The Bureau was informed that the seven member Scientific Committee has elaborated, through consultations with the public, rigorous and comprehensive terms of reference for its work and for the environmental impact study of the proposed San Ignacio industrial salt production project. The Scientific Committee is expected to document the actual situation of the World Heritage area prior to the commencement of the industrial salt production project, assess the impact of the project's proposed construction and operational activities on the ecological, biological and protected area management aspects of the World Heritage area and undertake a 26-issues driven socio-economic evaluation of the project. The Bureau was satisfied to note that the Scientific Committee, in its preliminary report, had indicated that the proposed industrial salt production project will only be authorized if the Committee finds that the project will not compromise the conservation of natural resources in the region and does not pose a risk to the protection of the biological heritage of the Mexican people.

The Bureau requested the Centre to transmit its appreciation for the State Party's efforts to ensure a rigorous evaluation of the environmental impacts of the proposed industrial salt production project and requested the State Party to provide a progress report on the work and findings of the Scientific Committee for the consideration of the World Heritage Committee, at its twenty-first session, in December 1997.

The Bureau was informed that 80% of the total population (i.e. about 2,000) of the great one-horned rhinoceros, a species restricted in its range to South Asia, are found in the World Heritage sites of Kaziranga (India; 1,200) and Royal Chitwan (Nepal; 400). The Bureau, however, noted that intensive poaching can quickly lead to sharp declines in rhino populations, as observed in the World Heritage area of Manas (India), a site included in the List of World Heritage in Danger.

The Bureau encouraged the Centre to facilitate cooperation between the staff of Royal Chitwan (Nepal) and Kaziranga and Manas (India) World Heritage sites, and the CITES Convention for sharing of intelligence information on trading routes of rhino horns and the activities of commercially motivated poaching gangs in order to sustain the contributions which World Heritage sites have made to rhino conservation in South Asia.

The Director of the Park had proposed that staff, army personnel and the Sherpa community resident in the vicinity of the Park shift to using kerosene as a primary source of energy but has been unable to raise the necessary capital, estimated to be about US$ 50,000, for making this shift. The Director has called for more involvement of scientific expertise in advising the management on resolving practical problems such as energy needs of the staff, army personnel, the Sherpa community and the tourists and the management of waste disposal. The Bureau requested IUCN to utilize expertise available in its Nepal Office in Katmandu to undertake a field visit to Sagarmatha National Park and discuss with the Director of the Park, ways and means by which they can provide advise on alternative energy sources and other management issues. The IUCN Representative pointed out that funding would be required to support IUCN involvement.

(a) a new outer boundary which will be fixed and boundaries of the five management zones which will be provisionally accepted for 5 years to allow the Ministry of Resource Management and the Environment (MRME) to map individual zones more accurately;

(b) construction of an MRME Headquarters at or near Al Ajaiz with management, research and monitoring facilities and a visitor centre, a local service centre and a desalination plant for supplying water to Al Ajaiz and its integrated development and access roads to the desalination plant at Al Khumkham, specifically to Haylat at Kharasheef and the Habbab Road;

(c) pilot projects on environmental tourism, environmental tourism plan for the coastal region from Ras Madrakab to Al Khaluf, establishment of a local coordinating committee, range land and livestock management, archaeological studies, particularly in the northern extension to the Sanctuary, and environmental awareness programmes; and

(d) possible MRME financial and human resources to develop the Sanctuary as Oman's first national park.

The Bureau thanked the Omani authorities for providing an outline of the interim plan and encouraged them to develop the Arabian Oryx Sanctuary as Oman's first national park. The Bureau requested the Omani authorities to provide a map indicating the outer boundary and the boundaries of the five management zones and to report to the Centre on the status of the Arabian Oryx population in the Sanctuary and the impacts of the reverse osmosis plant on the desert ecosystem. The Bureau requested the Centre and IUCN to study the map(s) and the report(s) to be provided by authorities in Oman and assess whether a site visit to the Arabian Oryx Sanctuary is necessary. The Delegate of Germany stated that this case clearly demonstrates the danger connected with the inscription of a site without exact boundaries.

The Bureau encouraged the PMT to provide the Centre with a copy of the Management Plan for Tubbataha Reef and submit periodical reports on the progress made by the Project and the status of conservation of Tubbataha Reef Marine Park. The Bureau also commended the Marine Parks Centre and the Environment Agency of Japan for financing several projects in support of the conservation of this World Heritage site.

The Bureau noted that the Committee, at the time of inscription of this World Heritage Site in 1994, had made several recommendations, including the finalization of the boundaries of the World Heritage area, which have not yet been implemented. Hence, the Bureau suggested the Centre to transmit its concerns regarding the integrity of Canaima National Park to the Venezuelan authorities and discuss with them the feasibility of fielding a high level mission to Venezuela in order to gather information and discuss and resolve problems facing the conservation of Canaima National Park.

(i) As recommended by the Committee at the time of inscription of Ha Long Bay in the World Heritage List in 1994, a Ha Long Management Department had been set up and currently has a total staff of 102. The Department is legally authorized by the Provincial Government of Quang Ninh to protect the Ha Long Bay World Heritage Area and regulate development activities along the entire coast of the Bay.

(ii) The Vietnamese authorities have submitted a request for US$ 20,000 to the consideration of the Chairperson of the World Heritage Committee for the purchase of selected equipment for the Management Department of Ha Long Bay.

(iii) While the Ha Long Bay World Heritage Area is protected adequately, enforcement of environmental regulation along the coastal zone of the Quang Ninh Province needed considerable improvement.

(iv) Plans to issue a license for the establishment of a floating hotel near Ha Long Bay World Heritage area had been withdrawn.

(v) JICA (Japanese International Cooperation Agency) will conduct an environmental study of the Ha Long Bay area.

(vi) When phase 1 of the construction of the port (i.e. Cailan port) is completed in the year 2000 about 2-4 large ships could pass through the Ha Long Bay World Heritage area each day.

The Bureau commended the Vietnamese authorities for establishing and strengthening the Ha Long Management Department and welcomed JICA's environmental study of the Ha Long Bay area. The Bureau requested the Vietnamese authorities to strictly enforce environmental regulations in the development of the coastal zone throughout the Quang Ninh Province with a view to minimizing the pollution impacts on the Ha Long Bay World Heritage area. The Bureau encouraged the Vietnamese and the Japanese authorities to cooperate in carrying out the JICA's environmental study of the coastal and marine environment of Ha Long Bay mentioned above. The Bureau encouraged the Vietnamese authorities to search for ways and means to direct large ships that are expected to pass through the World Heritage area along alternative routes.

The Bureau was informed that the Management of the Durmitor National Park have informed the Centre that their proposal to excise the 40 ha area around the village of Zabljak from the Park area had been approved by the Government of the Republic of Montenegro and that the Management wished to know whether the World Heritage Committee would agree with the proposed modification of the Park boundary. The Park Management, while ensuring high protection of the Tara River Canyon, and supporting spelaeological, hydrological, biological and archeological studies there, had not reacted to the Committee's suggestion for an engineering evaluation of the earthen containment structures built in the earthquake prone flood plains of the River. Finally the Management has brought to the attention of the Centre its concerns regarding the revival of plans for exploiting the hydropower potential of the River to resolve the problem of the negative balance of power faced by the Republic of Montenegro.

The Bureau requested the Park Management to submit to the Centre, before 15 September 1997, a map showing the proposed modification of the Park's boundaries to excise the 40 ha area around the village of Zabljak and recommended that the Committee at its next session in December 1997 decide whether or not the proposed boundary modification is acceptable. Furthermore, the Bureau requested the Centre to request clarification from the Durmitor authorities whether they feel that an engineering evaluation of the earthen containment structures in the flood plains of the River is necessary. Finally, the Bureau requested the Centre to transmit its concerns to the relevant authorities regarding their plans for tapping the hydropower potential of the Tara River and obtain more information on this subject for submission to the Committee session in December 1997.

The Bureau suggested that the mission also examines the measures taken for the protection and conservation of the Chan Chan Archaeological Zone, on which the Committee at its twentieth session requested the Government of Peru to submit a full state of conservation report by 15 September 1997.

The Bureau expressed its great concern about the damages caused to the World Heritage site of Butrinti and the actual conditions of the site in terms of protection, management and conservation. The Bureau requested the Secretariat to undertake a mission to the site as soon as the security situation in Albania permits and to submit a report to the World Heritage Committee at its twenty-first session. This report should include an assessment of the damages to the site and the actual state of conservation, a recommendation whether the Committee should consider the inscription of the site on the List of World Heritage in Danger, as well as proposals for future actions in the framework of the World Heritage Convention and the resolution adopted by the Executive Board of UNESCO at its hundred and fifty-first session which "urges the Director-General, in close co-operation with the competent authorities of the Republic of Albania and in close co-ordination with the other international organizations concerned, to draw up a plan of action for the rehabilitation of educational, cultural and scientific institutions and the restoration of the cultural and architectural heritage in Albania".

After having taken note of the report of the Secretariat concerning the ongoing works at the Al-Azhar Mosque at the site of Islamic Cairo, the Bureau requested the Egyptian authorities to ensure that the authenticity of the monument is respected, which unfortunately was not the case for the three Fatimid Mosques, and recalled that the World Heritage Centre is available to provide expert advice to this end. 

b)   Al-Sinnari House

After having taken note of the Secretariat's report concerning the ongoing work at the Al-Sinnari House in Islamic Cairo, the Bureau thanked the Egyptian authorities for their efforts in the restoration of this exceptional monument and requested them to ensure that highly qualified artisans be made available for this project.

The Bureau noted the results of the urban competition for the zone north of the Roman amphitheatre and the selection of a project which would permit the reopening of the northern access to the arena, which had until now, been blocked by brewery constructions. The Bureau requested the City of Trier to adopt this project and to establish a legal planning instrument for its implementation.

With regard to archaeological excavations of which the report makes no mention, the Bureau learned that they were important for a better knowledge of the site which includes, other than the amphitheatre, barracks, depots and a cementery. The Bureau requested the local and Land authorities to do their utmost to allow the archaeologists to continue their work and to provide them with the means and the time necessary to accomplish their task.

As to the height of the urban villas east of the Bergstrasse, the Bureau regretted that the advice of the UNESCO-ICOMOS mission of May 1996 to reduce the height of the buildings closest to the amphitheatre had not been followed up. It considered that this will have a negative impact on the historical aspect of the amphitheatre. In this context, the Bureau noted the need for clearly established and adequately managed buffer zones. It requested the Secretariat to transmit these considerations to the German authorities with the request for a full report on the protection and management mechanisms for the monuments and their surroundings for examination by the next session of the Committee.

In conclusion, the Bureau requested ICOMOS to send another expert mission to Trier to assess the actual impact caused to the World heritage site, as well as the possible impact of the proposed urbanization of the Petrisberg east of the amphitheatre. It requested ICOMOS to report its findings to the next Committee session.

The Bureau particularly welcomed the openness of the German authorities for dialogue and their commitment to seek compromise solutions. In particular, the Bureau took note of the commitments of the German authorities to:

-    proceed with the extension of the World Heritage     site as      recommended by the World Heritage Committee     at its    twentieth session;

-    initiate the preparation of a comprehensive 'Urban   Development Master Plan for the Development of the     Potsdam Cultural Landscape';

-    launch three architectural/urban competitions for    the Quartier am Bahnhof, Alter Markt/Lustgarten and   the Alter Markt/Palais Barberini.

-    cancel previous plans for the hotel in the Quartier am   Bahnhof building area number 2, so as to include   this      area in the architectural/urban competition;

-    not to implement the results of the earlier competition   for building areas 9-12 for any construction above the zero ground level until the competition for the entire   Quartier am Bahnhof will be completed and thus to allow for the competitors to develop their proposals for the    entire site and for the German authorities to review the    plans for building areas 9-12 in the light of their compatibility with the results of the competition and the     feasibility of the project.

Furthermore, the Bureau noted with satisfaction that the 'German Unity Transport Project No 17' will not have any negative impact on the World Heritage site and that no dredging along the river sides of the castle park of Babelsberg, Neuen Garten and castle parks of Glienicke and Sacrow will be undertaken and that the Glienicke Bridge will not be changed.

Having examined in detail the report provided by the Minister for Science, Research and Culture of Land Brandenburg, the Bureau requested the German authorities to provide by 15 October 1997 a report for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its twenty-first session which should address in particular:

-    the progress made in the preparation of the proposal for the extension of the World Heritage site;

-    the progress made in the preparation of a comprehensive   'Urban Development Master Plan for the Development of the   Potsdam Cultural Landscape';

-    the results of the architectural/urban competitions for   the Quartier am Bahnhof, Alter Markt/Lustgarten and the Alter Markt/Palais Barberini;

-    an assessment of the impact of individual building   projects, as mentioned in the report submitted by the   German authorities as well as other projects, on the values of the Potsdam cultural landscape;

-    the results of the impact assessment of the 'German Unity      Transport Project No 17'.

The Bureau recommended that, on the basis of this new report, the Committee during its twenty-first session, examines if the threats to the World Heritage site still persist and if it still considers it necessary to inscribe the World Heritage site of Potsdam on the List of World Heritage in Danger.