World Heritage	26 COM	

Distribution limited	
WHC-02/CONF.202/16
Paris, 6 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 20 of the Provisional Agenda: Periodic Reporting: Report on the state of conservation of the World Heritage in Africa.

SUMMARY

This document contains the report on the state of conservation of the World Heritage in Africa, submitted in accordance with the recommendations of the twenty-fifth session of the World Heritage Committee (ref. WHC-01/CONF.208/24, page 12, paragraphs VII.8-VII.10). A document containing the conclusions and the recommendations of the Africa Periodic Report was presented to the twenty- fifth session of the Committee as a Working Document WHC-01/CONF.208/7.

The Africa report was prepared in conformity with the strategic approach approved by the World Heritage Committee at its 23rd session held in Marrakesh, Morocco from 29 November-4 December 2001. 

Eighteen African States Parties, having altogether forty sites – sixteen cultural sites, twenty-three natural sites and one mixed site- participated in the Periodic Reporting exercise.

The Africa Periodic Reporting exercise is to be considered as an on-going process rather than an end in itself, an Action Programme for the implementation of medium-term activities is also proposed.
The complete Report will be distributed in the form of a hard copy and a CD-ROM to all States Parties.

Decision required:
The Committee is requested to examine and approve the report and the proposed Action Plan. The World Heritage Centre will execute the Action Plan in close collaboration with the concerned States Parties.

(WHC-02/CONF.202/CLD.6)

First Periodic Reporting Exercise on the African States Parties and Sites

executive summary

1. Introduction
The objectives of this first periodic reporting exercise were:

1. To provide an overview of the implementation of the World Heritage Convention in Africa;
2. To provide information for the Committee, the States Parties, the Secretariat and the site managers;
3. To propose actions to address the deficiencies and optimize the conservation of the natural and cultural heritage in Africa.

The Committee's decision to organize a reporting exercise for each region every six years enables actions to be planned within a set time scale. At the level of the activities of all the partners in the Convention, this determines a regular pace of activity, the broad lines of which could comprise: from 2002 onwards, the implementation of an action plan; in 2003, a mid-term review; then preparation of the strategy for the second reporting exercise to take place in 2007.

The first reporting exercise began with the elaboration of a general reporting strategy and the preparation of a suitable form, taking up the Committee's proposals (1998). This process was endorsed by the Committee in December 1999.

Once the form had been sent out and the first replies received, two sub-regional meetings were organized with the site managers. The first, for Francophone countries, was held in Dakar (Senegal) in June 2000 and was attended by seven of the nine States Parties invited. The second, for Anglophone countries, was held in Nakuru (Kenya) in March 2001 and was attended by eight of the nine States Parties invited. After this first stage, the analyses of the questionnaires received were initiated.

Assistance missions to the States Parties were confined to Ethiopia, whose seven sites were included in the periodic reporting. This took the form of a national meeting, attended by site managers and State representatives.

The Summary and final report were completed after the deadline for receiving information from the States Parties and sites (15 April 2001). This enabled the review to be prepared and presented to the Committee at its meeting in Helsinki (December 2001).
2. The World Heritage Convention in Africa
On 1 December 2001, when at the global level there were 167 States Parties and 690 sites in 122 countries (529 cultural, 138 natural, 23 mixed) and 30 sites on the List of World Heritage in Danger, the general implementation of the World Heritage Convention in Africa stood as follows:

Africa had 36 States Parties to the World Heritage Convention. Twenty-two States Parties had inscribed a total of 53 sites on the World Heritage List: 30 natural sites, 21 cultural sites and 2 mixed sites, in inverse proportion to the rest of the world, where cultural sites predominate. Thirteen sites (a quarter of the African sites) were inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger, where African sites make up 43% of the total. Africa is the region, in both absolute and relative terms, with the highest number of sites inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger. 

Since the Global Strategy was adopted in 1994, five Global Strategy meetings have been organized in Africa: Harare, 1995; Addis Ababa, 1996; Bagamoyo, 1997; Porto Novo, 1998; Niamey, 1999; Great Zimbabwe, 2000. Through the implementation of the Global Strategy in Africa, awareness among the States and the site managers has been raised; new categories of site, suited to the cultural particularities of Africa, have been defined (cultural landscapes, exchange routes, vernacular architecture, technological sites, etc.); the submission of tentative lists has been made systematic; the number of African States Parties to the Convention has increased; and new sites have been inscribed.  

3. Implementation by the States Parties
The results of the periodic reporting exercise have enabled the ways in which the Convention is being implemented in Africa to be specified. The following points should be highlighted:

Identification of the heritage: A total of 59% of the States have drawn up inventories of their natural and/or cultural heritage.

Tentative lists: 75% of the States have submitted tentative lists, 27% before 1995, and 73% after 1995.

Inscription proposals: 62 % of site inscriptions are carried out in cooperation with the local authorities and/or population.

A General Heritage Policy has already been drawn up in 50% of the States Parties, or is in the process of being drawn up in 20%, or is planned by 12%. The Committee could invite the States Parties to draw up a Charter on the integration of heritage conservation into national management and development policies.

National supervision of the sites: 80% of the sites come under the authority of a ministry, and 20% an intersectorial Committee. The Committee could invite the States Parties to set up a single Authority to centralize the information relating to the World Heritage Convention, for example an ad hoc Committee placed under the authority of the highest State officials. 

Scientific research: 94% of the States undertake research on the World Heritage sites. This research aims to increase knowledge of the wealth of the country's heritage (57%), to contribute to economic development (50%), and to improve management (36%) and conservation (14%). The Committee could invite the States Parties to view the World Heritage sites as privileged places for scientific research and to encourage the creation of an African Research Network.

Staff training: The staff of 69% of the States have benefited from training. However, further training is considered important in the fields of management (50% of the requests), restoration (33%), regular monitoring (25%) and conservation (17%). The Committee could invite the World Heritage Centre, IUCN, ICOMOS and ICCROM to set up training courses for the natural and cultural sites (management, monitoring) and train the managers in using the Internet. 

Cooperation: All the States undertake cooperation activities, and 44% of them have benefited from bilateral or multilateral funding. The United Nations system contributes through UNDP, UNESCO, WHF, and GEF/WB. The European Union and certain European States (Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands) make an active contribution to activities related to the implementation of the Convention in Africa. There is still, however, a great need for further cooperation. The Committee could invite the States Parties and the World Heritage Centre to study the possibility of creating an African Heritage Fund, the objective of which would be to finance targeted operations in the region.

Education: 44% of the States have a heritage education programme. However, only four African countries take part in the special World Heritage Youth programme. The Committee could invite the States Parties to foster the development of heritage education, and the World Heritage Centre to take steps to ensure that there is greater African participation in the special Youth Project on conservation.
4. Implementation at Site level
The periodic reporting form highlighted the efforts made at site level and also underlined a number of the site needs. The following points seem particularly significant:

Management plans: Only half of the sites have a functional management plan. The sites are managed by a governmental organization (37%), a GO/NGO consortium (22%), or by an NGO (3%).
The Committee may wish to recommend that the States Parties develop autonomous management bodies (extend the practice of setting up Site Committees), while continuing to honour the State's financial obligations in the management of the property.

Financial resources: Three quarters of the sites have financial resources, which are provided by the Government (62%), generated by the sites themselves (45%), or linked to cooperation agreements (30%).
The Committee may wish to recommend to the States Parties that the sites benefit from the income generated by their activities in order to organize their management and improve the conservation of the national and world heritage.

Human resources: There is often a very limited number of staff at the African sites. At least 75% of the sites have identified training needs that concern (in descending order) management, conservation, regular monitoring, the organization of tourism, computer skills and the educational role of the sites.
The Committee may wish to recommend to the Centre and to IUCN, ICOMOS and ICCROM  that urgent training be organized for the site managers in management planning, in ecological, architectural and landscape monitoring, and in computing.

Regular monitoring: 72% of the sites carry out regular monitoring of their property. In descending order, these monitoring activities concern wildlife, plants, flora, buildings and landscapes.
The Committee may wish to recommend to the Centre and to IUCN, ICOMOS and ICCROM that they organize training courses in regular monitoring techniques, and that they provide a model, based on the achievements of the other African sites.

Educational activities: 87% of the African sites receive visits from school groups, and 66% have an educational policy aimed at visitors and the local population. The Great Zimbabwe site is visited annually by 210 classes and 12,000 pupils. The activities carried out in relation to schoolchildren, visitors and the local population show that the site staff willingly become involved in conveying the importance of conservation to the targeted public.

Natural risks: 66% of the sites are exposed to established natural risks. Those that give most cause for concern are biodiversity erosion, fires, drought, floods and geological risks (erosion, landslides).
The Committee may wish to recommend that the States Parties draw up, for each site, a 
reactive plan for natural and human catastrophes as well as setting up, whenever possible, an observatory to provide warning of imminence.

Anthropic threats: 80% of the African sites are subject to pressures of human origin. These include, in descending order, wood cutting, poaching, illegal grazing, theft and vandalism. The specific problems raised by the presence of refugees and some security problems should also be mentioned.
The Committee may wish to recommend that the States Parties develop participatory actions with the local population in order to find alternatives compatible with the subsistence needs of the communities and with conservation requirements.
5. The Action Plan
The shortcomings and deficiencies observed in the implementation of the Convention in Africa have led to a five-point action plan being drawn up to upgrade Africa's participation in the World Heritage Convention by 2007: cooperate, train, participate, manage, know.

Cooperation: by developing effective cooperation and financing instruments, such as an African Heritage Fund, inter-African cooperation, an African site managers' network and heritage focal points, by improving preparatory assistance and by encouraging twinning operations

Training: By increasing the collective training of site managers, through regional courses and seminars, focusing particularly on management plans, regular monitoring, and the prevention of natural and human risks (activation and extension of 'Africa 2009'). Two regional seminars could also be organized, one on "diversification of participatory management and economic development", and the other on "the concepts of statement of value and principles and criteria of authenticity – integrity".

Participation: By diversifying forms of participation in the life of the World Heritage sites: making the participation of the local community in the life of the site more systematic, encouraging management autonomy, developing educational programmes, making site access easier for disabled persons, creating a worldwide World Heritage Day

Management: By improving the World Heritage sites' management means and conditions through the setting up of national Charters and National Committees for the World Heritage Convention; by improving site conservation, and by updating the administrative structures and management plans. 

Knowledge: To improve knowledge of the site by developing prevention plans and by organizing regular monitoring (setting up of Geographical Information Systems, risk prevention plans, updating monitoring methods, identifying risk indicators, drawing up reaction plans to natural catastrophes)
6. Conclusions
At the close of this first periodic reporting exercise on the African region, we can conclude that:
• Given its cultural and natural diversity, Africa has too few sites inscribed.
• Too many African sites are on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
• There is still a great need for training.
• The management of the African sites must be modernized.
• As the Global Strategy has had a very positive effect on Africa, it would be useful to continue its actions.

A great deal of work still needs to be carried out to upgrade implementation of the World Heritage Convention in Africa by 2007. It is for this reason that we must urgently develop an action plan that is both far-reaching and effective.

Foreword	1

Chapter 1: Modalities, the Periodic Reporting Exercise	2

Objectives	2
Strategy and approach	2
Usefulness of the exercise	3
Relevance of the results	4
Conclusion	4

Chapter 2, section 1:	5

     IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CONVENTION BY THE STATES PARTIES...............................7
1. Identification of the properties	5
National Inventories	5
Tentative Lists	6
Nominations of sites to the World Heritage List	6
2. Legal and institutional framework	8
Protection, conservation and presentation policy	8
Adoption of a general policy	8
Status of the services concerned	9
Scientific Studies and Research................................................................................................ 12
Measures for identification, conservation, presentation and enhancement	10
3. Training	13
4. International cooperation and fund raising	14
5. Education, information and awareness building	16
Recommendations at the State Party level	16
Policy: coordination / participation	16
Networks / cooperation	17
Technical aspects / assistance	17
Research and education	17

Chapter 2, section 2:	18

Implementation of the World Heritage Convention at site level	18
1. Identification of natural and cultural heritage properties	18
Information provided at the time of inscription	18
Updating of the statement of value	18
Statement of Authenticity and Integrity	19
2. Management of the sites inscribed	19
Legal and institutional framework	19
Management and Planning	20
Management plan and statement of objectives	20
Capacities in human and financial resources at site level	21
Other assistance and programmes	22
Facilities, tourism and promotion	23
            Scientific, technical and educational studies...............................................................………...24
Factors affecting the sites	25
Degree of threat linked to development	25
             Degree of threat linked to the environment.............................................................................. 25
Degree of threat linked to external human activities	26
Degree of threat linked to local human activity	27
3. Preventive conservation and monitoring	28
Prevention of natural and anthropic threats and pressures	28
Regular monitoring	29

Recommendations at site level	30
Decentralisation / governance	30
Local participation	30
Management autonomy	30
Standardization of the management methods	31
Facilities and equipment	31
Information	32
Training and capacity building	32
Networking	32
Form	33

Chapter 3: Conclusions and recommendations	33

Conclusions	33
State Party Organization	33
Identification of Properties	34
Management Plans and Integrated Conservation	34
Factors Affecting the Properties	35
Preventive Conservation and Monitoring	35
Promotion of the Convention and Inscribed Properties	35
Training and International Cooperation	36
Proposal of an Action Plan for Medium-Term Regular Reporting	36
Strategies	36
Training Strategy	37
	Management Strategy............................................................................................................... 37
"Research and site reporting" strategy	38
"Participation" strategy	39
"Networks and cooperation" strategy	39
Tentative calendar for implementation	39
        Human and Financial resources...................................................................................…………..40

APPENDIXE.......................................................................................................................…43 

          Sites and States Parties that participated in the first Periodic Reporting Exercise.............….. 43

Foreword

The 29th General Conference of UNESCO invited States Parties to the World Heritage Convention to submit periodic reports, in accordance with Article 29 of the Convention. Following this decision, which was upheld by the Eleventh General Assembly of States Parties, the World Heritage Committee at its twenty-second session (1998) adopted a general reporting form with submission of periodic reports every six years in the framework of a region-by-region examination of States Parties' reports. The strategy for periodic reporting from Africa was adopted by the World Heritage Committee at its twenty-third session (Marrakech, Morocco, 1999), according to a two-year programme.
Eighteen African countries and 40 sites were concerned (16 cultural sites and 23 natural sites, including two transboundary sites and one mixed site), inscribed prior to 1994. In accordance with the calendar established, 16 States Parties submitted their reports within the imposed timeframe. The Seychelles submitted its report too late to be included in the analysis and Zambia failed to submit a report. Of a possible 42 reports on the state of implementation of the Convention at site level, nine were not submitted or received in time. Located in conflict zones, four sites in the Democratic Republic of Congo could not be contacted, nor were they able to participate in sub-regional meetings. Apart from a very brief summary of their situation, sent by the State Party, no report was received. Tanzania sent only four out of a possible five reports. The reports for Selous (Tanzania), Mana Pools (Zimbabwe) and Mosi-oa-Tunya (Zambia) were not submitted. Finally, the officers in charge of the two sites in the Seychelles replied after the deadline expired, which meant that their reports could not be taken into account. The systematic analysis, which follows, was therefore conducted on 32 out of the 40 sites inscribed by African countries prior to 1994. 
Despite the absence of replies from certain sites, this first reporting exercise in Africa has been a positive one. The procedure established and the documentation compiled have made it possible to assess the application of the World Heritage Convention by States Parties:
•	to evaluate the upholding of World Heritage values for the sites inscribed on the World Heritage List,
•	to update information on World Heritage sites to include changes in the state of conservation of these properties, and 
•	to develop a mechanism for regional cooperation and the sharing of information and experience between the States Parties concerned by the implementation of the Convention and the conservation of the world heritage.
The Periodic Reporting Exercise has paved the way for future monitoring actions and for the management of World Heritage sites in Africa. The present summary of the three volumes of the periodic report for Africa, to be submitted to the Committee, follows the broad lines of the report. After a brief introduction, Chapter 1 sums up the methodology of the Periodic Reporting Exercise. Chapter 2, devoted to the implementation of the Convention at State Party level, ends with specific recommendations at State level. Chapter 3 discusses the implementation of the Convention at the site level. Chapter 4 presents conclusions and recommendations, leading to the establishment of an Action Plan for Periodic Reporting with an implementation calendar. 

Chapter 1: Modalities, the Periodic Reporting Exercise 
The methodology followed was consistent with the decisions taken at the twenty-second session of the World Heritage Committee (Kyoto, 1998) and was based on the use of two sections of the form. This first periodic report also aims to update the information contained in the initial nomination form for inscription. 

Objectives
The aim is to present a clear summary of the state of implementation of the World Heritage Convention and the state of the World Heritage sites in the Africa region for several audiences (Committee members, States Parties, managers, researchers and the general public, particularly in Africa). The findings and recommendations of this Exercise aim at improving national heritage policies and site management, developing active participation by local and national officials and by the population, setting up regional cooperation, and adopting of policy and decisions by the Committee and its Secretariat so that they are suited to local and national realities.

Strategy and approach 
In Africa, the regional strategy has led to a participatory process, bringing together the States Parties, the competent institutions and the expertise available in the region. The Periodic Reporting activities were coordinated by the World Heritage Centre in cooperation with the States Parties. The reports were prepared with contributions from those in charge of the daily management of the properties, with the assistance of experts from the Secretariat or advisory bodies if and when the State Party so desired.

The exercise was divided into seven phases:

Phase 1 	Preparation of the exercise in 1999
With a view to making the States Parties aware of the issues involved in the reporting and in the application of Article 29 of the Convention, the Centre, with consultant support, reformulated several items of the general reporting form adopted by the Committee in order to take the specific characteristics of the Africa region into account. The Centre then submitted this form to the States Parties and site managers, accompanied by the information available on the inscribed sites and on the funds allocated by the World Heritage Fund.

Phase 2 	Processing of the first replies to the questionnaire
The replies received enabled a first database to be set up, archived in the Centre, and analysed according to the objectives defined by the Convention, the Committee and the Operational Guidelines. 

Phase 3 	Regional workshops
Two workshops, focusing on issues related to biogeographic area and to specific cultural and linguistic features of the African sub-regions, were organized close to a World Heritage site to illustrate the exercise through activities in the field. The workshops, which lasted four days, made it possible to make the methodology explicit, to standardise the drafting of the reports, to create an awareness of strengths, weaknesses and management needs as well as regional complementarities, and to stress the issue of participation by the local communities. To this end, documents were made available, either of general interest, giving information on the Convention and the regional heritage, or of more specific interest to each country and each site. Marked by extremely active participation, these workshops trained the managers in the reporting of their sites.

Phase 4 	Receipt of the reporting forms
After the regional workshops, the site managers and authorities of the States Parties completed the second draft of the forms and sent them to the World Heritage Centre. By the deadline of 15 April 2001, 16 reports (out of 18) had been received for Section 1, and 32 reports (out of 40) for Section II. The analysis of these documents is the basis of the final report on the Africa region.

Phase 5	Analysis and summary of the Periodic Reporting Exercise
The analysis enabled an appraisal to be made of the state of conservation, including conclusions and recommendations in order to disseminate the positive aspects, improve the shortcomings in conservation and development, and identify the training needed as well as the possibilities of exchange of regional and sub-regional expertise. In order to maintain the interactive relationship initiated by the workshops, the summary document will be sent to the managers concerned.

Phase 6.	The case of sensitive sites
Several of the sites analysed require more personalized assistance, owing to difficult situations or special circumstances. Individual assistance missions were carried out in order to help the managers and the State Party to identify and make explicit the difficulties encountered. In this way, the strategy drawn up for Ethiopia enabled contacts to be established to achieve better coordination between the various authorities responsible, and enabled the seven reports on the sites as well as that concerning the State Party to be drafted.

Analysis, report, recommendations, dissemination

Improvement to and return of final form

Additional information provided and discussions held

Sub-regional 'harmonization'

Person responsible fills in provisional form adapted for Africa

 

 

Phase 7. 	Validation and diffusion of the Periodic Reporting Exercise
The final report was presented to the twenty-fifth session of the World Heritage Committee in Helsinki, Finland (December 2001). It is planned to publish the report at a later date in the form of a brochure and CD-ROM and to make it available on the Internet.
This step-by-step procedure can thus be seen as the necessary stages of the pedagogy which resulted in an awareness and appropriation of the exercise by the national officials and site managers concerned, and in the final production of substantial, usable documents. 

Usefulness of the exercise
This first reporting exercise made the site managers aware of the Convention and its activities, and informed them about the characteristics of their sites. Thanks in particular to the sub-regional workshops, many managers were trained in conservation issues and methods, which led to an awareness of the achievements of each site in comparison with those of other sites, thus encouraging the exchange of experience. In this way, managers were encouraged to participate and take responsibility in conservation and development activities. The exercise also gave the institutions and experts the opportunity to draw attention to their most urgent needs. This Periodic Reporting Exercise proved a useful instrument for setting up a network of institutions and drawing up a list of African experts. 
The exercise also enabled computerized databases to be set up, made up of nomination form archives, interactive data in the form of OCDB files (one States file, one Sites file and one Address file, bringing together the bodies and resource persons mentioned). In addition, it enabled the first step to be taken towards a Geographical Information System, thus paving the way for future assessments of sites in Africa. The data should be regularly updated so that the Centre and every State Party or site can quickly and independently find the information they require. 

Relevance of the results 
The frequency and range of items or individuals (States Parties or sites) concerned by a 'nil' response (no reply) has led us to regard this response as an evaluation indicator of the questionnaire, or rather of the type of response given to complex, disturbing or unfamiliar items. This relevance index, or rate of response obtained, measures the reliability of the responses and therefore the scope of the exercise: the higher the frequency of nil for a given item, the less relevant the information provided under this heading; the higher the nil score for a site or a State, the less informative the form. An item with a rate of less than 50 thus indicates a serious problem of perception or comprehension, since more than half of the respondents did not find it relevant, or were not able to provide a response. These items correspond to responses on risk prevention and regular monitoring, thus indicating shortcomings in these areas. Some respondents felt that risk prevention was outside their field of competence. The forms reveal three situations: States Parties whose reports are very uninformative (with rates of < 50); States Parties with an average relevance index (between 50 and 70); and sites with a high index (>70). The first group should be given assistance to improve their performance in the next reporting exercise. It should also be noted that a form seems to be the most appropriate format. Although Cameroon provided a very well-documented report, it was difficult to identify the questionnaire items, which led to the response rate being very low. Those responsible for completing the site forms were not the same as those who completed the States Parties' forms, which explains the difference in the States Parties' indices and those of the sites which are situated there.
Despite its length, however, this form does not provide answers to all the questions that are facing States and their sites. For example, the form does not concretely document the state of conservation of certain endangered species in the case of natural or mixed sites, although this is clearly specified as a criterion for justification of inscription.

Conclusion 
This first Periodic Reporting Exercise for the Africa region provides a set of findings on the implementation of the Convention. The first finding is the keen interest shown by the participants in the Periodic Reporting Exercise, and, consequently, in the introduction of relevant management and conservation methods for the sites, and in the improvement of the implementation of the Convention at the level of States Parties. This interest is generally limited by the scarcity, penury or obsolescence of the material resources available, and by the human capacities. The results achieved reflect the existing material and human resources. In addition, the periodic report must be seen as a continuous process, defining the basis upon which a permanent consultation process can be set up in the field and at site level, in interaction with the local and national institutions and the technical staff of the States Parties concerned. To that end, the recommendation of carrying out an evaluation half-way through the reporting exercise (every three years), proposed by the site managers, would make it possible to take stock of experience gained in management, conservation, protection and development and to endorse or reorient future actions. This mid-term evaluation would be all the more useful in that a site manager generally spends less than five years in one post, and would therefore enable the number of "novice" site managers in periodic reporting to be reduced. However, given the shortcomings observed in the state of the African world heritage, the reporting exercise could be linked to a continuous process aimed at guiding the officials in a dual process of reporting on the first exercise and preparing the next Periodic Reporting Exercise. Finally, the States Parties could consider revising their planning and site management plans to bring them in line with the six years of the periodic reporting cycle, thus optimizing the synchronization of the actions. 

Chapter 2, section 1: 

1. Identification of the properties 
The first stage, the identification of heritage properties, is an activity that is necessary for the systematisation of conservation actions. The efforts made by the States Parties in preparing national heritage inventories and tentative lists and in submitting the inscription form are the first indicators of implementation of the Convention.

National Inventories 

National Inventories 	YES	NO	NRP	% of responses obtained	
Preparation of lists or inventories, dates	11	5	0	100	
Cultural inventory	10	0	6	62	
Natural inventory	8	1	7	56	
Mixed inventory	5	1	10	37	
Institutions responsible for national inventories	13	0	3	81	

		NRP: no reply given to this question

Although 69% of the States Parties have prepared national inventories, further efforts are needed as far as identification is concerned. 62% of States Parties have identified their cultural heritage, 50% their natural heritage and only 30% their mixed heritage. Over and above the lack of identification, the 37% of responses obtained for the mixed heritage reveal a possible misunderstanding or lack of understanding of this concept. Thirteen States Parties specified the institutions in charge of heritage inventories, thus identifying ten institutions responsible for cultural properties, and eight responsible for natural properties. Madagascar, Senegal and Zimbabwe provided references for all their institutions.

Although the Convention is characterized by complementarity between the protection of nature and the conservation of culture, the African cultural heritage and natural heritage are generally entrusted to different authorities. The lack of communication between these authorities raises particular problems in countries which have both cultural and natural sites. This institutional "mismatch" emphasizes the challenge of integrated management of the national heritage as a whole.	

Tentative Lists

Tentative Lists	YES	NO	NRP	% of responses obtained
	
Submission of the tentative list	12	3	1	93	
Submission dates indicated	13	0	3	81	
Revision date	5	3	8	50	
Institution responsible	14	0	2	87	
Local authority participation 	13	1	2	87	
Local population participation	9	4	3	81	

75% of the States Parties submitted tentative lists of natural and cultural sites (Cameroon and the Central African Republic did not submit lists). In the framework of identification of world heritage properties, the consultation process has not been well developed. Thirteen States Parties, 56% of the total, have involved the local administrative authorities, while only nine have involved the local population, either through the traditional chiefs or via public consultation meetings. Since 1996, eleven lists (73%) have been submitted and five lists revised, and the local community is increasingly being taken into account. This notable improvement in the application of the Convention, along with the high rate of responses obtained, reflects the impact of the Global Strategy. 

Nominations of sites to the World Heritage List

Nominations of sites for inscription	YES	NO	NRP	% of responses obtained	
Submission of sites for inscription on the World Heritage List	14	0	2	87	
Cooperation with local authorities	10	1	5	68	
Obstacles and difficulties	7	2	7	56	
Conclusions concerning the method	10	0	6	62	

The inscription of sites on the World Heritage List involves a great deal of preparation and the submission of a nomination form. Even though two respondents did not mention this in their reports, all the States Parties have sites inscribed on the List. 44% mentioned the obstacles and difficulties encountered, particularly lack of experience of and information on preparing the nomination form, material and manpower problems (insufficient financing, inappropriate logistics, lack of qualified site management staff), and relations with the local population near the site (looting, expropriation of land with no compensation). Of the ten States Parties who had positive conclusions to draw on the inscription procedure, several judged the process to be helpful in leading to a better knowledge of the site and thus to more appropriate management and promotion. For others, the participatory strategies tend to lessen local resistance caused by poor understanding of World Heritage status. In addition, the contribution of the local authorities and the population ensures the smooth running of work carried out on the site. 

States Parties	Submission of inventories	Types of inventories Cultural/ natural	Submission of tentative lists	Submission date	Local authority involvement	Involvement of the local population	
BENIN	Yes	C&N	Yes	1998	Yes	Yes	
CAMEROON	No	X 	No	X	X	X	
cENTRAL aFRICAN Rep. 	No	X 	No	X	X	X	
COTE D'IVOIRE	No	C&N	Yes	1983	Yes	Yes	
Dem. rEP. OF CONGO	Yes	Natural	No	X (1997)	Yes	Yes	
ETHIOPIA	Yes	Cultural	Yes	1997	Yes	Yes	
GHANA	Yes	C&N	Yes	1999	Yes	Yes	
GUINEA	Yes	C&N	Yes	2001	Yes	Yes	
MADAGASCAR	No	C&N	Yes	1996	Yes	No	
MALAWI	Yes	X 	X	1997	X	X	
MALI	Yes	Cultural	Yes	1999	Yes	Yes	
MOZAMBIQUE	Yes	Cultural	Yes	1997	Yes	No	
NIGER	No	X 	Yes	1996	Yes	Yes	
SENEGAL	Yes	C&N	Yes	1998	Yes	No	
SEYCHELLES	 	 	No	 	 	 	
UNItED rEP. OF TANZANIa	Yes	X 	Yes	2000	No	No	
ZAMBIa	 	 	Yes	1997	 	 	
ZIMBABWE	Yes	C&N	Yes	1996	Yes	Yes	

The date on which the States Parties ratified the Convention had no impact on the actions taken to identify properties. While the comprehensive responses given by the majority of the countries underline their interest in identifying properties, the answers provided by some countries, such as Malawi, the Central African Republic and Cameroon, were incomplete. The failure to reply and the contradictions inherent in some responses reveal not only lack of knowledge but also difficulties in understanding the questionnaire.
Natural and cultural heritage inventories were submitted not only by Senegal and Zimbabwe, both of which have natural and cultural sites, but also by Benin and Côte d’Ivoire, which have cultural and natural sites respectively. This raises a problem of consistency: while Côte d’Ivoire put down that it had not produced a national inventory, it also stated that it had drawn up an inventory of natural and cultural sites. Some States Parties, such as Madagascar or Niger, submitted tentative lists without having previously drawn up a national heritage inventory. Only Côte d’Ivoire's tentative list, submitted in 1983, has not been revised since 1996. Those in charge of completing the questionnaire do not always have the knowledge and information needed to do so. Thus, while the Democratic Republic of Congo claims not to have submitted a tentative list, the World Heritage Centre received such a list in 1997. Finally, while the involvement of the local community in the compilation of the tentative lists seems to be linked to the Global Strategy, the community's real participation depends on each country's policies. The United Republic of Tanzania's tentative list, submitted in 2000, was not prepared in partnership with the local authorities or population. 
Despite some failings, such as the inclusion of all heritage properties, an unsystematic approach and a lack of knowledge of the actions carried out, the identification procedure for heritage properties seems to be relatively well integrated and understood by the States Parties. The current situation results from efforts linked to the Global Strategy, from the decentralization policy currently underway in most of the States, and from greater local involvement.
2. Legal and institutional framework  

Protection, conservation and presentation policy

Protection and conservation policy	YES	NO	NRP	% of responses obtained	
Integration of the heritage into a national management and development policy	15	0	1	93	
Integration of the heritage into a regional management and development policy	13	0	3	81	
Integration of the heritage into a local management and development policy	14	0	2	87	

The integration of the heritage into national management and development policy has involved various means. Eleven States Parties have introduced new legislative texts and action plans. Institutional means implemented by eight States Parties include the setting up of functioning frameworks or networks. At the financial level, only two States Parties have regular budgets for the heritage, and funds for promotion of the sites. In the framework of a general government decentralization effort, 13 States Parties have drawn up a heritage protection policy. 50% of the States Parties concerned have set up control and management structures at the regional level. Four States Parties are giving the region a genuine role in heritage conservation decision-making. The heritage has been taken into account at the local level by 14 States Parties. This is reflected in a real raising of awareness of the local communities of the impact of the heritage on their development, in the local sharing of benefits gained from eco tourism resources, in training, in skills transfer and in the control management. 

Adoption of a general policy 

Adoption of a general policy	YES	NO	NRP	% of responses obtained	
A policy and plans that aim to give the heritage a function in the life of the community:					
	- exist	8	2	6	62	
	- are operational	9	1	6	62	
	- are being drawn up	3	3	10	37	
	- are envisaged	2	4	10	37	
Protection linked to a national development plan	11	2	3	81	
Protection linked to a national conservation strategy	11	2	3	81	
Fields in which improvements are desirable and towards which the State Party is working	11	0	5	68	

The low response rate casts doubt on the knowledge of and interest in the adoption of a general policy by those responsible. Although actions and policies have been developed to give the heritage a function in the life of the community, the approach to the heritage is neither systematic nor uniform. The challenge for heritage protection lies principally with conservation strategies or national development plans; only 50% of the States Parties have drawn up a general heritage policy. 

Status of the services concerned

Status of the services concerned	YES	NO	NRP	% of responses obtained	
The services responsible for conservation depend on: 					
  - a ministry	13	1	2	87	
  - an interministerial committee	4	3	9	43	
  - a multisectorial committee	4	3	9	43	
These services are responsible for:					
  - protection/conservation	14	0	2	87	
  - presentation	12	0	4	75	
  - site operation/running	10	3	3	81	
Human resources	14	0	2	87	
Other resources	11	0	5	68	
Areas where improvements would be desirable 	13	0	3	81	

All the States Parties have services responsible for conservation. The majority of countries have either natural sites or cultural sites, which explains the fact that 81% of the services are under the authority of a single ministry: the Ministry of the Environment for natural properties, and the Ministry of Culture for cultural properties. Five States parties - Benin, Ethiopia, Guinea, Mozambique and Senegal - have set up a supra-ministerial structure, which enables better coordination and integration of the heritage. Of the countries managing both national and cultural properties, Ethiopia and Senegal are the only two to have set up respectively an interministerial and an intersectorial committee. 

The services are in charge of 62% of the conservation, presentation and running of the site, although this last function is sometimes conceded to other bodies. Two cases of delegation of power to para-governmental bodies can be cited: in Madagascar, the conservation of the natural heritage depends on an autonomous organization, the ANGAP (National Association for the Management of Protected Areas), and in Zimbabwe the cultural sites are managed by a para-governmental administration, the NMMZ (National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe).

Fourteen States Parties mention their human resources. These figures vary from over 1700 persons in the Democratic Republic of Congo to only four in the Central African Republic. This variation is mainly due to the characteristics of the sites themselves: large natural sites that are threatened by strong anthropic pressure (poaching, wood cutting, illegal grazing) generally have a higher number of staff. The effectiveness of the conservation actions undertaken remains very disparate and does not depend on staff size. 

Eleven countries also mention their material and financial resources. Despite economic difficulties, the absence of negative replies leads to the conclusion that each country has means, however limited, available for heritage protection. Over and above the listing of logistical means or real estate holdings, some initiatives are worthy of mention, such as the creation of a community radio station at Lake Malawi to transmit messages about development to the local communities. 

Finally, all the respondents feel that an improvement in services would be desirable. 83% of the needs expressed concern training, from advanced technicians to guards, while improvements in logistics (75%), communication and transport, staff size and resources for research and promotion of the sites were also cited. 

Scientific studies and research

Scientific studies and research	YES
	NO	NRP	% of responses obtained	
Are there scientific and technical studies on the World Heritage sites?	15	0	1	93	
Are the research results available?	13	0	3	81	
Access through seminars and conferences	12	2	2	87	
Access through local media	11	3	2	87	
Access via Internet	5	7	4	75	
Access through the press	10	2	4	75	
Fields in which improvements would be desirable	14	0	2	87	

57% of the scientific and technical studies undertaken on World Heritage sites aim at a better understanding of natural resources through study programmes on animal species or eco biological monitoring. 36% are research programmes related to management and development plans, 29% concern socio-economic development, 21% ecotourism, 21% archaeological knowledge and 14% conservation of cultural sites. Studies and research carried out on the world heritage in Africa, which used to be organized by foreign missions, are now increasingly being undertaken by local researchers, in cooperation with universities and national or foreign research centres. 

Despite the difficulties and costs of access in Africa to the Internet, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania and Senegal use the Internet as another means of disseminating research results in addition to the more common channels. Among the many improvements desired, four countries mentioned management capacities, suggesting the drawing up of a national heritage management plan or the creation of local management structures. The other areas often mentioned are conservation conditions, the expansion of research, an increase in knowledge of the heritage, and access to this knowledge. As far as this last point is concerned, three States Parties referred to the need for computerisation of the services, and two others mentioned the creation of Internet sites.

Measures for identification, conservation, presentation and enhancement

Measures for identification, conservation, presentation and enhancement
	YES	NO	NRP	% of responses obtained	
Specific legislation and policies concerning the National Heritage 	11	2	3	100	
Restoration and rehabilitation of the Heritage considered as priorities 	13	0	3	81	
Actions to encourage active participation in the protection of World Heritage properties 	12	0	4	75	
Actions to involve the private sector in the conservation and protection of World Heritage sites 	12	1	3	81	
Is a general and/or legal policy reform necessary?	5	6	5	68	
Other international conventions signed	9	0	7	56	
Appropriate scientific and technical measures taken for the identification, protection, conservation, presentation and enhancement of the cultural and natural heritage	12	1	3	81	
Media used	14	0	2	87	

Modifying or updating a legal or institutional framework, raising the awareness of the population, encouraging the circulation of information through discussions and seminars, creating relational structures (national network of protected areas), developing the zoning of visited sites, improving financing, and applying the law concerning repression are some of the different legal and institutional measures which have had a positive impact in 12 countries. Among the scientific and technical measures taken, five States Parties are continuing the work of identification through inventories, three are carrying out regular monitoring activities of the natural and cultural sites, three are organizing seminars and colloquia, three are carrying out specific training activities, six are trying to improve management, control and legislation respectively; finally Ethiopa has created a management structure, the Authority for Research and Conservation of Cultural Heritage (ARCCH).
To disseminate information on these measures, ten countries use radio, nine use television and seven use the written press, brochures, films and postcards. To a lesser degree, some more sophisticated means are used, such as scientific reviews, the creation of Internet sites, museum exhibitions and recourse to artists.
Considered a priority by 81% of the States Parties, heritage restoration and rehabilitation actions are mentioned by five States. The priority given to restoration is also reflected in the increase in personnel and human technical capacities as well as in the increased financing of restoration actions. Other means of action include the extension of protected areas and tourism development. However, only five States feel that a reform of the general or legal policy is needed, which suggests that the current situation is generally considered fairly satisfactory.
A participatory approach to the protection and conservation of World Heritage properties is sought by 75% of the States Parties concerned. To this end, eight countries have implemented participatory management practices involving the local population, its elected officials and traditional leaders and in some cases have set up management committees. Four States Parties have carried out actions to heighten the awareness of user populations. The participatory approach also seeks to involve the private sector, which takes part in heritage conservation as a service provider or support. Some local NGOs have been requested to carry out work at the sites, or even to manage the protected area. Two countries have called upon private sponsors to support their conservation actions. In three States Parties, private companies organize tourist activities. Three countries also try to raise awareness by running joint seminars, colloquia and information days with the private sector. Two States mention the relevance of initiating or extending a participatory policy to local populations and to the public in general. In this way, a number of participatory measures are slowly beginning to involve the local population in development actions through conservation.
In addition to the World Heritage Convention, 15 States Parties are also signatories to other international Conventions on natural or cultural properties, ratification of which provides additional protection. These commitments are often not known to the questionnaire respondents, with 9 positive responses for 15 signatory countries.
The very disparate responses from the different states stem not only from the differences in actions and commitment of the States Parties but are also correlated to the specialization of the author of the form. Malawi filled in only one item; Cameroon, Ghana, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mali and the Central African Republic filled in certain responses, while the other States Parties completed more than two thirds of the responses. However, these differences and the contradictions in certain replies are also linked to the form, which, in failing to give sufficient information for the items, does not seem well suited to the exercise. A number of responses are inconsistent: in Mali, a protection policy exists but is not operational; conversely, in Tanzania and Zimbabwe there is no protection policy, but it is operational.

States Parties	General Policy	Protection linked to	Measures	
	exists and is operational	is being drawn up or envisaged	National Development Plan	Conservation strategy	Law specific to the national heritage and impact on the Convention	Restoration and rehabilitation are priorities	Local participation actions	Private sector actions	Political reform needed	
BENIN	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	X	
CAMEROON	Yes	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	
CENTRAL AFRICAN Rep.	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	X	Yes	X	X	No	
COTE D'IVOIRE	X	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	
Dem. Rep. of CONGO	X	No	No	No	No	X	X	No	X	
ETHIOPIA	Yes	X	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	
GHANA	X	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	
GUINEA	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	
MADAGASCAR	Yes	X	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	
MALAWI	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	
MALI	Yes	X	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	X	
MOZAMBIQUE	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	
NIGER	X	X	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	
SENEGAL	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	
SEYCHELLES	Yes	 	Yes	Yes	 	 	 	 	 	
United Rep. of TANZANIA	Yes	X	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	
ZAMBIA	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
ZIMBABWE	No	X	X	X	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	

The case of the Democratic Republic of Congo is worrying: although all its sites are inscribed on the list of World Heritage in Danger, no policy exists or is envisaged, the heritage is not linked to a development plan, and political reform is not judged to be necessary. In the same situation, Guinea and the Central African Republic have a general heritage policy, but do not have a specific heritage law, nor are political reforms envisaged. Lastly, the appropriateness of the policies adopted can be questioned for Benin, Ethiopia, Mali and Senegal, all of which have sites inscribed on the list of World Heritage in Danger. Since Africa is the region in both relative and absolute terms with the greatest number of properties inscribed on the list of World Heritage in Danger, enormous progress in protection and conservation remains to be made in all related fields.
While heritage conservation is considered a priority sector by the majority of States Parties, the actions taken as a result of this priority and its effect are not specified. There is no marked inclination to review and reform the legal and institutional framework protecting Africa's heritage. Moreover, a real heritage integration policy must be ensured not only 
by the bodies responsible for heritage conservation, but also by the highest authorities, through the widest possible coordination. In fact, apart from very tentative references to a participatory policy, the relationship between heritage conservation and sustainable development is not contemplated. The integration of these two policy orientations would undoubtedly enable the relationships and balance of power to be modulated into a conservation policy which is no longer defensive but constructive. 

3. Training 

Training	YES	NO	NRP	% of responses obtained	
Mechanisms in place or being introduced, to increase cooperation between the different institutions responsible for the conservation and protection of the World Heritage 	13	0	3	81	
Identification of the training needs for the protection and conservation of the heritage 	13	0	3	81	
Existing training opportunities 	14	1	1	93	
Training modules or programmes developed for the World Heritage sites.	4	11	1	93	
Has the staff received heritage training in or outside your country?	11	4	1	93	
Do you have a national or regional training centre for the protection and conservation of the natural and cultural heritage? 	7	8	1	93	
Measures taken to encourage scientific research as a support for training and educational activities	13	1	2	87	
Areas where improvements would be desirable 	13	0	3	81	

As has already been mentioned several times, training is a major issue in World Heritage protection. With the aim of strengthening cooperation between the different institutions responsible for conservation and World Heritage protection actions, various mechanisms have been developed by 13 States Parties: seven have set up training programmes or units, three use the coordination of means, two have instituted the programming and planning of conservation actions, two States have created heritage committees and have set up modern management means, such as Geographical Information Systems.
Training needs are identified as being of great importance by 81% of respondents. The most frequent request (50%) concerns the management and planning of the World Heritage sites, followed by training in restoration (33%) and conservation (17%), and the organization of environmental and monument monitoring (25%). Other needs identified are in socio-economy and development, legislation, documentation, the combat against poaching and the improvement of scientific capacities. Among the existing training opportunities in their own countries or in the region, the Ecole du patrimoine africain (African Heritage School) in Porto Novo, the ICCROM and CRA-Terre are cited several times; the training centres in the Garoua and Mweka Wildlife Colleges are less frequently mentioned. The majority of national universities offer training in archaeology. With the exception of Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi and Niger, all the States Parties confirm that they have benefited from heritage training. Seven countries have a national or regional centre for training in protection and conservation of natural heritage (including Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Madagascar, Tanzania) and cultural heritage (Benin).
Among the measures taken to encourage scientific research as a support for training and educational activities, five States Parties collaborate with foreign universities and research centres, and four have created or reactivated laboratories and other research structures. In three countries, students have been able to undertake research activities in situ. Five countries stress the need for strengthening training and upgrading equipment, especially computer equipment. In the same connection, requests were made by two States Parties for operational documentation centres and by three countries for updated inventory and monitoring systems. Four States Parties also mentioned improvements needed in museological and immovable conservation, its financing and the modernization of management. 
A major preoccupation for States Parties, training is seen as a priority need for improving knowledge of protection and conservation techniques. Strengthening training seems to represent an opportunity, which, through a leverage effect, could offer an integrated approach to heritage and development.

4. International cooperation and fund raising

International cooperation and fund raising	YES	NO	NRP	% of responses obtained	
Documentation which could help the other countries promote and improve the application of the World Heritage Convention 	5	7	4	75	
Bilateral or multilateral activities for the protection and conservation of the World Heritage 	9	7	0	62	
World Heritage sites that have been twinned with others at the national and international level 	4	8	4	75	
Your country has bilateral or multilateral activities concerning the World Heritage sites 	6	3	7	56	
Bilateral or multilateral agreements with funding institutions for the implementation of the Convention in your country	7	3	6	62	
National, public or private or specific site foundation, for protection and conservation 	5	6	5	68	
Annual budget allowance for the protection and conservation of the World Heritage sites in your country 	9	4	3	81	
Has your government set up a programme for assistance and does it include funds for conservation and protection in other countries? 	2	9	5	68	
Advisory mechanism between the World Heritage administrative authority and the department responsible for training 	1	9	6	62	
Has your government made voluntary contributions other than the mandatory ones to globally improve the work on the Convention? 	0	10	6	62	
Awareness of arrears with your contributions to the World Heritage Fund 	2	2	12	25	

Bilateral or multilateral activities for the conservation of the World Heritage have been implemented by ten States Parties, are underway in five others and planned by a further seven. Ten programmes have been developed for the conservation or improvement of site management, three programmes for the economic development of the periphery of the site, two workshop seminars, one project financing and one national inventory. The implementation and identification of three transborder projects has involved local bilateral cooperation for the conservation of World Heritage sites (Zambia-Zimbabwe, Senegal-Guinea and Senegal-Mauritania). Tanzania implements a national twinning of its Serengeti and Ngorongoro sites. Sites in Benin, Mozambique, the United Republic of Tanzania and Senegal are twinned with other sites in Europe or North America. Decentralized cooperation is very little developed, although it could generate fruitful exchange of expertise between managers.
International cooperation occupies an important place in the conservation of the African heritage. It is carried out exclusively with the countries of the North, and no inter-African cooperation is mentioned. Europe is heavily involved, with the European Union playing an increasingly important role by financing several projects for the conservation and development of World Heritage sites. Bilateral actions and financial and technical assistance programmes are run by many European countries. Relations with the USA are limited to site twinning. The cooperation achieved by six States mainly concerns UNESCO, UNDP, the GEF, as well as the European Union, France, the Netherlands and Germany, mainly for training and conservation programmes. Similarly, bilateral or multilateral agreements signed by seven countries enable assistance projects for the conservation of natural or cultural sites to be financed. The main funding institutions involved are UNESCO, UNDP, the World Bank, the European Union and Germany.
Five States Parties state that they have produced publications which could help promote and improve the application of the World Heritage Convention. In fact, numerous published works are available in the strict framework of the conservation and restoration activities supported by UNESCO World Heritage Centre (Mount Nimba, Aïr-Ténére, Ashanti buildings, etc). This lack of coherence corresponds to a lack of knowledge and information, but may also reveal the stand taken by African states, who see themselves as being in a training phase, rather than a diffusion one. 
Senegal and Tanzania have set up an assistance programme with funds allocated to conservation and protection that are available to other countries; the amounts concerned are not specified. Tanzania has even developed an international agreement to take action against offenders as far as conservation of the natural and cultural heritage is concerned.
The absence of any voluntary contribution to the World Heritage Convention is not surprising, given the economic situation in the region. With 73% of respondents failing to reply to the question, it seems that few national officials are aware of arrears in their contributions to the World Heritage Fund. This situation may be due either to a total dissociation of the Chancellery services, which pay the dues linked to international treaties signed by the State, or to an ignorance of the financial duties of the State vis-à-vis the World Heritage Convention. 
Five States Parties work with national, public or private foundations, or specific site foundations, for protection and conservation. Only Senegal has set up an advisory mechanism between the World Heritage administrative authority and the department responsible for training, in particular for universities and training centres. Nine States Parties have an annual budget allowance for the protection of their World Heritage sites. In certain cases, such as in Mozambique, this budget is not regular. Elsewhere, it can cover staff salaries, but not conservation activities. With only 53% of countries benefiting from regular financing, the problem is to access to resources for protection and conservation operations in countries where the economies are poor and where private investment is practically non-existent. This situation also raises the problem of the responsibility of the State in implementing credible, dependable and sustainable solutions to ensure the long-term conservation of world heritage. 
It seems that cooperation opportunities remain under-utilized in relation to the needs of the African heritage and to the potential resources for cooperation, both inter-African and with other countries.

5. Education, information and awareness building

Education, information & awareness raising	YES	NO	NRP	% of responses obtained	
National programme to educate the public and raise awareness about World Heritage
	7	5	4	75	
Measures taken for the integration of the cultural and natural heritage values into the educational programmes	6	1	9	43	
Does the State Party participate in the Special Project World Heritage in Young Hands?	4	7	5	68	

Parallel to the national programme to educate the public and raise awareness about World Heritage that exists in seven African countries, several States Parties are increasingly involving decision-makers, owners, tour operators and the general public. A similar effort is also being directed towards schools and universities. Measures are planned to integrate cultural and natural heritage values, which are already included in the primary school curriculum, into secondary level teaching in the framework of environmental education and studies, and civic and moral education. The Ministries of Education and of Environment, Water and Forest, and Culture are associated in this raising of awareness through education. Only Ethiopia, Mali, Senegal and Zimbabwe are taking part in the UNESCO Special Project World Heritage in Young Hands. 

National Heritage Days, organized in several countries, also provide an opportunity for building public awareness about tangible and intangible heritage. They also provide information on the crucial role played by conservation in the quality of life and standard of living of the local communities and in the national economy.

Recommendations at the State Party level 
All the countries that have ratified the World Heritage Convention have rights and duties with regard to this Convention. In order to have full information and to take stock of the implementation of the Convention, it is recommended that the field of periodic reporting be extended so that all the African States Parties are concerned by Section I of the reporting form.
Several other recommendations concern the States Parties, the World Heritage Committee and the World Heritage Centre.

Policy: coordination / participation 
-	to take into account the national heritage and not only the sites inscribed on the World Heritage List, in accordance with the recommendations for the protection of the national heritage adopted in 1972, a global heritage policy should be developed which shall ensure the identification, protection, conservation and management of all the heritage properties at the local, regional and national level. 
-	Due to the diversity of the situations, the legislation and the scarcity of competencies, it is recommended that a single body, a Committee placed under the authority of the highest State official (President or Prime Minister), centralise the information related to World Heritage, and coordinate the services responsible that are divided up between various ministries. 
-	to devise national strategies to implement the World Heritage Convention and to set up National Committees for the World Heritage Convention
-	in order that the protection, conservation and presentation of the heritage be the object of true national strategies integrated into the social and development plans, management and territorial development, the States Parties are called upon to combine their efforts in the framework of the Africa region with the help and assistance of UNESCO and other international bodies, for example through the drawing up of a Charter on the integration of heritage conservation in the economic, social and territorial development plans.
-	to encourage the National Directorates to keep informed of the progress made by the State that they serve
-	to study the conditions for giving greater autonomy to the bodies responsible for conservation in order to compensate for the inability to meet financial needs 
-	to associate and even involve local authorities, local communities and the private sector in the identification, conservation, management and promotion processes by developing participatory communication and concertation strategies, and by drawing inspiration from the participatory management experiences of neighbouring countries 

Networks / cooperation
-	to collate the experiences of States Parties where significant conservation results are obtained with a limited number of agents in order to study how these can be reproduced in other countries
-	to study the basis for the establishment of inter-African cooperation in the field of conservation, of construction techniques (earth, wood, thatching) and of biodiversity, making use of existing institutions
-	to develop national or international structures, such as a Foundation, to organize financial support for natural and cultural heritage conservation actions and, in particular, to study the possibility of setting up an African Heritage Fund, the objective of which would be to assist in financing targeted operations, and which would be funded by the wealthiest States Parties and the multinationals that exploit Africa's natural resources
-	to envisage carrying out a feasibility study for an African research network, using the World Heritage sites for field studies, given the diversity of these sites and the presence of study materials rarely to be found elsewhere

Technical aspects / assistance 
-	to assist the States Parties that so wish in drawing up inventories and tentative lists of their cultural and natural heritage, in particular the mixed sites and cultural landscapes

Research and education
-	to make the World Heritage sites privileged places for scientific research. The national researchers or students involved should serve as a point of reference in intellectual development and higher training activities for the African States Parties
-	to set up training for monitoring of natural sites
-	to encourage the development of heritage education, as a complement to environmental education, by devising a manual for teachers
-	to increase the participation of the African states in the special project "World Heritage in Young Hands"

Chapter 2, section 2: 

1. Implementation of the World Heritage Convention at site level

1. Identification of natural and cultural heritage properties

Information provided at the time of inscription

Information at the time of inscription	Known	No	NRP	% of responses obtained	
Justification of inscription	29	0	3	91	
Criteria approved by the Committee	26	0	6	81	
Observations made by the advisory body for evaluation 	17	0	15	53	
WHC observations at the time of inscription	8	7	17	47	
Your reactions to these observations 	6	9	17	47	

The two sub-regional meetings at Dakar and Nakuru were crucial: most of the site managers became aware, often for the first time, of the nomination data for the inscription of their site on the World Heritage List. As a result, 91% of the site managers knew the terms justifying the inscription of their site, and four out of five were able to define the criteria approved. They were less familiar with the reactions of the advisory body or the Committee (47% and 25% respectively). They also seemed unclear about their role: only six gave reactions to the Committee's observations, with four explaining that they took these observations into account in their site monitoring.
Updating of the statement of value

Defined in 1993, the statement of value is a relatively recent concept, mentioned at the time of inscription of a site on the World Heritage List by the Committee.

Updating of the statement of value	YES	NO	NRP	% of responses obtained	
Statement of value reflects the WH values of the property	28	4	0	100	
Need to reconsider these values 	10	21	1	96	
Boundary of the buffer zone is appropriate 	11	20	1	96	
Boundary of the property is appropriate 	14	15	3	90	
A revision or an extension of the boundaries should be envisaged	17	13	2	93	
A new statement of value is required	14	7	11	65	

The statement of value was assessed in order to ensure its appropriacy to the present context. For 87% of the managers, it reflects the outstanding universal value of the property; one third, however, consider that the statement should be revised, and nearly half feel that a new statement of value is needed. Conceptually defined in 1990, the site boundaries and buffer zone are also felt to be inappropriate: for more than half of the sites, the site boundary is not appropriate, more than half the respondents request a revision or extension of the boundaries, and two thirds would like to see the buffer zone redefined. Finally, the use of a GIS (Geographical Information System) shows that the geodesic information provided by the forms, usually based on the nomination form data, is incorrect, to the extent that a site is placed inside the borders of a neighbouring state.

Statement of Authenticity and Integrity

Statement of Authenticity and Integrity 	YES	NO	NRP	% of
 responses obtained	
There have been changes in the conditions of authenticity / integrity since inscription	9	21	2	93	
Changes in the conditions of authenticity / integrity are foreseeable in the near future 	12	19	1	96	
The values for which the site was inscribed are maintained 	29	1	2	93	

More than two thirds of the managers are informed on how the authenticity and/or integrity of the site was evaluated at the time of inscription. In 91% of cases, they consider that the inscription conditions have been maintained. However, the way in which these authenticity and integrity conditions are evolving gives some cause for concern. 28% of the sites have undergone changes and 38% foresee changes in the near future. Only half of the forms describe the causes of these changes. Eleven natural sites indicate changes in the environmental conditions close to or within the boundaries of the site. Other factors that cause modifications to the sites include human events, such as the rural exodus or the installation of refugees, and economic development and its consequences. These consequences can be immediate - planned or potential mining activities, creation of roads, modernization of the urban fabric- or more distant - desertification or erosion.
The authenticity of cultural sites is also modified by inopportune restoration activities, by the gradual loss of significance of the sites, by their deterioration over time, and by anthropic pressure and biodiversity erosion.

2. Management of the sites inscribed

Legal and institutional framework

Legal and institutional framework 	YES	NO	NRP	% of responses obtained	
Ownership	31	0	1	96	
Legal status 	31	0	1	96	
Legal framework	26	0	6	81	
Institutional framework	22	0	10	68	
Measures foreseen to preserve values in the future	24	0	8	75	

The significant level of replies received and the absence of negative responses indicate knowledge of the legal framework and underlying issues. Only Malawi did not provide clear information on the type of ownership. In 24 sites, the state is the sole owner. In the other cases, the State is the joint owner with, in Benin, the regional authorities and private owners, in Ghana the traditional authorities, and in Ethiopia the religious authorities. Every site inscribed on the World Heritage List benefits from a legal statute and a national legislative framework ensuring its protection. The regional or local institutional framework may include site protection or safeguarding measures in the framework of master plans for development. The low number of replies received here is probably related to a lack of understanding of the question, in particular in Ethiopia and Senegal.
Common measures planned for preservation of the values of the site include: involving the local community; anticipating natural risks (fires, floods) and human threats (poaching, uncontrolled urbanism); raising awareness and educating, rather than repressing and forbidding; foreseeing and planning to improve the conservation conditions of the properties; developing research, scientific and technical capacities at the sites; and developing tourism and ecotourism. Other concerns mentioned were the linking of conservation with development, and the desire gradually to attain management autonomy.

Management and Planning 

Management and Planning				% of
responses obtained	
Level at which management of the site is exercised:	Alone	In com	NRP		
  at the site	6	17			
  in the region	1	13	2	93	
  from the central administration	7	14			
Changes occurred since inscription in:	YES	NO	NRP		
  Type of ownership	0	28	4	87	
  Legal status	4	20	8	75	
  Protection measures	12	14	6	81	
  Boundaries	10	17	5	84	
  Means available	21	7	4	87	
Registered plans relating to the property:					
  Regional plan 	11	8	13	59	
  Local plan 	16	6	10	68	
  Conservation plan 	16	4	12	62	
  Tourism development plan 	11	6	15	53	

The institutional and legal frameworks established are more or less identical: the type of ownership has not changed, the boundaries and legal status are virtually unchanged, and the protection measures are essentially the same. Only the human, financial and logistical resources available have changed, improving for 15 sites and declining for 6 others. 
It is the governments that have the main management responsibility and they do not easily delegate their powers: 9 sites are administered from afar, by the central administration or sometimes by the region, and 14 sites are jointly administered by the central administration and another management level. Only 19% are administered entirely at site level. 
In the face of their multiple responsibilities and the reduction in State means resulting from the structural adjustment plans imposed by the IMF, the current centralized management needs to be reviewed to optimise the types of property management. The Mali solution with its cultural missions, and the Malagasy solution with the management of areas decentralised under the responsibility of an association, are two examples of decentralized management underway.
While 50% of the sites have a local plan or a conservation plan, only one in three sites has a regional plan or a tourism development plan; with a 50% non-response rate, the tourism development plan seems to be the least known management tool.

Management plan and statement of objectives

With a response rate of 100%, the management plan is known to all managers. This basic tool is designed to organize the conservation and to support development actions related to the property, generally over a period of five to ten years.

Management Plan (MP) of the site and statement of objectives	YES	NO	NRP	% of 
responses obtained	
Management plan					
A functional MP exists 	16	16	0	100	
A MP is being prepared	20	10	2	93	
The local community has been consulted and informed	20	1	11	65	
The MP takes into account human resources available 	21	3	8	75	
The MP takes into account current financial resources	19	3	10	68	
The MP includes the problem of staff training	22	1	9	71	
The MP takes into account the zoning and multiple uses of the site 	22	0	10	68	
The MP takes into account a defined buffer zone 	18	5	9	71	
The MP includes regular monitoring activities of the site 	21	1	10	68	
Implementation of the management plan					
In accordance with specific legislation	14	0	18	43	
Governmental institution	20		11	65	
NGO's	7		11	65	
Involvement of the local community in the implementation of the MP 	22	0	10	68	
Financial support for the implementation of the MP 	19	2	11	65	
Obstacles to the implementation of the MP 	17	1	14	56	
Evaluation of the MP	11	0	21	34	
Revision planned	13	0	19	40	

Half of the African sites concerned have a functional management plan, which puts the other half of the sites out of line with the prerequisites of the Guidelines, despite the fact that they have been inscribed for over ten years. The absence of a plan bears no relation to geographical area or type of site inscribed. Overall, there has been a clear improvement, with 62% of sites preparing or revising their plan. However, the situation of the Ethiopian cultural sites, for which no management plan exists or is being prepared, is problematic. In 62% of cases, the local community has been consulted and informed of the management plan. This figure is encouraging in that participatory management is fostered in cases where the local population is both informed and associated.
In general, and despite no reply being given by one third of the respondents, the management plans take into account existing zoning, the buffer zone and the available human and financial resources. The obstacles to implementation cited relate to lack of funds and of trained staff, as well as, for three sites, administrative problems. 
Specific legislation governs implementation for 43% of the sites. The management plan is implemented by a governmental organization (GO) in 33% of cases, a GO/NGO consortium in 22% and an NGO for one site only, confirming the predominance of State management. 
In accordance with the recommendations of the Guidelines and of the Committee, the local population is involved in implementation at 69% of sites, but this is often limited to short-term hiring of qualified (masons, trackers, guides) or unqualified staff. Financial support for implementation of the management plan is national and bilateral in 34% of cases, only bilateral in 16% and solely national in the case of one site. This situation gives cause for concern as only 59% of managers know on which financial source they can depend to support their conservation activities. The necessary periodic evaluation of the management plan is mentioned by around a third of the respondents. Five-yearly evaluation is the most frequent case, but the rhythm varies from three months in Mozambique to ten years in Tanzania.

Capacities in human and financial resources at site level

Capacities in human and financial resources at site level	YES	NO	NRP	% of 
responses obtained	
Human resources					
Management	24	3	5	84	
Senior staff	25	4	3	90	
Non-supervisory staff	28	2	2	93	
Financial Resources					
Regular	25	4	3	90	
Generated by management	14	9	9	71	
Staff training needs					
Deficiencies	24	0	8	75	
Needs	23	0	9	71	
Types of training	30	0	2	93	

All the sites give information a minima on their staffing level and staff qualifications. With very few exceptions, each site benefits from a management, generally limited to the person of the director but sometimes assisted by a deputy. Supervisory staff comprise from one to eight persons at the higher technician, engineer or university graduate level, and the number of non-supervisory staff varies from two at Mount Nimba (Côte d’Ivoire) to 415 for Serengeti. This last category includes staff assigned to protection – guards, rangers, scouts, to conservation – skilled and unskilled labour, and service personnel – secretaries, drivers. The already mentioned disparity between sites raises the question of the relation between staff size and satisfactory protection of the property.
75% of the sites point out deficiencies in training, particularly at high and middle level. All the training desired is short-term, with the possibility of taking part in exchange programmes. The needs identified concern management and planning (including documentation and archiving), conservation (control, poaching, archaeology, architecture, various types of craftsmanship), monitoring (ecology, landscape, sites), development (socio-economy, ecotourism, environmental education, awareness raising) and communication (museology, exhibitions). The upgrading of computer skills requested by three sites demonstrates an awareness of the realities of modern management.
Three quarters of the sites receive regular financial resources, which, in 44% of cases, are a direct result of their own management, generally originating from entrance fees and visitor permits. Nine sites receive no income from management, five do not indicate the amount, and eight provide an evaluation of their annual income, which, apart from some figures in local currency, ranges from 800 US dollars for Djenné to 4.5 million dollars for Serengeti. The government contributes towards the functioning of the site by means of regular funding, often limited to staff salaries. 34% of sites benefit from bilateral, European or intergovernmental funding in the framework of medium-term projects. Finally, Awash, Omo and Manovo state that they have no resources at all. Put to good use, the resources generated by several African sites could give them an autonomy of management, which is not generally the case at present. 

Other assistance and programmes

Additional information concerning protection and conservation	YES	NO	NRP	% of 
responses obtained	
Sources of expertise and training in conservation and management techniques 	24	1	7	78	
Protection measures and means of implementation 	21	3	8	75	
Existing local programmes	15	3	14	56	
Policies and programmes for the safeguarding of the site 	19	2	11	65	
Financing	24	4	4	87	
Technical assistance provided by the United Nations system 	19	5	8	75	
Technical assistance provided by bilateral cooperation 	20	5	6	81	

Three quarters of the sites mention access to sources of expertise and training. These are national in 12 cases, international in 13, and call upon foreign bodies (bilateral cooperation) in 10 cases. 53% of the sites benefit from technical assistance provided by the United Nations system (WHC, UNESCO, UNDP, GEF, World Bank, etc.) 61% of the sites receive assistance via bilateral cooperation. Two thirds mention protection measures and means for implementation to ensure the conservation of their sites. 47% of the sites have set up local programmes, with the West African cultural sites the best equipped, and those in East Africa the least. Only 58% of the African sites state that they have a policy and programme for the safeguarding of the site. The source of funding is varied: the State, own resources, bilateral or intergovernmental projects. One third indicate the amount of their annual financial resources, which ranges from 7,000 to 800,000 US dollars per year, or even more. Four sites have not benefited from any outside funding: Nimba, Awash, Fasil Ghebi and Omo. Even when outside assistance is received, the results for the conservation of sites indicate that a great effort still needs to be made in this area.

Facilities, tourism and promotion 

Facilities, tourism and promotion 
	YES	NO	NRP	% of responses obtained	
Signalisation indicating WH	15	14	3	90	
Signposting of the site indicating WH property	18	12	2	93	
Info/interpretation centre for visitors	21	9	2	93	
Site museum	15	14	3	90	
Discovery trails	14	13	5	84	
Hotel infrastructure	18	11	3	90	
Parking areas	17	7	8	75	
Toilets	18	9	5	84	
First Aid Centre	13	16	3	90	
Personnel and training received	10	11	11	65	
Information materials	22	5	5	84	
Open house days	11	18	3	90	
Events and exhibitions	18	10	4	87	
Publicity activities	25	5	2	93	
Effect of WH listing on visitor numbers	14	4	14	56	
Need to revise legislation relating to the property 	21	9	2	93	
Need to revise administration provisions relating to the property 	10	17	5	84	

At the time of inscription of the site on the World Heritage List, the States Parties undertake to place a plaque with the World Heritage logo. More than ten years after their inscription, 56% of the sites are indicated as World Heritage properties, but only 47% have put up the logo. Listing of the site has increased visitor numbers at 44% of the sites. The stagnation or decrease in tourist numbers at other sites can be explained by a decline in the quality of visitor facilities or by access difficulties. The increase in visitors is not only a sign of recognition of the World Heritage label but also of an increase in world travel.
While not all the sites are suitable for the establishment of a museum, it is possible to set up an information centre and to ensure the good presentation and the accessibility of all sites. Only 14 sites have created discovery trails. Two thirds have an information or interpretation centre for visitors, and 46% have a museum. Visitor facilities (accommodation, parking, toilets) exist in 50 to 66% of the sites. In view of the commitment and responsibility of the sites accepting visitors, the security system is a cause for concern, especially for the large, isolated sites: half of the sites do not have a first aid post or staff trained in first aid.
78% of the sites carry out publicity activities to promote the site and inform the public (visitors and local population). Two thirds use publicity materials. 56% organize special events or exhibitions, such as the Cultural Days at Gorée, or sound and light shows. Only ten sites organize Open House days. 
Finally, 62% consider it necessary to revise the legislation relating to the property, and 31% the administrative provisions. These results demonstrate the need for a clear, updated legislative framework to ensure that the sites play their role in conservation, education and development, and overcome their fear of new administrative provisions.

 Scientific, technical and educational studies

Scientific, technical and educational studies 	YES	NO	NRP	% of
responses obtained	
Research facilities at site	19	10	3	90	
Qualified personnel 	12	17	3	90	
Research/development programmes	18	4	10	68	
Computer equipment	11	17	4	87	
Electronic mail	10	20	2	93	
Internet access (operational)	8	22	2	93	
G.I.S for the site	10	20	2	93	
School visits	28	3	1	96	
Educational programmes targeted at school establishments	21	11	0	100	
Environmental education policy	18	14	0	100	
Themes, targeted public, means	18	0	14	56	
Information to public at large and residents	26	1	5	84	
Transmission of WH values to residents and visitors	28	1	3	90	

The equipment level of the 19 sites is disparate, often limited to more or less functional vehicles or unreliable accommodation, and the databases available at 11 sites are rudimentary, old or incomplete. Only 40% of the sites are well- or moderately- well equipped for research activities. A third of the sites have qualified personnel to assist in research, such as laboratory assistants, archaeologists or ecologists. Half of the sites currently participate in scientific research programmes, which, at 12 sites, are undertaken in cooperation with foreign research teams. Dramatically under-equipped as far as computer equipment is concerned, only a third of the sites have a computer, often outdated. 
Geographical Information Systems, which are indispensable management tools, exist at four sites, and are in preparation at six others. Internet access is possible at 25% of the sites: it requires the use of a telephone line, which is not available at all sites, and which is very expensive in Africa. Only ten site managers have access to electronic mail. The very limited access of the sites to modern management techniques and the lack of equipment and staff are worrying obstacles to the development of monitoring, management and research activities.
Offered by 28 World Heritage sites, the educational function is satisfactory, especially if the difficulties of access to some sites are taken into account. Awash, Omo and Manovo do not offer educational activities. Eleven sites have been visited by a total of 260 classes, with eight sites welcoming 18,900 schoolchildren, who thus gain knowledge of the wealth of their heritage. With 210 classes and 12,000 schoolchildren visiting annually, the trophy goes to the Great Zimbabwe site, an example of the educational role played by a site at the national and regional level. The impact of these school visits in terms of education, awareness raising and training is all the more positive in that two thirds of the sites concerned have educational programmes targeted at school groups. 
To raise awareness in the local population and visitors, 56 sites, including six cultural sites, have developed an environmental education programme. The themes covered concern conservation in both its environmental and heritage aspects, bush fires, uncontrolled proliferation of waste, water management, afforestation, and combat against desertification, poaching, biodiversity erosion, pollution, marine pollution and land degradation. Information activities developed by 25 sites include reforestation of archaeological sites, campaigns against erosion and Open House days.
In parallel with raising awareness of local problems, 84% of the sites convey World Heritage values to the wider public through visits to village assemblies, councils of elders, debates, cultural evenings, film shows, theatre tours, television programmes and the production of leaflets, posters and T-shirts.

Factors affecting the sites

The factors affecting or likely to affect a property are linked to economic development, to natural catastrophes and to the resident or itinerant human population. 

Degree of threat linked to development

Degree of threat linked to development	YES	NO	NRP	% of responses obtained	
Visual integrity	27	2	3	90	
Structural integrity	26	3	3	90	
Functional integrity	11	3	18	43	

84% of the sites have had their visual integrity threatened by development; they are under pressure from illegal grazing, wood cutting, clearing in rural areas for natural sites, waste and rubbish, uncontrolled construction and impact of nearby roads in urban areas.
In 26 cases, threats to structural integrity are mentioned, caused by roads, factories, water pollution, marine erosion, biodiversity erosion, mining and introduced plant species. Here, too, there is no difference between cultural sites and natural sites.
Functional integrity is not threatened in 34% of sites. However, threats to functional integrity are neither evident nor immediate. There is a long latency period, during which regular medium-term and long-term observations should be made in the framework of thorough monitoring – conditions which may explain the non-responses in 18 cases. 

Degree of threat linked to the environment 

Degree of threat linked to the environment	YES	NO	NRP	% of responses obtained	
Visual integrity	7	11	13	59	
Structural integrity	14	5	13	59	
Functional integrity	14	2	16	50	
Natural catastrophes affecting the site	23	5	4	87	

Environmental phenomena, often man-made, threaten the visual integrity of 22% of the sites. Modification to the structural integrity, observed in 44% of the sites, is in 93% of cases due to biodiversity erosion. Changes to the functional integrity, noted in 14 sites, result from desertification, biodiversity erosion, climate change and oxidation by marine air. The potential or established natural catastrophes cited are flooding (31%), fire (47%), drought (41%), wind causes, such as cyclones or gusts of wind (9%), the different types (rain, wind, marine) of erosion (9%), landslides (6%) and desertification (6%). Although some sites are situated in regions of high seismic faults or rifts, none of the respondents mentioned seismic danger.

Degree of threat linked to external human activities

Degree of threat linked to external human activities 	YES	NO	NRP	% of responses obtained	
Annual tourist statistics	24	1	7	78	
Site accessibility	27	0	5	84	
Ease of movement within the site	22	1	9	71	
Pressures caused by tourism	17	6	9	71	
Tourist facilities 	18	7	7	78	
Defined visitor capacity of the site 	10	15	7	78	
Potential for sustainable tourism	18	7	7	78	

With the distance between the capital and the site ranging from 20 km to more than 1000 km,
access to the sites can be difficult. Most of the sites are accessible by macadam road. Twenty-one sites are less than 50 km from an airport. The island of Gorée can be reached by a regular launch service. Twenty-one sites can be visited on foot or in a vehicle; five are not open to vehicles; some require 4x4 vehicles while others, such as Aïr-Ténéré, recommend travel in a convoy of at least two vehicles. Most of the sites can be visited on foot, but only three sites are accessible to the disabled. Lastly, accessibility also depends on weather conditions: during the rainy season some sites are not accessible because of flooding and the state of the roads, while nine others are closed to vehicles.
Awash, in Ethiopia, is not open to visitors. In other cases, visitor numbers depend on the accessibility of the site and on its publicity campaign. The figures for the 23 countries range from 120 visitors annually (Dja) to more than 100,000 visitors (Island of Gorée, Great Zimbabwe and Serengeti). Because of its vast area and system of uncontrolled entry, Aïr-Ténéré does not have visitor statistics available. While the visitors often come from the countries of the North, national tourism, which is on the rise, should not be overlooked. Annual income from tourism is difficult to evaluate at site level. Of the sites that charge entrance fees, ten indicate their income, which can reach 4.5 million US dollars (for more than 100,000 visitors). Some sites do not charge entrance fees. Tourism thus benefits the local community through hotel accommodation, restaurants, sale of souvenirs, etc. 
Seventeen sites report the impact of tourism. Twelve sites suffer problems with the management of waste (rubbish, W.C., plastic, papers). As this problem generally needs to be dealt with at site level, because of distance or lack of municipal infrastructure, there are sanitary consequences. But the visual integrity is also affected. Among the various types of damage caused, trampling is mentioned by nine sites. The presence of a large number of visitors causes overcrowding, erosion areas and damage of various kinds to the facilities.
Damage of this kind is indicative either of inadequate development of visitor circuits, or of over-visiting, when the tourist-carrying capacity of the site is not taken into account. Other damage, such as the removal of fauna, flora or objects, endangers the conservation of heritage. Although fires only concern three sites, they remain a serious source of deterioration for buildings constructed of inflammable materials (wood, thatch) or for natural arid environments with dry vegetation. 
Seventeen sites have more or less adequate facilities to welcome and assist visitors, with overnight stays possible in lodgings, hotels or campsites. Some have also installed picnic areas and rubbish bins. Half the sites are not aware of their tourist carrying capacity, despite the fact that this is a fundamental factor in management. Of the 28% who replied, Lake Malawi's carrying capacity is exceeded. 
Goal of sustainable tourism must be to be able to cope with the many potential changes. Despite the problems mentioned, 53% of the sites consider tourism to be sustainable. Six cultural sites, some of which have very high visitor numbers, feel that tourism is not sustainable. 

Degree of threat linked to local human activity 

Degree of threat linked to local human activity	YES	NO	NRP	% of responses obtained	
Evaluation of the local population	31	0	1	96	
Geographical distribution of the human habitat	19	2	11	65	
Cultural particularities of this population	21	0	11	65	
Socio-economic factors	27	0	5	84	
Specific refugee problems	4	16	12	62	
Criminal acts and consequences	2	13	17	46	
Other factors affecting the property	25	4	3	87	
Indicate the measures undertaken to cope with the threats	20	2	10	68	
Define the tendency of each one of these factors since the inscription of the site	19	0	13	59	
Was the population associated in the request for inscription of the site	14	16	2	93	
In what way?	13	0	19	40	

Despite the high level of positive responses, no specific censuses of the local population have been carried out and the real figures are often unknown. The number of inhabitants living in the sites ranges from zero to more than 200,000, at Bandiagara. As is the case elsewhere in the world, the cultural sites in urban areas contain a large population in their central zone. While the 4500 inhabitants of Aïr Ténéré make it the natural site with the highest population, its vast area reduces the density of the residents to 0.06 inhabitants per square kilometre. According to the 14 sites analysed, the population living in the 20 km buffer zone varies according to the type of natural surroundings: from 5000 people around Simen, to more than three million near Gorée, due to its proximity to Dakar. If the 40 sites involved in the exercise are considered, 1.5 million people (excluding Dakar) and 4.5 million (including Dakar) live near a World Heritage site. 
This population is increasing, in line with the demographic trends for sub-Saharan Africa. At the time of the next Periodic Reporting Exercise, the estimated peripheral population of the sites will be close to 5.4 million people, an increase which should be integrated into the management plans. 
On the whole, the resident population in or around the sites is sedentary. Generally rural, the population lives in villages at 13 sites, and in nomad encampments at three others. Only four sites are in urban areas. For this reason, the principal production systems are agricultural: burnt land agriculture, transhumance breeding, arboriculture, etc. Artisan forms of production, such as fishing and trading, also exist. In some natural sites agreements exist for the use of natural resources, generally in contractual form through co-development charters with the local population (collection of dead wood, harvesting of medicinal plants, controlled fishing). Local staff is involved in the management of ten sites. 
Conflictual transborder situations are rife in Africa. The location of some World Heritage sites in border areas has led to the movement of refugees there. Four sites, to which can be added the three Congo sites situated in the conflict zone, are affected by the refugee problem, with its human, sanitary and conservation consequences. The figures involved are not always provided: 25,000 in Guinea, 6,000 in Mozambique. The refugees swell the local population, endangering the sustainability of the region's natural resources, even though their presence is, in theory, temporary.  
The question of criminal acts is poorly documented: three sites are affected, particularly Manovo, where there are problems with tourism, poaching and illegal grazing. Other problems, which affect visual, structural and even functional integrity, are encountered in 78% of properties: deforestation (76%), poaching (60%), illegal grazing (52%), vandalism (28%), theft and looting (28%). Participatory activities are being carried out to seek alternatives compatible with the subsistence needs of the populations and with conservation requirements.  
The measures taken by two thirds of the sites include increased control at 63% of the sites, the creation of means for local population development (47%), awareness raising of the populations and traditional chiefs (42%), a crackdown on offences (37%), and educational measures (26%). Nearly two thirds of the sites explain the trend for each of these factors since inscription on the World Heritage list. Overall, the situation is stable in 15 sites, with even a decrease in anthropic threats at ten sites. The negative reactions and destructive pressures cited can also be explained by an absence of consultation with the population for 16 sites. The replies received are not consistent: 14 sites involve the local population, and 18 explain the ways in which they do so. The methods used involve discussions with the traditional chiefs (two sites), meetings with the population or associations (six sites), information (nine sites), 
publicity (six sites) and education (three sites). 

3. Preventive conservation and monitoring 

Prevention of natural and anthropic threats and pressures

Prevention of natural and anthropic threats and pressures	YES	NO	NRP	% of responses obtained	
Natural catastrophes 	13	6	13	59	
Industrial pollution	0	6	26	18	
Vandalism, theft, looting	7	3	22	31	
Industrial infrastructures	2	4	26	18	
Land use	4	4	23	28	
Pastoralism	7	3	19	40	
Poaching	10	2	19	40	
Urbanization	5	3	24	25	
Tourism	12	1	19	40	
Trend in the impact of these factors since the date of inscription of the site	+ :4	= :3	- :12	Nrp :12 / 62	
Mitigation measures already implemented or envisaged	20	0	12	62	

The number of items left unanswered by two thirds of the respondents suggests, on the one hand, that the managers were unsure how to respond and, on the other hand, that the site does not experience the problems listed. It is therefore satisfactory to note that 59% of the sites have already taken, or are preparing to take measures to mitigate natural or anthropic catastrophes. 
Of the twelve natural and cultural sites that have natural catastrophe prevention plans, ten have taken measures against fire, four against desertification and drought, two against wind and rain erosion, two against flooding and one against landslides. No measures have been taken against industrial pollution or infrastructures. Six sites are combating vandalism and looting, based on awareness raising of visitors and the local community, and intensification of control and surveillance, including at borders and airports. The problems linked to changes in the type of land use and urbanization are considered respectively by three and five of the sites. 
However, apart from the question of land use, where new planning is being established at Simen and Lake Malawi, the only measures being taken are awareness raising of the offenders and the application of the law. Illegal pastoralism and poaching mainly concern the natural sites, and are taken into consideration respectively by six and nine sites. Eight sites are increasing surveillance; two are trying to make the local population more aware of their responsibilities, while two others are developing participatory management. A third of the sites are dealing with problems related to tourism by setting up facilities or regulations that are under the direct responsibility of the person in charge at the site. 
However, as soon as the threat is the responsibility of another section of the administration, or beyond the site boundaries, the means at the manager's disposal to deal with the problem are either non-existent, or very limited. This raises the problem of action and decision-making on World Heritage conservation at the highest State level, so that coordination between departments can be envisaged and set up.  
In response to the overall measures taken at African World Heritage site level, 63% of the 19 sites which evaluated the trend in the impact of threats and various catastrophes consider the situation to be stable, or the problems to be on the decrease. 

Regular monitoring

Monitoring 	YES	NO	NRP	% of responses obtained	
Regular monitoring activity at site	24	8	0	100	
Periodic monitoring of flora	11	3	18	43	
Periodic monitoring of plants	11	3	18	43	
Periodic monitoring of wildlife	10	1	21	34	
Monitoring of landscapes 	7	4	21	34	
Monitoring of constructions and buildings	10	6	16	50	
Human resources responsible for monitoring	20	3	9	71	
Related material means	10	5	17	46	
Key indicators	25	3	4	87	
Monitoring partners	14	7	10	68	
Monitoring results	15	3	14	56	

Twenty-three sites undertake regular monitoring; six cultural sites and two natural sites do not do so. The first four monitoring categories (flora, plants, wildlife, landscape) concern first and foremost the natural sites. Ten sites carry out regular monitoring of the flora, while three do not do so. Similarly, regular monitoring of plants (plant and ecosystem formations) is carried out by 10 sites, as against three, which do not do so. Two thirds of the sites undertake regular monitoring of wildlife. Landscape monitoring is carried out by only seven sites, although cultural sites in rural areas are also affected. Monitoring of constructions and buildings chiefly affects the cultural sites. Only half of the sites, however, monitor constructions, including one natural site concerned about the state of its park constructions. Nineteen sites specify the staff at their disposal to carry out regular monitoring. Generally, monitoring activities are carried out by members of the staff assigned to the site, supported or supervised by professionals from central administration. In some cases, assistance is provided by the local population or by students undergoing training. In addition, 44% of the sites benefit from the participation of regular or occasional partners, such as guides, trackers, local artisans, and local or foreign universities in the framework of bilateral cooperation. One site mentions the existence of a monitoring group. Only 31% mention material means, indicating lack of equipment, or inadequate equipment. Instruments such as GPS, necessary for spatial tracking, are only mentioned once.  
77% of the sites have established key indicators. This apparently satisfactory result needs to be analysed in more depth by studying the content of the responses. The main indicator categories mentioned for cultural sites include: measurement of environmental factors, development of restoration activities, architectural measurements, regular photography, changes in looting activities, changes in visitor numbers, inspection reports. For natural sites the indicators include: monitoring of abiotic parameters, estimate of numbers, poaching, cuttings and ecotourism trends, and local population feedback. Only 34% of the sites generally find the monitoring results obtained "satisfactory" or "positive". 
The disparate nature of the responses analysed indicates the need for an information and general awareness activity on monitoring methodologies for natural and cultural sites. It will be important to define, in accordance with the characteristics of each site, a series of indicators, with a methodology to measure and make comparisons from year to year for the same site, and from one site to another, for the same year. An upgrading of the African World Heritage sites is thus needed to ensure effective and targeted conservation of the inscribed properties. 

Recommendations at site level 

The information analysed in this chapter shows that the deficiencies observed derive more from a lack of means and training of site staff than from disinterest or unconcern. Activities undertaken with schoolchildren, visitors and the local population reflect the staff's determined efforts, with the limited means at their disposal, to become involved in conveying the importance of conservation. 

Decentralisation / governance 
- to define more adequate legislative frameworks, on the basis of the experiences recorded; and, in particular, when the context permits, to consider the delegation of power at site level with regard to management and its organization in the form of site committees with clearly defined powers, means and responsibilities
- to launch discussions at the States' and managers' level on changes in administrative structures to enable the sites to have greater autonomy 
- to review protection and conservation policy and actions at the local level  

Local participation 
- to encourage diversification in the forms of participation by the local population in the management of the sites considered as instruments of local or regional economic development 
- to hold a seminar on local participation to tackle the question of profit-sharing among the overall population 
- to develop participatory activities with the local population to seek alternatives compatible with the subsistence needs of the populations and with conservation requirements. In this context, it is recommended that the anti-poaching combat be linked with the fight against poverty. Demographic growth estimates should be included in the management and conservation plans. 
- to involve site managers, civil authorities and the population in drawing up prevention strategies for major threats and natural or anthropic catastrophes concerning each World Heritage site 
- to organize Open House days and to twin them with a local event in order to involve the local population  
- to encourage the promotion of the sites; in general, there appears to be a lack of promotion activities for the African sites. Promotion is an essential tool in the economic development of the geographical area of the site, and thus an essential factor in conserving the site's heritage qualities.  

Management autonomy
The sites, which benefit from management autonomy can mobilize resources and often have considerable means at their disposal, thus improving the quality of their management and performance with regard to conservation. The following general recommendations can be made, bearing in mind that they must be adapted to the specific context: 

- to analyse the reasons for the economic success of some sites and to develop a strategy to be applied to other sites 
- to encourage some sites to obtain management autonomy organized by a site committee managing its own budget so that the sites can benefit from the income of their activities, organize their own management and improve the conservation of the national and world heritage. Through regulation of income and reinvestment in infrastructure for visitor facilities, management autonomy can ensure sustainable tourism.  
- to give the persons responsible for the site the means to implement the planned conservation measures: coordination and planning, fund raising, training programmes, etc.  
- Even if the State Party creates an autonomous management body, the property under consideration is one of national importance before being one of world significance. The State, should, therefore, fulfil its financial obligations with regard to the management of the property. 

Standardization of the management methods  
While the differences between sites and the special characteristics of each site call for a specific approach to be taken, the methods and factors considered require some standardization in order to obtain regular, effective and comparative monitoring. 

- to set up consultation with the partners and parties concerned in the preparation of a management plan, which should take into account local, regional and national development plans as well as the legislation and regulations governing the other methods of management, territorial planning and development 
 - to fine-tune the implementation of management plans by introducing annual reporting on their objectives and a mid-term evaluation 
- to attempt to draw up a model management plan which would integrate the realities of the African situation, the new Guidelines and the regular and periodic reporting activities. Given that Africa is moving towards the inscription of non-conventional sites, it is necessary to define both the management methods and types of reporting for these new properties which, due to their distribution and size, are faced, more than conventional sites, with new anthropic pressures. 
- to establish visitor management plans, in accordance with the national tourism policy, in order to ensure visitor control and reduce pressure on sites 
- to draw up a reactive plan for natural catastrophes at the level of each site to mitigate the effects of a serious natural catastrophe threatening two thirds of the African sites; to integrate into the monitoring strategy the trend indicators for threats and natural or anthropic catastrophes, and to set up an observatory to provide warning of imminence. As fire has proved to be the most frequent threat, each site, whether natural or cultural, should have a fire combat and prevention plan.  
- to define monitoring methodologies and provide a model based on past achievements: for natural sites, to set up methodologies to inventory and evaluate the flora, plants and wildlife; for cultural and natural sites, to define a methodology to evaluate changes in landscapes; for cultural sites, to define methodological directives easily applied by middle level personnel 
- to carry out an environmental impact study for each project 
- to ensure that the necessary means are available to organize a mid-term evaluation for those States Parties and sites that manifest their interest 

Facilities and equipment  
- to provide minimum computer equipment. The lack of computer equipment is a major obstacle and its provision should be a clear priority, as the cost of the equipment is relatively low. It is therefore recommended that the sites be equipped, and the staff trained in the use of modern monitoring means (GIS, computerization, etc.), with an elementary weather station for each site. Each of the World Heritage sites in Africa should be provided with minimum computer equipment (computer with hard disk, CD-ROM drive, printer, modem, scanner), and the software and specific programs should be standardized.  
- to make comprehensive first aid facilities available, to train some staff members in first aid and to have one person specialized in emergency care 
- to allow only vehicles that meet national security standards to travel on the site, accompanied by a qualified guide 
- to facilitate wheelchair access 

Information 
- to try to ensure that the administrative unit of each site has a copy of the nomination file for the site and receives a copy of the annual World Heritage Committee Report in order to have the basic information required to organize its future management. It would also be useful if the additional headings of the current nomination form were added to the nomination forms of the sites inscribed in earlier years. It is recommended that the World Heritage Centre update the CD-ROM archives for the nomination of sites. 
- to set up at site and State Party level a monitoring and document archival system for ease of consultation over time, including cases where the person formerly responsible is called upon to carry out other functions 
- to create a photographic bank for the African World Heritage sites, attached to the World Heritage Centre, and to set up a Geographical Information System for the sites, based on the model produced during this reporting exercise 
- to recommend that each State concerned (re)propose a new statement of value for the sites inscribed before 1994, taking into account the current conservation situation and the progress of science since their inscription 
- to define precisely the limits of the central area of the site based on topographical, cartographical and satellite references  
- to create buffer zones for all the sites (natural and cultural) undergoing heavy demographic pressure in rural areas, or urban development pressure in urban areas 
- to clarify the concepts of authenticity and integrity  

Training and capacity building 
Although some of these actions are already being carried out in the framework of the existing training programme, particularly Africa 2009, it is important to underline the following recommendations for both cultural and natural properties.  

- to organize training in the use of computer science and in periodic reporting techniques for the African sites 
- to raise awareness among managers with regard to the types of auxiliary planning that would contribute to the presentation or economic development of the region where their site is located 
- to organize training in management planning and in ecological, architectural and landscape monitoring 
- to organize a seminar/workshop to study the concepts of functional integrity and related monitoring methods 
- to organize regular training seminars or workshops to provide the managers with ongoing training, enabling them better to apply the decisions of the World Heritage Committee to their site  

Networking 
- to create a network of World Heritage site managers in Africa, enabling them to exchange ideas as in a forum. In the absence of concrete data on the means to establish an Internet site dedicated to the African World Heritage sites, it is recommended that a link between managers be created via electronic mail.  
- to inform the sites about the educational programmes developed in some pilot cultural and natural sites 
- to create focal points for each site to establish direct relations between the World Heritage Centre and the sites inscribed  
- to draw up a list of African institutions that can provide expertise and training 

Form  
- The distinction between development pressure and environmental threats is not always clearly understood, especially when one is the consequence of the other. It is the negative aspects (pressure, threat, nuisance) of a phenomenon that concern a manager, more than its origin. A number of the questionnaire items could therefore be regrouped. 
- In view of the importance of human-induced pressures on the World Heritage sites, it is important to consider including conflicts, disputes over land use, economic and trade disputes, conservation interventions and research activities in the periodic reporting form.

Chapter 3: Conclusions and recommendations 

The conclusions that can be drawn allow a general appraisal of objectives, a strategic approach to the ensuing recommendations, an action plan for periodic reporting according to priorities, and a calendar for implementation. The conclusions that have been drawn from various activities carried out during the periodic reporting exercise and from analysis of the forms submitted concern the sites, the States Parties, the African region in general, and also the World Heritage Committee and its Secretariat. 

Conclusions 

The results have been grouped into transversal themes setting out the goals to be achieved. 

State Party Organization 

All the countries that have ratified the World Heritage Convention have rights and duties vis-à-vis this Convention. Its implementation concerns all the States Parties, whether or not they have sites inscribed. All the States Parties should therefore be involved in the periodic reporting activities for Section I of the form. 
The actions and tasks for which the World Heritage Convention makes provision are implemented by different institutions. A lack of institutional organization at the national level has led to inconsistencies in the implementation of these tasks. Administrative compartmentalization prevents actions being coordinated, particularly when the country has both cultural and natural properties inscribed.  
The integration of the heritage into a management and development policy at the national, regional and local level, already achieved or underway in most African states, covers very different aspects from one country to another. While heritage is beginning to be taken into account in development plans, only half of the African states in this study have adopted a heritage protection policy or plan. Great efforts still need to be made to give a place and a role to heritage in these countries' management and development strategies. In the spirit of the World Heritage Convention, it would be useful to draw inspiration from States that have been able to develop participatory integration policies. Several major deficiencies prevent the development at national level of an effective, integrated, heritage approach ensuring sustainable development.  

Identification of Properties 

Following the implementation of the Global Strategy in Africa, a process of identification has become widespread. Two thirds of the African States Parties have drawn up at least partial inventories of their heritage. Even if it is difficult to have full information on the complete heritage of a country, the establishment of an inventory is a crucial stage and one that must be encouraged. Three quarters of the African States Parties have drawn up or revised tentative lists, increasingly in association with the local community. 
The properties already inscribed in Africa reflect a rather conventional vision of African heritage, with a very high majority of natural sites, contrary to the situation in the rest of the world, where natural sites are very much in the minority. This situation diminishes the African cultural heritage, belittling its diversity and specificity. However, the tentative lists show that change is underway. The face of the African cultural heritage is changing, taking into account not only nature-culture interactions in the framework of the cultural landscape concept but also the notion of exchange routes. It would be possible to examine closely the role of the Forts and Castles in Ghana or the Royal Palaces of Abomey in the Slave Routes. Similarly, it would be possible to include the cultural elements of populations living in certain natural sites, such as Aïr-Ténéré or Mount Nimba. 
Not having a copy themselves, site managers were unfamiliar with the nomination files. This results in a chain of ignorance concerning the statement of value, authenticity, etc. The reporting exercise strategy has enabled this gap in knowledge to be filled by providing the managers with these documents. Examination of the nomination files shows that the information supplied at the time of inscription is often incomplete, failing to specify all the information required to inscribe a site. Updating of this information is necessary, particularly in order to define the precise boundaries of a site or to create a buffer zone. Furthermore, the very brief information contained in the files is often obsolete. Most of the managers feel that some modifications in integrity and authenticity have occurred or are foreseeable and that a new statement of value is required. 
The recent approach based on the Global Strategy has improved the identification of the African heritage in all its diversity. Nevertheless, an effort is still needed to carry through this initiative and to update the information for the sites inscribed before 1990. 

Management Plans and Integrated Conservation 

For all the African sites there exists a legal status and a legal framework, generally at the national level, which remain relatively unchanged. However, the measures planned by three quarters of the sites to safeguard the future must be reviewed and adapted to encourage a participatory approach to site management, anticipate natural and human risks, raise awareness and educate. In this minimal framework a management plan and strategy are lacking. Only half of the African sites currently have an operational management plan. Much progress remains to be made in this area, particularly in strengthening the link between conservation, management and the means required, and in developing sustainable tourism. 
The national authorities of States Parties retain a high level of management responsibility and do not easily delegate their powers. In order to optimise site management, it is important to draw inspiration from the decentralized management solutions that exist in Africa, using them as pilot projects. Given the existing centralization, the minimum and often irregular amount of funding allocated by the national authorities of African States Parties underlines the responsibility of the State in implementing credible, reliable and sustainable solutions to ensure long-term conservation. The identification of alternative solutions, both for financing and for management, is imperative in responding to the diverse pressures experienced by many African World Heritage sites.  
Management autonomy and a linking of conservation with development are the underlying objectives of most of the forms, but are difficult to articulate in the rigid context of the State-Site relations observed.  

List of World Heritage in Danger
The List currently comprises thirty sites, of which thirteen are in Africa. While the African sites inscribed represent only 7% of the World Heritage List, they make up 43% of the List of World Heritage in Danger. Almost a quarter of the African sites are on the List in Danger. There are many contributing factors, notably the lack of regular investment by the State in the conservation of their heritage. 

Factors Affecting the Properties 

Major problems such as desertification or climate change, biodiversity erosion and development affect the integrity of African natural and cultural sites. Tourism and the services and facilities that go with it exert pressure, which, in the framework of sustainable tourism, should be regulated by an analysis of tourist carrying capacity. Sometimes unknown, often unrecognised, these factors must be identified and balanced, in relation to their frequency, against the risk they represent. A number of measures have been taken to combat these numerous pressures, but they are not very proactive and remain insufficient. 

Preventive Conservation and Monitoring 

All integrated and sustainable management requires regular monitoring. Even if two thirds of the African sites mention its existence, current monitoring is not systematic. Few sites have a coherent, effective monitoring methodology. The problems include lack of information on key indicators, necessary for summarising observations made during regular monitoring, lack of personnel assigned to this task and inadequate or inappropriate means. The raising of standards required for natural and cultural sites should draw on the experience of the few African sites to have instituted regular monitoring, which could act as pilot sites to systematize and develop this activity. Given the many threats facing them, a monitoring methodology that includes the local population and is suited to the African sites is urgently required for the medium term. Furthermore, coherent monitoring activities form the basis for preventive conservation, which enables a site to be protected without awaiting the proof of subsequent deterioration. By anticipating the problems, regular monitoring and preventive conservation reduce the cost of heritage protection and conservation actions. For this reason, periodic reporting and conservation activities must be systematically included in the management plans of the African natural and cultural sites. 

Promotion of the Convention and Inscribed Properties 

Most countries have undertaken actions to promote the World Heritage Convention and their sites inscribed on the World Heritage List. Information is targeted at the general public through the media, and public awareness campaigns are aimed at the local population to make them aware of the value and interest of the site. Some promotional activities carried out by various African countries, such as Open House days, are well suited to the economic realities of the continent and have great potential. These exemplary actions should be carried out systematically, as their implementation requires limited means but plays an important role in raising public awareness. It is therefore important to draw inspiration from these actions, and to synchronize certain activities in order to broaden their impact.  

Training and International Cooperation 

Research is an important aspect of the conservation of sites because, in numerous cases, it enables the interest and significance of the sites to be better understood. Half of the African sites have participated in fundamental or applied scientific research programmes, often carried out on the initiative of foreign universities and research centres. However, the conditions are difficult: in general, the site equipment, particularly computer equipment, needs to be updated and increased, and the staff, often too few in number, require training in routine research tasks. Internet access is beginning to be established, but remains very costly or impossible due to the remoteness of sites. 
Almost all the African World Heritage sites fulfil an educational function by receiving numerous primary and secondary school classes, who can thus discover the wealth of their national and world heritage. 
Training needs for the protection and conservation of the heritage have been identified by most of the African States. Requests concern, in decreasing order of importance, management and planning for World Heritage sites, conservation and restoration training, and monitoring of the environment and of monuments. 
While staff in several States had been able to benefit from local or regional training opportunities, great efforts remain to be made in this field, where the concept of further training is not linked to the officials' career path. These efforts should be based on the strengthening and development of existing training programmes. 
The vast majority of African States Parties are involved in bilateral or multilateral cooperation activities for World Heritage protection and conservation. For the most part, this involves conservation programmes or management improvement of the sites and economic development plans for the periphery of the sites. In all the cases mentioned, the cooperation is South-North. A third of African States Parties have bilateral or multilateral funding bodies which assist them in implementing the World Heritage Convention. 

Proposal of an Action Plan for Medium-Term Regular Reporting  

The summary of activities carried out in the framework of conservation of the African heritage underlines deficiencies in several fields. The recommended actions result from a consideration of these themes. If organized coherently, these actions could form the basis of an "Action Plan for Periodic Reporting", the effects of which could be tested by the next Periodic Reporting Exercise in 2007. This action plan therefore comprises a set of basic projects grouped into five main thematic strategies, planned over six years according to priorities. A number of actions can be included in several thematic strategies, thus emphasizing the transversal and integrated nature of heritage protection and conservation. 

Strategies 

The actions for a given strategy are presented in the form of a table, which summarizes the information needed for their implementation. The table notes the following: 

•	theme of the action planned; potential addressees (States Parties (SP), World Heritage Committee (Co), African Region (Afr), Site Managers (SM), Local Population (Pop), World Heritage Centre (WHC). 
•	implementation period (short-term = 1 to 2 years; medium-term: from 3 to 4 years; long-term: more than 5 years, or even beyond the 6-year period) 
•	level of priority ((1* = top priority; 1 = priority; 2 = important) 
•	level of feasibility (*** actions which do not raise any technical problems for implementation, ** actions requiring a consensus or means, * actions for which implementation is more problematic (but which does not call into question their relevance)  
•	strength of political commitment required (*routine actions, **actions requiring recognition of their utility, ***actions less easily adopted) 
•	possible sources of funding (WHF: World Heritage Fund; Monit. line: monitoring line of the WHF; CP: conventions (agreements) with the private sector; CB: Cooperation conventions (agreements) between the Centre and donor countries; CM: multilateral funding) 

Training Strategy

 Theme 	Recommended actions	Addressee	Term	Priority	Technical Feasibility	Political Commit-ment	Funding Source	
Identification of properties	Regional seminar on the concepts of statement of value and principles and criteria of authenticity – integrity	SP, Af	m	1	***	*	WHF, CB	
Management and integrated conservation plans	Management plan training	WHC	m	1	***	*		
	Regional seminar on the Diversification of Participatory Management and Economic Development 	SP, SM	m	1	***	*	WHC, CB	
Factors affecting properties	Training in the management of natural and anthropic risks	Co, WHC	m, l	1	***	*	CB	
Preventive conservation and reporting	Training in periodic reporting techniques	WHC	m, l	1	***	*	WHC, CB	
Training and international cooperation	Inter-African cooperation for conservation	SP, WHC, Afr	m, l	1	**	**	CM, WHF	

Management Strategy

Organization of States Parties	Creation of "National Committees for the World Heritage Convention"	SP
	m	1	**	***	SP	
	Elaboration of national strategies integrating protection, conservation and presentation of cultural and natural heritage in economic and social development plans and management and development of the territory
	Co, SP, WHC	s, m	1	**	***	SP, CB	
Identification of Properties 

	Documentation: Duplicate of the nomination file	WHC	s	2	***	*	Monit. line	
	Updating of nomination files prior to 1990	SP	m	2	***	*	SP, WHF, CB	
	Creation of buffer zones for sites undergoing heavy pressures
	SM, SP	m	2	**	**	SP, CB	
	Site Plans	SM	s	2	**	*	Monit. line	
	Updating of nomination criteria for the sites 	SP	m	2	**	*	CB	
	Updating of the statement of value for sites inscribed before 1994	SP	l	3	**	*	WHF, CB	
Management and integrated conservation plans 

	Greater autonomy given to management bodies for properties inscribed on the WHL	SP	m, l	1	**	***	SP, CB	
	Means to implement conservation measures for sites 
	SP	s, m, l	1	*	***	SP, CB	
	Additional planning at site level 	SM	s	2	***	*	SP, CB	
	Training school for management plans 	WHC	m	1	***	*		
	Evaluation and updating of management plans	SM	m	2	***	**	CB	
Factors affecting properties	Analysis of reasons for economic success of some sites 	WHC	s, m	2	***	*	WHF	
Promotion 	Reflection on the updating of the administrative structures of sites 	SP, SM	m, l	1	**	***	WHF, CB	
Training and international cooperation	Scientific committees for the site	SP, SM	s, m	2	***	*	SP	

"Research and site reporting" strategy

Theme 	Recommended actions	Addressee	Term	Priority	Technical Feasibility	Political Commit-ment	Funding Source	
Organization of States Parties	Documentation of Section I of the periodic reporting form by all States Parties 	Co	m	1	***	**	SP	
Identification of Properties	Creation of a Geographical Information System at the World Heritage Centre	WHC	s,m	1	***	*	Monit. line	
Factors affecting properties 

	School for the management of natural and anthropic risks	Co,
WHC
	m, l	1	***	*	CB	
	Elaboration of strategies for the prevention of natural or anthropic risks	SP, SM, Pop	m, l	2	**	*	CB	
	Reactive plan for natural catastrophes	SM	m, l	2	**	*	SP	
	Trend indicators for natural and anthropic risks	SM	s, m, l	2	***	*	SP	
Preventive conservation and reporting	Training School for periodic reporting techniques	WHC	m, l	1	***	*	WHF, CB	
	Updating reporting means	SM	m, l	1	*	**	CB	

"Participation" strategy

Theme 	Recommended actions	Addressee	Term	Priority	Technical Feasibility	Political Commit-ment	Funding Source	
Identification of Properties	Participation of local population in the nomination procedures	SP	s, m, l	1	**	**	SP, CB	
Management and conservation plans	Recording of participatory management experiences and production of a plaque	WHC	m	2	***	*	Monit. line	
	Greater autonomy given to management bodies for properties inscribed on the WHL	SP	m, l	1	**	***	SP, CB	
	Regional seminar on the Diversification of Participatory Management and Economic Development 
	SP, SM	m	1	***	*	WHF, CB	
Factors affecting properties	Facilitation of site access for the disabled	SM	s, m	2	*	***	SP, CB	
Promotion	Establishment of an International World Heritage Day 	Co, WHC	s	2	***	**	WHF	
	Establishment of a Special Site Day
	SP, SM, Pop	s	2	***	**	SP	
Training and international cooperation	School visits to the World Heritage sites and educational programmes	SM, SP	s, m, l	1	***	**	SP, SM	

"Networks and cooperation" strategy

Theme 	Recommended actions	Addressee	Term	Priority	Technical Feasibility	Political Commit-ment	Funding Source	

Identification of Properties	Preparatory assistance for national heritage inventories	WHC	s, m, l	2	***	*	WHF, CB	
	Preparatory assistance for the elaboration of tentative lists	WHC	s, m, l	2	***	*	WHF, CB	

Training & International Cooperation
	Twinning of World Heritage sites with research bodies	SP, SM	s,m	2	***	**	CB	
	African network of site managers and New Information Technologies	SM, SP, Afr, WHC	s, m	2	***	**	SP, WHF, CB	
	Inter-African cooperation for conservation	SP, WHC, Afr	m, l	1	**	**	CM, WHF	
	Creation of an African Heritage Fund	Co, Afr, SP	m, l	1	*	***	CB, CP, CM	

Tentative calendar for implementation 

The tentative calendar for implementation of the strategies mentioned above identifies the priority, technical feasibility and political commitment required.  It proposes actions (darkest shade for highest priority) to be taken and the timeframe for their execution.. 
The Action Plan for Periodic Reporting (APPR) has been planned on a provisional basis over six years between the periodic reporting exercises (2002-2007). The Plan comprises three types of actions: (1) actions which, once a decision has been taken, can be executed within a short time span; (2) more complex actions requiring consultation time and major funding; and, (3) recurrent actions that will (probably) be repeated far beyond this medium-term programme. 

Recommendations	start	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	
Documentation: Duplication of nomination file	2002	2003	 	 	 	 	
Site plans	2002	2003	 	 	 	 	
Additional planning at site level	2002	2003	 	 	 	 	
Establishment of a World Heritage Day	2002	2003	 	 	 	 	
Establishment of a special Site Day	2002	2003	 	 	 	 	
Recording of participatory management experiences and production of a plaque	2002	2003	2004	 	 	2004	
Analysis of reasons for economic success of some sites	2002	2003	2004	 	 	2004	
Facilitation of site access for the disabled	2002	2003	2004	 	 	2004	
Scientific committees for the site	2002	2003	2004	 	 	2004	
African network of site managers and New Information Technologies	2002	2003	2004	 	 	2004	
Elaboration of national strategies 	2002	2003	2004	2005	 	2005	
Creation of a GIS at the World Heritage Centre	2002	2003	2004	2005	 	2005	
Means to implement conservation measures for sites 	2002	2003	2004	2005	 	2007	
School visits to the World Heritage sites and educational programmes	2002	2003	2004	2005	 	2007	
Participation of local population in the nomination procedures	2002	2003	2004	2005	 	2007	
Updating of the statement of value for sites inscribed before 1994	2002	2003	2004	2005	 	2007	
Trend indicators for natural and anthropic risks	2002	2003	2004	2005	 	2007	
Twinning of World Heritage sites with research bodies	2002	2003	2004	2005	 	2007	
Preparatory assistance for national heritage inventories	2002	2003	2004	2005	 	2007	
Preparatory assistance for the elaboration of tentative lists	2002	2003	2004	2005	 	2007	
Management plan training	 	2003	 	 	 	 	
Regional seminar on the Diversification of Participatory Management and Economic Development 	 	2003	 	 	 	 	
Inter-African cooperation for conservation	 	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	
Evaluation and updating of management plans	 	 	2004	 	 	 	
Documentation of Section I of the periodic reporting form by all States Parties 	 	 	2004	 	 	 	
Regional seminar on the concepts of statement of value and principles and criteria of authenticity – integrity	 	 	2004	 	 	 	
Training in the management of natural and anthropic risks	 	 	2004	 	 	 	
Training in periodic reporting techniques	 	 	2004	 	 	 	
Reflection on the updating of the administrative structures of sites	 	 	2004	 	 	 	
Creation of buffer zones for sites undergoing heavy pressures	 	 	2004	2005	 	2005	
Creation of "National Committees for the World Heritage Convention"	 	 	2004	2005	 	2005	
Updating reporting means	 	 	2004	2005	2006	2007	
Greater autonomy given to management bodies for properties inscribed 	 	 	2004	2005	2006	2007	
Creation of an African Heritage Fund	 	 	2004	2005	2006	2007	
Elaboration of strategies for the prevention of natural or anthropic risks	 	 	2004	2005	2006	2007	
Reactive plan for natural catastrophes	 	 	2004	2005	2006	2007	
Updating of nomination files prior to 1990	 	 	2004	2005	2006	2006	
Updating of nomination criteria for the sites	 	 	2004	2005	2006	2006	

Human and Financial Resources 

The implementation of this medium-term strategy requires a combination of human and financial resources and varied competences so that the objectives identified can be achieved. It must be linked with the other strategies and programmes decided upon by the Committee, which are currently being implemented (Global Strategy, Africa 2003 and Africa 2009 Programmes). The World Heritage Committee's advisory bodies (IUCN, ICOMOS and ICCROM) should be closely involved in the programme, especially during its implementation phase. 
There should also be cooperation with other UNESCO programmes in order to strengthen the means for implementing the APPR. Close collaboration with the Science Division's MAB Programme would be useful as numerous African sites are also Biosphere Reserves. Collaboration with the Culture Sector, and with Social Sciences' MOST Programme are also advisable; as humankind is at the centre of conservation and development, one cannot neglect the social aspects of conservation, in particular in a region where poverty is increasingly turning into destitution. In addition, links with the Africa 2009 Programme would allow the APPR to build on competences developed in conserving the built and non-built heritage, and would enable it to extend its action to fully incorporate monitoring of cultural or natural landscapes. 
Implementation of the APPR typically falls within the framework of periodic reporting actions. The setting up of a specific unit for periodic reporting in the Secretariat of the World Heritage Convention would, however, lead to a multiplication of units, a partitioning of functions and an increase in costs. On a functional level, the regional units are in a better position to deal holistically with the different regional files, including those for periodic reporting. It would thus be preferable to optimise the functioning of the Centre's regional units by providing them with adequate human and logistical resources, rather then creating an additional structure. 
With regard to funding, it is clear that the World Heritage Fund cannot bear the cost of all these operations, especially as the budget is decreasing in the short term. Some of the Action Plan's activities can be linked to Fund budget lines such as Periodic Reporting or Preparatory Assistance. Nevertheless, it will be necessary to find extrabudgetary funding resources, either through cooperation agreements with the World Heritage Centre, or from funds originating from multilateral and bilateral entities. Mobilization would enable substantial means to be released and would help these entities harmonize their global policies in relation to the African World Heritage sites. 
The African Heritage Fund – The support of donors from the private sector is another factor which has not yet been exploited. The mobilization of the large multinationals which derive great wealth and prosperity from the raw materials they extract from the African continent, could be a major source of funding and can be negotiated in the context of their public image. This could provide financing for an African Heritage Fund, which would take pressure off the World Heritage Fund and would be the principal funding source for actions aimed at the conservation and protection of the African heritage, with sustainable development as a priority. A feasibility study of such a Fund is being carried out by the World Heritage Centre.  
The Periodic Reporting Exercise has made it possible to take stock of the implementation of the World Heritage Convention by the States Parties, to record the state of conservation of the sites inscribed on the World Heritage List, to highlight a number of problems, and to put forward recommendations. It is crucial that this information be made available to all parties interested in the conservation of the African World Heritage. 
With the aim of presenting and valorising the results of the exercise, a regional restitution meeting was held in Dakar (25 to 27 February 2002), during which the African site managers were given the results of the reporting exercise. The value of the workshops held before the exercise was underlined, and an exchange of views resulted in the recommendations being better understood. The Action Plan was examined in the light of the actions to be undertaken, the sharing of responsibilities and the deadlines to be met. The final report on the periodic reporting exercise, the action plan and frequency of future reporting were approved by the participants of this restitution meeting.  
Two resolutions marked this meeting: the first recommended "harmonizing African legislation in the field of heritage protection, giving World Heritage site managers greater powers, and drawing up an African Heritage Convention." The second stressed the need to "envisage, as soon as possible, the setting up of reliable, sustainable Funds for the safeguarding and presentation of the African heritage."  
While we should draw inspiration from the African sites with the best performance in conservation and management, the resources required for managing African world heritage that represents more than 285 thousand square kilometres (half the territory of France), and for managing a number of non-conventional sites with a rich growth potential must be strengthened, mobilized and created, so that actions for protecting and conserving the African heritage are no longer only reactive but also preventive. 

APPENDIXES

1. Sites and States Parties that participated in the first Periodic Reporting Exercise

State Party and sites	Ratification or
 inscription date	Categories and criteria	
Benin	1982	Cultural	
Royal Palaces of Abomey	1985	Cultural	C III , IV	
Cameroon	1982	Natural	
Dja	1987	Natural	N II, IV	
Central African
Republic	1980	Natural	
Manovo-Gounda St. Floris	1988	Natural	N II, IV	
Côte d'Ivoire	1981	Natural	
Taï	1987	Natural	N III , IV	
Comoé	1983	Natural	N II, IV	
Mount Nimba	1981	Natural	N II, IV	
Democratic Republic of Congo	1974	Natural	
Virunga	1979	Natural	N II, III, IV	
Garamba	1980	Natural	N III, IV	
Kahuzi-Biega	1980	Natural	N IV	
Salonga	1984	Natural	N II, III	
Ethiopia	1977	Cultural & Natural 	
Simen	1978	Natural	N III , IV	
Lalibela	1978	Cultural	C I, II, III	
Fasil Ghebi	1979	Cultural	C II, III	
Valley of the Awash	1980	Cultural	C II, III, IV	
Tiya	1980	Cultural	C I, IV	
Aksum	1980	Cultural	C I, IV	
Valley of the Omo	1980	Cultural	C III , IV	
Ghana	1975	Cultural	
Forts and castles of Volta and Accra	1979	Cultural	C VI	
Asante traditional buildings	1980	Cultural	C V	
Guinea	1979	Natural	
Mount Nimba	1981	Natural	N II, IV	
Madagascar	1983	Natural	
Tsingy Bemaraha
Nature Reserve	1990	Natural	N III , IV	
Malawi	1982	Natural	
Lake Malawi	1984	Natural	N II, III, IV	
Mali	1977	Cultural & Natural 	
Djenné	1988	Cultural	C III , IV	
Timbuktu	1988	Cultural	C II, IV, V	
Cliffs of Bandiagara	1989	Mixed	N III; C V	
Mozambique	1982	Cultural	
Island of Mozambique	1991	Cultural	C IV, VI	
Niger	1974	Natural	
Aïr and Ténéré reserves	1991	Natural	N II, III, IV	
Senegal	1976	Cultural & Natural 	
Island of Gorée	1978	Cultural	C VI	
Djoudj	1981	Natural	N III, IV	
Niokolo-Koba	1981	Natural	N IV	
Seychelles	1980	Natural	
Aldabra Atoll	1982	Natural	N II, III, IV	
Vallée de Mai	1983	Natural	N I, II, III, IV 	
United Republic of Tanzania	1977	Cultural & Natural 	
Ngorongoro	1979	Natural	N II, III, IV	
Kilwa Kisiwani	1981	Cultural	C III	
Serengeti	1981	Natural	N III, IV	
Selous	1982	Natural	N II, IV	
Kilimanjaro	1987	Natural	N III	
Zambia	1984	Natural	
Mosi-oa-Tunya	1989	Natural	N II, III	
Zimbabwe	1982	Cultural & Natural 	
Mosi-oa-Tunya	1989	Natural	N II, III	
Mana Pools	1984	Natural	N II, III, IV	
Great Zimbabwe	1986	Cultural	C I, III, VI	
Khami	1986	Cultural	C III, IV