Circular Letter No. 2 WHC/2/9726 February, 1997

To    :    -  Permanent Delegations and Observer Missions of all States 
              Parties to the World Heritage Convention

           -  National Commissions for UNESCO of all States Parties to the 
              World Heritage Convention

           -  All UNESCO Regional Offices and UNESCO Representatives

           -  Advisory Bodies to the World Heritage Committee - IUCN,
              ICOMOS and ICCROM

From	:       Bernd von Droste
              Director of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre

Subject :     Revision of the Operational Guidelines for the Implementation 
              of the World Heritage Convention

It is my pleasure to enclose herewith the revised Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention. The revised Operational Guidelines reflect the decisions taken by the World Heritage Committee at its twentieth session which was held in Merida, Mexico, from 2 to 7 December 1996. The changes concern the following matters:

1. Criteria for the inclusion of cultural properties in the World Heritage List (paragraph 24)

   Cultural heritage criterion (vi) has been revised and can in the future be applied '... only in exceptional circumstances and in conjunction with other criteria cultural or natural'. Therefore, it will not be possible to inscribe properties exclusively on the basis of this criterion.

2. Format and content of nominations (paragraph 64)

   The Committee adopted a new Nomination Form which will be required for all nominations that will be examined from 1 July 1998 onwards. For nominations submitted in 1997, the existing Nomination Form (WHC.95/WS.1, copy enclosed) should be used.

   Considering that the deadline for the submission of nominations for inscription on the World Heritage List is 1 July of each year, the situation is as follows:

   • Nominations received by the World Heritage Centre by 1 July 1997 at the latest:

     Nomination Form to be used: WHC.95/WS.1 (see copy enclosed).

     These nominations, provided that they are complete, will be examined by the World Heritage Bureau and Committee in 1998.

   • Nominations received by the World Heritage Centre by 1 July 1998 at the latest:

     Nomination Form to be used: The table of contents of the new Nomination Form is included in paragraph 64 of the enclosed Operational Guidelines. The new nomination form, accompanied by substantive explanatory notes, will be made available within the coming months.

     These nominations, provided that they are complete, will be examined by the World Heritage Bureau and Committee in 1999.

3. Submission of requests for International Assistance (paragraph 108)

   The Committee decided to establish the deadlines for the submission of requests for International Assistance above the amount of US$ 20,000, with the exception of requests for Emergency assistance, at 1 May and 1 September, respectively, for examination at the following session of the Bureau. I would like to draw your particular attention, therefore, to the revised paragraph 108 of the Operational Guidelines which reads:

   "All requests for international assistance which are to be examined by the Bureau (US$ 20,000 and above), with the exception of requests for emergency assistance, should be submitted to the UNESCO World Heritage Centre before 1 May and 1 September, respectively, for consideration by the following session of the Bureau. Large-scale requests (that is those exceeding US$ 30,000) will be forwarded, with the Bureau's recommendation, to the following session of the World Heritage Committee for decision- making."

I would very much appreciate your collaboration in the diffusion of the revised Operational Guidelines and in their application. In this respect I would like to recall that all World Heritage documents are available in English and French from the UNESCO World Heritage Centre and on the INTERNET www: http://www.unesco.org/whc/. The UNESCO World Heritage Centre is at your disposal for answering any question you may have.

I thank you in advance for your kind attention.

[signed]

Annexed :	-	Operational Guidelines for the implementation of the World Heritage 		
			Convention (WHC-97/2, February 1997)
		-	Nomination Form WHC.95/WS.1.