The Delegate of the United States informed the Bureau about a report concerning Yellowstone National Park, inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1978. The Park is faced with a proposed mining project of a gold mine two miles north of the northeast boundary of the site. The area concerned is both public and private with 20% under the administration of the US Forest Service. The mine would remove 56 acres of wetlands to build an artificial lake and would call for construction of access roads and housing for the workers. The economic value of the project is estimated at US$ 1 billion in ...
Sites: Yellowstone National Park
The Bureau was informed that the property was one of the most important black rhino refuges at the date of inscription with a population of 500. The ten remaining rhinos are being captured and translocated for intensive protection. The site has never received assistance from the World Heritage Fund to control poaching.
The Bureau raised concern about this loss of one of the World Heritage values of the site, and asked the Centre to work closely together with CITES and IUCN to determine the lessons learned from this unfortunate experience. This specific case could be used to coordinate ...
In December 1993, on the occasion of the seventeenth session of the World Heritage Committee in Cartagena, it was reported that information from local and national authorities in Spain confirmed the setting-up of a multidisciplinary advisory council (Building Committee) which had drafted a Master Plan setting out the priorities for restoration and all other work on Burgos Cathedral.
ICOMOS confirmed to the Bureau that the issue of coordinating actions and respective roles with regard to the Cathedral have now been solved. The Ministry of Culture, the Regional Government of Castille and ...
Sites: Burgos Cathedral
The three mosques of Djingareiber, Sankore and Sidi Yahia were placed on the List of World Heritage in Danger in 1990. These properties are threatened by obvious, precise and imminent dangers:
a) serious alteration of the mud construction materials
b) serious alteration of the structures
c) the climatic factor of desertification.
The Bureau was informed of the content of the report, produced in French, concerning the state of conservation of the three mosques, by the UNESCO consultant. In 1990, this consultant elaborated the proposal for the placing of the mosques on the List of ...
Sites: Timbuktu
During its present session, the Secretariat informed the Bureau that this site, inscribed in 1978, continued to be threatened by frequent floods. However, thanks to financial assistance from the European Union, the Polish authorities have at their disposal the necessary pumping material to maintain a satisfactory level of salubrity of the historic part of the mine.
Furthermore, Bureau members were informed that in 1991 the Polish authorities prepared a humidity-level study, and that in 1993 the data collected was examined during a seminar held in the United States, which was attended by ...
The Coordinator of the MAP/UNEP "100 historical sites" programme presented this archaeological site inscribed in 1992, which is immerged below 1.50m of water due to subsidence. However, the maintenance work there is being carried out in a satisfactory manner by the Archaeological Institute of the Department of Antiquities, in spite of the lack of human and financial resources. The Bureau was informed of the wish of the Albanian authorities to create a natural and cultural archaeological park. To accomplish this, the Hydrology Institute of Tirana has prepared a study in order to identify ...
Sites: Butrint
18 BUR VI.B
Great Wall; Imperial Palace of the Ming and Qing Dynasties; Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor; Mogao Caves; Peking Man Site at Zhoukoudian (China)
The Bureau was informed about the results of a World Heritage Centre monitoring mission to the existing five cultural World Heritage Sites in China, namely the Great Wall, the Imperial Palace of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor, the Mogao Caves and the Peking Man Site at Zhoukoudian. The mission had been generally impressed with the standard of maintenance of Chinese World Heritage sites and the professionalism of the staff responsible for them. Nevertheless, the mission had been able to raise specific technical issues with the State Bureau of Cultural ...
The MAP/UNEP Coordinator of the "100 historical sites" Programme emphasized the exemplary character of the conservation measures. He reported on the considerable financial support from the Municipality, and he briefly outlined the "Safeguard Plan for the Enhancement of the Safeguarded Sector of Arles". He also mentioned the plan for preventive action to combat atmosphericpollution to conserve the Primatiale Saint-Trophime. This project, partially financed by the World Monument Fund, has elaborated a 24-hour surveillance system which can detect and forecast atmospheric changes.
The ...
The Bureau was informed of the outcome of an ICOMOS mission which visited Lubeck in May 1994 to discuss problems arising from the development plans for the city centre. The Bureau recommended that the authorities in Lubeck be encouraged to revise its heritage protection legislation so as to allow sufficient time for the proper investigation of the city's rich archaeological heritage and to implement measures to make the important archaeological and artistic discoveries accessible to the general public. It also recommended that the authorities should seek the assistance of an experienced ...
Sites: Hanseatic City of Lübeck
This archaeological site, inscribed in 1990 and excavated since the 19th century, continues to suffer from violent winds, high humidity and the sea. Conservation work has not been carried out systematically after each excavation campaign, and the site museum is too small. Moreover, the personnel responsible for the surveillance of the site appear to be insufficient. Furthermore, it seems that pastures close to the archaeological site have been rented to the Municipality of Myknos for grazing land.
The Bureau requested the World Heritage Centre to ask the Greek authorities for precise ...
Sites: Delos
This site, which was inscribed in 1992, is threatened by the expansion of activities linked with tourism. The avenues and surrounding area of the archaeological site are threatened by urbanism and the construction of hotel complexes. Moreover, the archaeological site is subject to vibrations from the nearby airport which now accommodates large carriers, and for which an extension is planned.
The Bureau requested the World Heritage Centre to request the Greek authorities to ensure that the Antiquities Law is strictly observed, so as to limit threats weighing on the site due to tourist ...
This site was inscribed in 1987. The MAP/UNEP Coordinator of the 100 historical sites" Programme informed the Bureau that the Technical and Scientific Committee created in 1988 and which was responsible for evaluating the security of the Tower of Pisa, did remarkable work. A series of enquiries, measures and studies were undertaken to obtain information on all the physicomechanical characteristics of the substratum, and to make various hypotheses of structural evolution. The intervention approved by the Technical Committee in the spring of 1992 necessitated the development of a ...
Sites: Piazza del Duomo, Pisa
The Bureau expressed concern following the report presenting the different threats to the integrity of the site of Pétra, especially with regard to:
1) the serious impact of some ten new hotels planned or under construction, both on the visitor capacity of the site, their visibility from the site and the disproportion of several of them in relation to the village habitations, the destruction of archaeological vestiges which they cause, pollution and soil erosion;
2) the negative impact of the pumping station planned for Wadi Musa and its new hotels;
3) the risks caused to the site by ...
Sites: Petra
The Bureau expressed concern with the lack of general maintenance of the site, especially the lack of permanent and effective surveillance. It requested the World Heritage Centre to request the Jordanian authorities to take the necessary measures to ensure the satisfactory maintenance and management of the site.
Sites: Quseir Amra
World Heritage sites in Mexico:
The Observer of Mexico informed the Bureau that the Mexican National Institute for Anthropology and History (INAH) prepared state of conservation reports on the ten cultural and natural sites that were inscribed on the World Heritage List until 1992. He emphasized that Mexico has taken this initiative as it feels that it is an integral element of the implementation of the World Heritage Convention in the country and that it is one of the obligations of the States Parties to the Convention to report on the state of conservation of the sites and on the ...
The Bureau recalled that the case of Puebla was briefly discussed at the seventeenth session of the Committee. The Secretariat informed the Bureau that since then, it continued to receive letters and reports from individuals, associations and organizations on the rehabilitation plan for Puebla, particularly the so-called Rio San Francisco area.
A report was received on 28 March 1994 from the Mexican National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) that a regional development programme called ANGELOPOLIS is in preparation for an area of the State of Puebla including 14 municipalities ...
Sites: Historic Centre of Puebla
18 BUR VII.15
International assistance for training provided under the World Heritage Fund: review, evaluation and strategy - Review and assessment of cultural heritage training activities (1988-1992)
The Bureau approved US$30,000 for the organization of a workshop to be held in 1994-1995 with a selected number of the centre's training partners in the field of the conservation and preservation of the cultural heritage, key individuals and colleagues from UNESCO's Secretariat to provide a sound basis for a fresh strategy.
The Bureau asked the Centre to submit the overall evaluation findings as well as recommendations for a future training strategy to the World Heritage ...
18 BUR VII.9
International Assistance for training provided by the World Heritage Fund: review, evaluation and strategy - Review and assessment of natural heritage training activities (1988-1992)
The Bureau approved US$30,000 for a workshop to be held in 1994-1995 with a selected number of experts, specialists and key individuals, including agreement by the schools, to review the curricula of the courses, management objectives as well as the outcome of the courses.
The Bureau asked that the Centre submit the evaluation findings as well as recommendations by the experts for a future training strategy for natural heritage to the World Heritage ...
18 BUR IX.2.B.1
Requests for International Assistance - Requests approved - Cultural heritage - Technical Cooperation
Historic Centre of the Town of Olinda (Brazil) - US$19,000: for a tourist study which would form part of the Urban Development Plan.
Rock-hewn Churches of Ivanovo Monastery and Monastery of Rila (Bulgaria) - US$21,000: of which US$16,000 will be earmarked for the purchase of equipment and US$5,000 for advisory services on the nature of conservation measure to be undertaken.
Old City of Dubrovnik (Croatia) - US$8,000: for the restoration of mural paintings in the 18th century Baroque Festival Palace, which was severely damaged in 1991. ICCROM will supervise the project in collaboration ...
18 BUR IX.2.B.2
Requests for International Assistance - Requests approved - Cultural heritage - Training
Argentina - US$20,000: for a series of seminars which will be held at different sites in Argentina and on different subject matters:
1) Posadas, 5-8 September 1994: Safeguarding the Jesuit Missions
2) Mar del Plata, 30-31 August 1994: Tourism and cultural heritage.
3) Salta, 5-8 September 1994: Preservation of historic centres.
4) Cordoba, 5-8 September 1994: Interventions in the archaeological heritage.
5) Buenos Aires, 5-8 September 1994: Recycling versus restoration.
6) Trelew-Chubut, 5-8 September 1994: Natural heritage, its relevance in the development process.
Brazil ...