent of the periodic reporting on the application of the World Heritage Convention and on the state of conservation of World Heritage properties and to examine and respond to these reports while respecting the principle of State sovereignty;

and

Requests the World Heritage Committee to include in its reports to the General Conference, presented in accordance with article 29.3 of the Convention, its findings as regard to the application of the Convention by the States Parties.