World Heritage	26 COM	

Distribution limited	
WHC-02/CONF.202/13B
Paris, 27 May 2002
Original : English/French	

UNITED NATIONS EDUCATIONAL, SCIENTIFIC AND CULTURAL
ORGANIZATION

CONVENTION CONCERNING THE PROTECTION OF THE WORLD
CULTURAL AND NATURAL HERITAGE

30th Anniversary
(1972-2002)

WORLD HERITAGE COMMITTEE

Twenty-sixth session

Budapest, Hungary
24 - 29 June 2002

Item 17 of the Provisional Agenda:  Progress report on the preparation of the proposed Strategic Orientations of the World Heritage Committee and revised structure of the budget of the World Heritage Fund.

PROGRESS REPORT ON THE IMPLEMENTATION
OF WORLD HERITAGE PROGRAMMES

SUMMARY
The World Heritage Committee at its 25th session (Helsinki, 2001) approved a system of “programmes” to establish and implement priority actions for the conservation of World Heritage properties through a more strategic management and use of International Assistance provided under the World Heritage Fund. The Committee, while approving the first four thematic programmes (Sustainable Tourism, Cities, Earthen Architecture and Forests) for the 2002-2003 biennium, requested to be informed of the strategic objectives of these programmes and to review other proposals for future examination by the Committee. 
This document is composed of the following
Part I		Analysis 
Part II		Implementation status of the four programmes
Part III		Future programmes
Decision required: The Committee is required to examine and take note of this document and to guide the World Heritage Centre in the preparation of new programme proposals for review by the Committee at its 27th session in June 2003.

I.	INTRODUCTION

1.	The World Heritage Committee at its 25th session (Helsinki, 2001) approved a system of “programmes” to establish and implement priority actions for the conservation of World Heritage properties through a more strategic management and use of International Assistance provided under the World Heritage Fund. The Committee, while approving the first four thematic programmes (Sustainable Tourism, Cities, Earthen Architecture and Forests) for the 2002-2003 biennium proposed by the Centre, requested to be informed of the strategic objectives of these programmes and to review other proposals for future examination by the Committee together with justifications for their selection. The Committee requested that the proposed Programmes take into account the aims of the Global Strategy and the results of the Periodic Reports.

II.	ANALYSIS

2.	The analysis of more than 1200 requests from States Parties supported from the World Heritage Fund’s International Assistance since 1978 as well as the review of the state of conservation reactive monitoring reports since the last Committee, both carried out by the Centre, highlight the following problems and issues: 

•	Threats caused by encroachment/expansion of human settlements in protected     
      areas
•	Threats caused by public works
•	Threats caused by uncontrolled tourism
•	Threats caused by over-exploitation of resources (illegal logging, poaching, 
      over-fishing, petroleum, mining extraction, etc)
•	Damage caused by natural disasters (typhoon, flood, earthquake, fire, etc)
•	Weakness of institutional framework and management capacity;
•	Inadequate legal framework and implementation capacity
•	Lack of funds for conservation (including low priority given to conservation    
      in the national and regional government budget)
•	Lack of knowledge in conservation skills and techniques
•	Threat on the conservation of various species of flora and fauna

3.	Through the Periodic Reporting exercises conducted in the Arab States, Africa and ongoing in Asia and the Pacific, the national authorities and site-managers responsible for World Heritage have identified the following major problems and issues:

•	Lack of knowledge of the World Heritage Convention and its duties, and of 
      the nomination file, especially at the local and site level
•	Lack of definition of the boundaries of the World Heritage protected area 
      (core and buffer zone) and inadequate cartographic documents
•	Lack of heritage protection strategies integrated in developmental policies, 
      especially in tourism 
•	Very few tourist management plan and adequate tourist infrastructure and 
      facilities
•	Weak administrative framework: existing institutions require financial 
      resources, trained staff to enhance competences and implementation capacity
•	Weak legal and management framework and law enforcement capacity: laws 
      are not adapted, or obsolete, or often not applied – eg. Half of the African sites   
      examined in the Periodic Reporting exercise have no management plan.
•	Very few national action plan for heritage protection, no general policy for   
      sites conservation.
•	Very few systematic, methodological follow-ups; almost no risk prevention 
      Policy.
•	Weak international cooperation
•	Human exploitation and installation on site: impact of urbanization, 
      infrastructure and road system, pollution, mine exploitation, etc
•	Illegal demolition and uncontrolled building activities in cities 
•	Neglect of archaeological sites
•	Looting and illicit traffic
•	Unsustainable natural resources exploitation practices (logging, poaching,…)
•	Uncontrolled tourism activities

III.	RESULTS OF ANALYSIS

4.	The review of international assistance requests, reactive monitoring reports and the results of the Periodic Reporting exercise point to a number of recurrent conservation problems in all geographical areas. However, little, if any methodological approach has been developed in order to respond to these issues. One major recommendation of the Periodic Reporting exercise is to assist the State Parties in developing a national action plan and for UNESCO to establish a regional action plan, with the regional units at the Centre coordinating their implementation. The aim would be to give strategic and regional responses to the problems identified at the national and site levels. 

5.	Many encountered problems are however not specific to a region but common to the type of site or the nature of the issues. This resulted in the development of the World Heritage Programme Initiatives that were approved by the Committee at its 25th session. These transversal programmes are crucial in complementing the regional action plans being developed as a follow-up to the periodic reporting exercise. The programme aims to provide a methodological framework to punctual actions needed to respond to specific problems (often requested through the Fund's international assistance), to share lessons learned from demonstration cases, to open channels of co-operation between regions and sites. 

6.	These programmes, supported by 10% of the international assistance budget of the World Heritage Fund for 2002-2003 biennium, are:

•	tools to strengthen conservation by promoting long-term sustainable management practices
•	seed funds to support actions defined under these Programmes: analysing common problems, elaborating legal and management frameworks adapted to the type of site and nature of issues, and to develop mechanism for the financing of conservation at the local and national levels.

IV.	INFORMATION ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE FOUR PROGRAMMES

7.	The four programmes (sustainable tourism, forests, cities, earthen heritage), approved by the Committee at its 25th session, were chosen to address some of the most recurrent issues and problems. Each thematic programme is composed of regional sub-programmes which are in turn are composed of pilot projects. They promote a pro-active strategy and management of International Assistance under the Fund. While addressing global conservation concerns and related management issues, these programme are based on tangible local and regional actions to enable the specificity of each problematic to be considered. The programmes seek to open new paths of co-operation and to mobilize support from extrabudgetary funding sources or partners.

World Heritage sustainable tourism

Strategic objectives

8.	Promote sustainable tourism:

•	to enhance public understanding of the outstanding universal value of the World Heritage sites
•	to ensure their protection against damage which can be caused by uncontrolled tourism; and
•	for tourism generated income to finance conservation

Progress report

9.	Recognizing that the tourism industry is one of the main providers of employment for the inhabitants in the areas of proximity to the sites, the World Heritage Centre has focused on tourism and the local community as the starting point for this Programme. Activities include: facilitating the participation of World Heritage site managers and staff at two World Ecotourism Summit pre-Summit conferences (Chiang Mai, Thailand and one in Nairobi, Kenya), leading up to the World Ecotourism Summit in Quebec, 19-22 May 2002 on the theme of ecotourism and community involvement.  Participation in these events was supported by the International Ecotourism Society, one of the designated organizers of the International Year of Ecotourism along with UNEP and WTO.  Output: definition of conservation and community tourism issues based on case studies.

10.	At the World Ecotourism Summit, the Centre represented by the Chief of the Nature Section, will present the work carried out at the two pre-Summit conferences delivered by the representative from Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Uganda, and the head of parks and reserves, Indonesia. The Summit will include many representatives of national tourism management structures, permitting the participants of the World Heritage session to explore various protected area management systems. The Centre will present a press event aimed to promote tourism industry partnerships for enhanced site protection. Ideas for linking World Heritage sites, in order to increase benefits for the under-utilized sites with sufficient visitor management capabilities, will be presented at this time.

11.	The UNESCO World Heritage Centre, the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP), and RARE Center for Tropical Conservation have continued to collaborate in a joint project to link conservation of biodiversity and sustainable tourism at six World Heritage sites.  This effort will bring together conservation education, planning, business development and marketing techniques together to create a model for using tourism to promote the protection of important habitats.  A key project component involves tour operators and other private sector providers in site specific activities to create better tourism products and sustainable management systems.  This project will create a replicable strategy for addressing tourism challenges at World Heritage sites.

12.	The project targets El Vizcaino and Sian Ka’an sites in Mexico, Komodo and Ujung Kulon in Indonesia, Rio Platano in Honduras, and Tikal in Guatemala.   Over the last months, the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, UNEP-DTIE, and RARE Center have been working with each site’s staff, the tourism industry, local conservation NGO’s and other groups to identify opportunities for linking conservation and tourism. The project’s final results will be enhanced staff capabilities, clear tourism strategies, active support from the tourism industry, increased revenues, and widespread benefits for local people.  Efforts to spread the knowledge gained from this project to other World Heritage sites and protected areas will also be a key project component.
Project funding now stands at 2.5 million dollars US.  

13.	Considering the role and responsibility of the tourism industry and of the tourists themselves in heritage conservation, the “Memories of the Future” project, launched in 1998, has continued to foster partnership between the tourism industry and UNESCO. It involves the co-operation of the tour operators, the hotel chains and the airlines companies towards a responsible, sustainable and qualitative tourism. The twofold objective of this partnership is to raise awareness among tourists and to mobilize human, technical and financial resources for heritage conservation. In 2001, 37 sites in 22 countries were adopted as pilot sites by the UNESCO partners in the tourism industry (Accor, Radisson SAS, EF Educational Tours, Nouvelles Frontières, Jet Tours, la Maison de la Chine et de l’Orient and others).  Over half a million US dollars have been raised since the beginning of this partnerships/ project. In view of the full transfer of the management of this project to the Centre in January 2002, a review of the existing agreements was initiated during the first half of 2002 to take stock in order to include more technical substance in this collaboration. A series of conservation messages that the tourism industry can utilize in their publications are also being developed.

World Heritage Forests

Strategic objectives

14.	The strategic objectives are:

•	to promote the pivotal role of the World heritage Convention in the protection of global forest biodiversity
•	to integrate the findings of UNESCO / IUCN global strategy studies on tropical, temperate and boreal forests
•	to promote financial and technical assistance to build management capacity and to enhance benefits to the local communities as well as the global public and future generations.
•	to promote networking among States Parties working to conserve more than 60 World Heritage forest sites throughout the world (forests being the most represented among the natural sites in the List).

Progress report

15.	Since the last session of the Committee, work has continued to enhance the Central African World Heritage Forest Initiative (CAWHFI). In March 2001, the UN Foundation approved a planning grant of US$ 86,100 to be shared by the Centre and FAO for the development of CAWHFI. The Chair approved, in November 2001, a sum of US$ 20,000 for the participation of representatives from Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Republic of the Congo and Gabon to attend a meeting in Paris held from 25 February to 1 March 2002 to develop CAWHFI. NGO partners of the Centre, e.g. World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Conservation International (CI), Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), as well as IUCN, concerned units of UNESCO such as the MAB Programme and FAO were represented at that meeting. Central African States Parties referred to above have committed themselves to the Yaounde Summit Declaration (1999), to increase protected forests in Central Africa to 10% of the total forest area. CAWHFI will be a tool for the States Parties to achieve that goal.

16.	As an outcome of the February 2002 meeting, a 10-year programme was elaborated for CAWHFI. The programme will strengthen conservation of the two Central African World Heritage forest sites; i.e. Dja of Cameroon and Salonga of DRC. Moreover, World Heritage criteria and conditions will be used as benchmarks for building management infrastructure and capacity of selected in-country and trans-border clusters of protected areas that will be nominated to the consideration of the Committee. Funding for the first four years of CAWHFI, about US$ 6 million, is being sought on a 1:1 match from UNF and co-operating NGOs.

17.	In February 2002, 12 “mega-diversity” countries committed to co-operate to conserve tropical biodiversity and issued a declaration in Cancun, Mexico. The feasibility of organizing a meeting in November 2002 to bring together senior-level decision makers from the 12 countries and other States Parties is being investigated so as to enable States Parties to develop the WH Forest Programme as a tool for co-operation for the conservation and sustainable use of forests under the framework of the commitments they have made as part of the Cancun Declaration. The Ministry of Environment of Brazil has expressed an interest in hosting such a meeting. Progress in this and other efforts to develop the WHFP will be reported to the twenty-sixth session of the Committee in June 2003. 

World Heritage Cities

Strategic objectives

18.	This Programme aims:

•	to analyse the major conservation challenges on World Heritage Cities in accordance with the typology of the conservation area (size, natural setting, population, funding, etc.);
•	to take stock of the existing laws and regulations governing urban conservation (not only for historic monuments in urban areas);
•	to address issues of urban mobility, housing, commerce, tourism and related social impact, especially in relation to the authenticity and integrity of the sites;
•	to identify over-represented and under-represented categories of cities and towns.

Progress report

19.	Since the 25th session of the Committee, a preparatory meeting took place with view to establish an internet-based working party to cooperate with ICOMOS and ICCROM to identify the major urban conservation issues in World Heritage Cities and to draw-up a draft general policy framework. These issues will be tabled through specific case studies at the international workshop on World Heritage Cities to be organized as part of the 30th anniversary event in Italy. Information on activities being undertaken by the Advisories Bodies, the World Bank, IADB, ADB, European Union, Council of Europe and others in World Heritage Cities will be gathered in the second half of 2002.

20.	Analyses of the legal and management framework for World Heritage cities in Asia initiated as part of the periodic reporting exercise is being continued. To collect good examples of different legal and management tools, collaboration with the European Commission's urban management department and the Council of Europe will also be strengthened.

21.	The crosscutting poverty project Poverty Reduction through Sustainable World Heritage Management approved by the 31st UNESCO General Conference under the 31C/5 targets 5 sites (Georgetown, Guyana; Luang Prabang, Laos; Six Canal Towns of the Lower Yangtze, China; Saint Louis de Senegal and Porto-Novo Benin). All urban historic centres on the World Heritage List or those whose nomination are under preparation by the State Parties concerned, the project specifically addresses the conservation challenge of private properties since most of the building in World Heritage cities are privately owned. 

22.	The same issue will be addressed in a joint Council of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe (CLRAE), Council of Europe - UNESCO/ World Heritage Centre project focused on private property in economies in transition in Eastern Europe which is being co-financed by the France-UNESCO Agreement. 

23.	The alarming degradation of Mauritanian World Heritage Cities noted in the Arab Periodic Reporting has enabled the mobilization under France-UNESCO and the World Heritage Fund/International Assistance to finance the first phase of developing a management plan for the four cities of Ouadane, Chinguetti, Tichitt and Oualata. The action plan prepared by the Centre for these four World Heritage cities has been submitted to the World Bank and the Mauritanian Government for funding under the World Bank safeguarding and valorisation of the Mauritanian Cultural Heritage project (a three-year US$ 5million IDA loan).

24.	The success encountered in city-to-city decentralized co-operation and the need to foster new “twinning”projects has led the Centre to seek support from other institutions. An agreement was signed with the Organization of World Heritage Cities (OWHC) on 13 February 2002 in order to enhance co-operation. The OWHC's Northern Europe Branch based in Bergen is carrying out a pilot project for Ile de Mozambique in close cooperation with the Centre. In collaboration with Cités Unies, the Centre organized on 30 April a full day presentation on decentralized co-operation initiatives, which gathered representatives from some 100 local authorities interesting in cooperating with World Heritage cities in the developing world. An agreement between UNESCO/World Heritage Centre and Cités Unies is under preparation. To promote operational activities for the protection of Islamic cities, a cooperation agreement between the Organization of Islamic Capitals and Cities (OICC) and UNESCO was approved by the Executive Board of UNESCO and will be submitted to the Committee at its 26th session for endorsement. 

25.	To publicize best practices, several publications of case studies are in preparation under funding from the France-UNESCO Agreement (Luang Prabang, Laos, Bangkok, Thailand, Hue, Vietnam).

26.	The World Heritage Centre participated in the conference and annual assembly of the International Scientific Committee on Cities and Historic Towns (CIVVIH) of ICOMOS held in April 2002 in Corfu, Greece. The conference focused on housing rehabilitation and tourism development. In view of its expertise and capacities in mobilizing experts, the Centre and CIVVIH agreed to strengthen cooperation. 

27.	In January 2002, at the invitation of the Government of Benin, a mission to Porto-Novo, Benin was led by the Centre to advise the Ministry of Culture, Craftsmanship and Tourism (MCAT) and the local authorities in the elaboration of a management plan and nomination dossier of Porto-Novo. 

28.	In October 2002, as part of the series of events linked to the internet-based Virtual Congress on World Heritage, the Government of Mexico will be hosting a meeting on World Heritage Cities: Planning for Mixed-use and Social Equity during which time the use of new information technology as a tool for conservation and socio-economic development will be featured.

29.	As part of the Global Strategy regional action plans, the identification of over-represented and under-represented categories of cities and historic centres on the World Heritage List and Tentative List will be carried out. The desk study on this will be initiated from July 2002.

World Heritage Earthen built heritage

Strategic objectives

30.	The strategic objectives are:

•	to develop policies for the conservation, revitalization and valorization of earthen architectural properties, with special emphasis on the integration of the human element and development needs within a comprehensive strategy.
•	to build capacity at the regional, national and site management authorities and technical experts for enhanced conservation, presentation and management of earthen heritage. 

Progress report

31.	Since January 2002, the World Heritage Centre and CRATerre have elaborated a short and long-term work plan for the implementation of the Central Asian Earth Programme in consultation with the five Central Asian Republics. Within the work plan of 2002 the following activities are scheduled to take place to achieve the expected results defined. 

1. Expected result – a better-known and recognized immovable earthen architectural and archaeological heritage.
•	Continuation of survey and publication of results of types of heritage in Turkmenistan in co-operation with the Turkmen Department of Archaeology, the University College of London and CRATerre with on-site surveys at Merv World Heritage site. On-site training of documentation and inventorying will be conducted from May 2002 onwards;
•	a sub-regional meeting in Kazakhstan to discuss the implementation of the World Heritage Convention in the region, including conservation and management challenges for earthen architecture in the sub-region. The meeting is expected to take place in September 2002 and will be combined with a meeting to prepare the periodic reports for the five Central Asian State Parties. One of the expected results is to encourage the review and harmonization of the Tentative List of the five republics, following the conclusions and recommendations of the May 2000 global strategy meeting for Central Asia Cultural Heritage in Turkmenistan. 
•	The Centre and Kyrgystan will organize a World Heritage awareness-raising meeting on the basic tenants of the Convention and modern management techniques and tools in Bishkek in October 2002 to sensitize national and local administrations that are responsible for the management of potential World Heritage properties in Kyrgystan including earthen architectural properties. 
•	The World Heritage Centre, Tajikistan and a French NGO (ACTED) have commenced the preparation of the nomination dossier of Sarazm, an archaeological property with earthen architectural elements. 
•	The Centre and Turkmenistan have commenced preparations for the preparatory assistance activity for the formulation of the nomination dossier of Kunya Urgench, an earthen architecture heritage property.

2.Expected result – professionals trained to conserve, manage and present immovable earthen heritage.

•	Appointment of an UNV officer at UNESCO Tashkent Office to co-ordinate with the Uzbek and other Central Asian authorities research and capacity-building activities for traditional building techniques (Brick production, seismic strengthening, etc.) – April 2002 onwards.
•	The Centre, Turkmenistan and CRATerre have commenced the planning and implementation of the second phase of basic monitoring and conservation of Merv World Heritage site with financial support from the World Heritage Fund. 

V.	Future thematic Programmes: initial ideas to be developed upon the Committee's endorsement

Programme for Assessment of National Regulations for World Heritage Protection and Conservation:

32.	Within the framework of the Global Strategy for a Credible, Balanced and Representative World Heritage List, the broadening concept of cultural and natural heritage, the growing recognition of the links between them, and the recognition of World Heritage cultural landscapes is resulting in the nomination of new categories of properties for inclusion in the World Heritage List.  Furthermore the application of the World Heritage Convention has a new relevance in regions such as the Pacific, Africa and the Caribbean.  However, national heritage protection laws and regulations in many countries are not yet adapted to ensure the safeguarding and development of such properties. This programme therefore aims to assess through a participatory approach, national laws and regulations, including traditional regimes to assess their adequacy for the purposes of World Heritage conservation. Activities include documentary and field research based on case studies in different regions of the world such as the Pacific, Africa and the Caribbean, each case being entrusted to a team inclusive of university experts, lawyers amongst others.

	Estimated cost: 
(1) Project identification and development (3 months): US$ 15,000
(2) Each case study (1 year):	US$ 100,000

Programme on Cultural Landscapes

33.	Building on the on-going thematic studies on the various categories of cultural landscapes, this Programme will address the critical issue of legal and management mechanisms required to meet the challenge of cultural landscape protection and conservation. Incorporating activities being prepared for the Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger, as well as those on-going for the development of management plans for a number of cultural landscape nominations in Africa, Pacific, Europe, the Arab States and Latin America and the Caribbean, the World Heritage Programme on Cultural Landscapes would start by gathering the corpus of laws and regulations including traditional management regimes applied for the protection of this category of properties.
	
Estimated cost:
		(1) Project identification and methodological development: US$ 15,000
		(2) Each case study (2 years):	US$ 50,000 - 100,000

Programme on Conservation of Endangered Wall Paintings

34.	Pictorial wall paintings have been the major artistic expression of the innumerable cultures and civilizations that have developed throughout the world since prehistoric times. They are a means of expressing religious and political intentions, explaining philosophical concepts and narrating myths. Practiced as often in populated as in remote areas, the art of wall painting uses materials found in the surrounding environment and techniques have evolved to reflect developments in construction. Pictorial representations have a unique meaning within their specific architectural context and retain an indissoluble unity with the structure onto which they are incorporated. As Paul Philippot wrote ‘Mural painting contributes to the definition of architectural space by visualizing its functions’ expressing this in multiple ways according to the sensibility and needs of each culture and civilization. The conservation of wall paintings is intrinsically linked to the preserving of their 'habitats.' The value of these cultural sites has been underestimated and most of them face threats of complete loss due to natural climatic degradation and acts of vandalism. It is time to call the attention of the International Community to the importance of safeguarding these invaluable masterpieces through a focus on the renowned wall paintings in World Heritage sites. This Programme will focus on skills training, notably those related to materials and structures; paint layer: pigments & binders; deterioration: causes & effects; documentation; analyses & research; consolidation and fixation; cleaning; filling of lacune; aesthetic presentation-tratteggio; acqua sporca & tinta neutra; protection of superstructures; control of flora and fauna; visitor management, among others. Cooperation with ICCROM can be envisaged.

	     Estimated cost:
	              (1) Sub-programme in Asia:	          US$ 100,000 
                      including: Ajanta and Ellora of India; Pagan in Myanmar; Koryo and   
                      Koguryo   Tombs of DPR of Korea and Northern China; Thubchen Lakhang 
                      and Champa  Lakhang of Lo-Manthang in Mustang, Nepal; Potala Palace of 
                      Lhasa in Tibet; various settlements from Dun-huang to Kashgar (Kizil, 
                      Sorçuk, Kuntura, Khotan,  Bezeklik, Koço, Turfan) along the Silk Routes in 
                      China; Varaksha in the Bokhara oasis; and Piandjikent about 65km SW of 
                      Samarkand, etc.
                     (2) Sub-programme in Africa:	          US$ 100,000

Programme for Wooden Heritage
35.	This programme will be developed and implemented in close co-operation with the ICOMOS Wood Committee and integrated with a series of on-going thematic studies and related expert forums involving timber constructions and ensembles in urban and rural areas.  Its aim is to facilitate the identification, protection, conservation and World Heritage nomination of this type of vulnerable and fast disappearing heritage of the world, particularly of those in the developing countries.

36.	There is an urgent need to make up an inventory of the wooden heritage in developing countries, including a comparison to establish the regional differences, to be published in a comprehensive document. The often socially modest origins and the subsequent lack of support among the general public for this type of heritage, together with the hyper-dynamics of contemporary society with new technological innovations and spatial-functional demands, threatens their very survival. The vulnerability of its core material (wood), climatic conditions and lack of maintenance add considerably to the problem and to the conservation task ahead. A coherent framework established in the light of the World Heritage Convention guarantees the highest level of attention - regional as well as inter-regional.

37.	It also aims to contribute to the cultural development of many of these countries and to provide for new opportunities in terms of sustainable development and tourism. The programme will identify and map the various types and categories of extant wooden heritage and outline the implications of preserving and restoring historic wooden architecture and ensembles and by relating it to the social context and functional needs. The activities under this programme will be linked to those to be carried out under other proposed programmes as well as to the overall Global Strategy Programme.

	Estimated cost:
(1) Global Assessment and Inventory:	US$     100,000
With the support of ICOMOS national committees and other networks, in which the relevant NGO's and universities are represented, a rapid but thorough overview of all the material, studies and documentation available will be established. This material will be edited and published (also made available on the Centre’s website) as a Thematic Study which can serve as a guideline for the identification, conservation and possible future nominations of this type of heritage for inscription on the World Heritage List.
(2) Sub-programme in the Caribbean: 	US$ 200,000 (2 years) including regional workshops, pilot demonstration projects (in Georgetown, Guyana among potentially other sites), establishment of a sub-regional strategy and networking, replication value in methodology for other regions such as in Southeast Asia and southern China.

(3) Sub –programme in Eastern Europe:	US$     900,000     (4    years)
Wooden heritage and vernacular architecture in Eastern Europe is at risk due to the rapid social and economic transformation. A number of wooden heritage sites have been included in the national tentative lists, such as the Centre of Irkutsk (Russian Federation), the wooden churches of the 15th and 17th century (Poland), and Kezmarok (Slovakia), or have been nominated for the World Heritage List. A comparative study has been provided by the Polish authorities for the wooden churches in Poland.

(i) comparative studies in collaboration with ICOMOS and the States Parties to identify the most outstanding sites and potential World Heritage nominations and to enhance collaboration among the States Parties of Central and Eastern Europe to harmonize tentative lists
US$200,000  (2 years)

(ii) prepare a wooden heritage conservation course for the Baltic States (and later for Russia) in collaboration with the Nordic Countries and the Nordic World Heritage Office jointly with ICCROM and based on the existing wood conservation course
		US$ 400,000 (4 years)

(iii) collaboration with NGOs (e.g. Europa Nostra, Europe-Baikal) and other partners in the safeguarding campaigns for wooden heritage
US$ 500,000 (2 years)