In Europe, 49 States Parties and 432 World Heritage properties (382 cultural, 41 natural, 9 mixed) participated in the Second Cycle of the Periodic Reporting Exercise (2012-2015).
The exercise was coordinated by the World Heritage Centre’s Europe and North America Unit, and implemented in close cooperation with National Focal Points, Site Managers, the Advisory Bodies, as well as the Nordic World Heritage Foundation and individual consultants.
As part of the exercise, a Framework Action Plan was developed in a participative manner by National Focal Points for World Heritage, Periodic Reporting Experts Team, Advisory Bodies and the World Heritage Centre during the Final Meeting on the Second Cycle of Periodic Reporting in Europe (Helsinki, 1 December - 2 December 2014).
The Second Cycle Periodic Report and the Helsinki Framework Action Plan will be examined by the World Heritage Committee at its 39th session (Bonn, 28 June – 8 July 2015).
As the Second Cycle of the Periodic Reporting is now closed, the World Heritage Centre has collected feedback from some Focal Points and heritage experts to give their views and opinions on the exercise.
The purpose of the Periodic Reporting Exercise is to give key stakeholders the opportunity to reflect on the implementation of the World Heritage Convention in Europe and to take stock of the state of affairs relating to the conservation, protection and management of World Heritage sites at the regional, national and the site level.
Why Periodic Reporting?
WatchWhy Periodic Reporting? Who is reponsible for what? Process cycle Expected outcomes Road Map
The World Heritage Committee,
The World Heritage Committee,
The World Heritage Committee,
The World Heritage Committee,
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The World Heritage Committee,
The World Heritage Committee,
1. Having examined Document WHC-13/37.COM/10B,
2. Recalling Decision 36 COM 10B adopted at its 36th session (Saint Petersburg, 2012),
3. Recalling furthermore that the second cycle of Periodic Reporting in Europe and North America takes place on a two-year basis (Group A: North America, Western, Nordic and Baltic Europe sub-regions for the first year 2012-2013, and Group B: Mediterranean, Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe for the second year 2013-2014), provided that a report on the Periodic Reporting exercise for North America will be presented at the 38th session of the World Heritage Committee in 2014, and an overall report on the Periodic Reporting exercise for Europe will be presented at the 39th session of the World Heritage Committee in 2015,
4. Takes note of the activities implementing the second cycle of Periodic Reporting for Group A and preparing the launch of Periodic Reporting for Group B;
5. Thanks the German authorities and the Georgian authorities for having hosted preparatory meetings in the framework of the Periodic Reporting exercise;
6. Also thanks the Nordic World Heritage Foundation for its collaboration in the preparation of the second cycle of the Periodic Reporting;
7. Reiterates its sincere appreciation to the Italian authorities, the Azerbaijani authorities and the Luxembourg authorities for their proposals to host future meetings in the framework of the Periodic Reporting exercise in 2013-2015;
8. Welcomes the progress made with the initiative to prepare an integrated and targeted strategy addressing the priority needs in training and capacity-building for the preservation of World Heritage properties in Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe and commends the Steering Group for its commitment to carry forward this work;
9. Also commends the States Parties which have submitted draft retrospective Statements of Outstanding Universal Value before the official launch of the Periodic Reporting exercise as requested in Decision 35 COM 10C.2 , and urges the States Parties to submit the pending retrospective Statements of Outstanding Universal Value as soon as possible;
10. Reiterates its gratitude to the Andorran, Monegasque, Portuguese and Dutch authorities, as well as the Flemish authorities for their financial contributions to the implementation of the second cycle of the Periodic Reporting in Europe and North America, and encourages further support and collaboration in the future;
11. Requests the World Heritage Centre to report back to the World Heritage Committee on progress made with Periodic Reporting at its 38th session in 2014.
Read more about the decisionThe World Heritage Committee,
1. Having examined Document WHC-12/36.COM/10B,
2. Recalling Decisions 30 COM 11A.1, 30 COM 11A.2, 31 COM 11A.1, 31 COM 11A.2, 32 COM 11D, 34 COM 10B.3 and 35 COM 10C.2 adopted at its 30th (Vilnius, 2006), 31st (Christchurch, 2007), 32nd (Quebec City, 2008), 34th (Brasilia, 2010) and 35th (UNESCO, 2011) sessions, respectively,
3. Takes note of the follow-up activities to the first cycle of the Periodic Reporting exercise in the region of Europe and North America and the activities in preparation of the launching of its second cycle;
4. Thanks the Maltese authorities for having hosted the preparatory meeting for Mediterranean Europe in Valetta from 21 to 24 September 2011 and the Icelandic authorities for having hosted the preparatory meeting for Nordic, Baltic and Western Europe in Reykjavik from 18 to 21 October 2011;
5. Also thanks the Nordic World Heritage Foundation for its collaboration in the preparation of the second cycle of the Periodic Reporting exercise, including preparation of meetings as well as relevant tools;
6. Expresses its sincere appreciation to the German authorities for having proposed to host a meeting for Nordic, Baltic, Western and Mediterranean Europe in Berlin from 19 to 20 September 2012, the Georgian authorities for having proposed to host a meeting for Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe in autumn 2012, the Italian authorities for having proposed to host a meeting for Mediterranean Europe in Florence in September 2013 and the authorities of Luxembourg for having proposed to host a meeting for Nordic, Baltic and Western Europe in 2013/2014;
7. Welcomes the initiative of the World Heritage Centre and ICCROM to address the priority needs in training and capacity-building for the preservation of World Heritage properties in Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe, by an integrated and targeted strategy in the context of the Second Cycle of Periodic Reporting;
8. Commends the States Parties which have submitted draft retrospective Statements of Outstanding Universal Value before the official launching of the Periodic Reporting exercise as requested in Decision 35 COM 10C.2 and urges the States Parties to submit the pending retrospective Statements of Outstanding Universal Value as soon as possible;
9. Reiterates its gratitude to the States Parties of Andorra, Monaco, Portugal and the Netherlands who have made financial contributions to the implementation of the second cycle of the Periodic Reporting exercise in Europe and North America, acknowledges with thanks the pledge by the Flemish Government to financially support the exercise and encourages further support and collaboration for the future;
10. Also takes note of the Road Map developed at the Reykjavik meeting in 2011 and requests the States Parties to make an effort towards a coordinated approach for its implementation;
11. Decides to launch the second cycle of the Periodic Reporting in the Europe and North America region and also reiterates that it will take place on a two-year basis (North America, Western, Nordic and Baltic Europe sub-regions, for the first year, and Mediterranean, Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe, for the second year) provided that a report on the Periodic Reporting exercise for North America will be presented at the 38th session of the World Heritage Committee in 2014, and an overall report on the Periodic Reporting exercise for Europe will be presented at the 39th session of the World Heritage Committee in 2015;
12. Also welcomes the creation of the web platform for the follow-up and implementation of the Periodic Reporting exercise and also encourages the States Parties, the World Heritage Centre, the Advisory Bodies and other concerned partners to explore all the opportunities that this tool can provide for the joint implementation of the exercise;
13. Also requests the World Heritage Centre to report back to the World Heritage Committee on progress achieved in the Periodic Reporting exercise at its 37th session in 2013.
Read more about the decisionThe World Heritage Committee,
1. Having examined Document WHC-11/35.COM/10C,
2. RecallingDecisions 30 COM 11A.1, 30 COM 11A.2, 31 COM 11A.1, 31 COM 11A.2, 32 COM 11D and 34 COM 10B.3 adopted at its 30th (Vilnius, 2006), 31st (Christchurch, 2007), 32nd (Quebec City, 2008) and 34th (Brasilia, 2010) sessions respectively,
3. Takes note of the follow-up activities to the first cycle of Periodic Reporting exercise in the region of Europe and North America and the results of the sub-regional meetings for Nordic, Western and Mediterranean Europe;
4. Thanks the Israeli authorities for having organized the follow-up meeting for Mediterranean Europe in 2010 in Acre, the Estonian authorities for having hosted the follow-up meeting for Nordic and Baltic Europe in 2010 in Tallinn with the support of the Nordic World Heritage Foundation, the Dutch authorities for having hosted the follow-up meeting for Western Europe in 2010 in Amersfoort, the Czech authorities for having hosted a meeting for Central, Eastern and South Eastern Europe in 2011 in Prague, and the authorities of Malta for having proposed to host a meeting in Malta in September 2011 for the Mediterranean Europe sub-region, currently under preparation;
5. Welcomes the proposal of Italy to host a preparatory meeting for the Mediterranean Europe sub-region in 2012 in Florence, and takes note of the interest of the authorities of Azerbaijan, Germany and Greece to host preparatory meetings in 2012, for their respective sub-regions, namely Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe, Western Europe and Mediterranean Europe sub-regions, to be confirmed, as well as of the intention of the State Parties in North America to organize preparatory Periodic Reporting meetings and/or teleconferences with the site managers in 2011 and 2012;
6. Thanks the Netherlands and Monaco for their financial contributions for the preparation of the second cycle of the Periodic Reporting exercise and calls upon the States Parties and the international community to support financially the Periodic Reporting exercise in the Europe and North America region, considering the scope of work to be done, including capacity-building activities and evaluation of Statements of Outstanding Universal Value;
7. Invites the States Parties to prepare, in coordination with the World Heritage Centre, the launch of the second cycle of Periodic Reporting exercise for the Europe and North America region at the 36th session of the World Heritage Committee and decides that it will take place on a two year basis (North America, Western, Nordic and Baltic Europe sub-regions, for the first year, and Mediterranean, Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe, for the second year) provided that a report on the Periodic Reporting exercise for North America will be presented at the 38th session of the World Heritage Committee in 2014, and a report on the Periodic Reporting exercise for Europe at the 39th session of the World Heritage Committee in 2015;
8. Reiterates its request that the States Parties should submit the retrospective Statements of Outstanding Universal Value to the World Heritage Centre by 1 February 2012, in order to ensure the preparation of the second cycle of the Periodic Reporting exercise;
9. Also requests the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies to prepare a progress report on the follow-up of the first cycle of the Periodic Reporting exercise for Europe and North America and on the preparations for the second cycle of the Periodic Reporting exercise for Europe and North America, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 36th session in 2012.
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