1. Elects Ms Véra Lacoeuilhe (Saint Lucia) as Chairperson of the 1st extraordinary session of the General Assembly;
2. Elects Dr James Wakibara (United Republic of Tanzania) as Rapporteur of the 1st extraordinary session of the General Assembly;
3. Elects Nepal and Palestine as Vice-Chairpersons of the 1st extraordinary session of the General Assembly.

1. Having examined Document WHC-14/1 EXT.GA/2A,
2. Adopts the Agenda included in the above-mentioned Document.

1. Having examined Document WHC-14/1 EXT.GA/2B,
2. Adopts the Timetable as included in the above-mentioned document.

1. Having examined Documents WHC-14/1EXT.GA/3 and WHC-14/1EXT.GA/INF.3,
2. Recalling Resolution 19 GA 4 adopted at its 19th session (UNESCO, 2013),
3. Thanking H.E. Ambassador Jean-Frédéric Jauslin (Switzerland) and the open-ended Working Group for the revision of the Rules of Procedure of the General Assembly of States Parties to the World Heritage Convention, for the work accomplished,
4. Decides to amend its Rules of Procedure as follows (amendments are in strikethrough and in bold):

Rule 13 - Procedures for the presentation of candidatures to the World Heritage Committee[1]

13.1    The Secretariat shall ask all States Parties, at least three months prior to the opening of the General Assembly, whether they intend to stand for election to the World Heritage Committee. If so, its candidature should be sent to the Secretariat at least six weeks prior to the opening of the General Assembly.

[1] Resolution 13 GA 9 (paragraph 6) invites the States Parties to the World Heritage Convention, to voluntarily reduce their term of office from six to four years.

[2] It being understood that “Group V” shall consist of two separate groups for the African and Arab States.

[3] That is to say, that either there is no State Party in the composition of the Committee from a given electoral group at the beginning of the ordinary session of the General Conference, or that the term of office of all States Parties from a given electoral group expires at the end of the ordinary session of the General Conference.

1. Taking into consideration Rule 8 (Observers) of the Rules of Procedure of the Committee,
2. Authorizes the participation in the 38th session as observers of those representatives of the international governmental organizations (IGOs), international non-governmental organizations (INGOs), non-governmental organizations (NGOs), permanent observer missions to UNESCO and non profit-making institutions having activities in the fields covered by the Convention, who have requested observer participation at the session and as listed in Section A of document WHC-14/38.COM/2;
3. Further confirms the participation in the 38th session as observers of all those invited by the Director-General of UNESCO in accordance with Rule 8.4 of the Rules of Procedure of the Committee and as listed in Section B of document WHC-14/38.COM/2.

1. Having examined Document WHC-14/38.COM/3A.Rev,
2. Adopts the Agenda included in the above-mentioned document. 

1. Having examined Document WHC-14/38.COM/3B.Rev,
2. Adopts the timetable included in the above-mentioned document.

1. Takes note of the report of the Rapporteur of the 37th session of the World Heritage Committee (Phnom Penh, 2013). 

1. Having examined Document WHC-14/38.COM/5A,
2. Recalling Decision 37 COM 5A adopted at its 37th session (Phnom Penh, 2013),
3. Takes note with appreciation of the activities undertaken by the World Heritage Centre over the past year in pursuit of the expected results and the five strategic objectives as presented in Document WHC-14/38.COM/5A;
4. Takes notes with concern of the restructuring of the World Heritage Centre and urges the Director-General of UNESCO to ensure adequate expertise on natural and cultural heritage in the World Heritage Centre;
5. Also takes note of the report of the International World Heritage Expert Meeting on the Recommendation on Historic Urban Landscape (Rio de Janeiro, 3-5 September 2013), following Decision 36 COM 13.II and decides to examine the proposals made in the report within the framework of the revision of the Operational Guidelines at its 39th session, in 2015;
6. Invites the State Parties to support the activities carried out by the World Heritage Centre for the implementation of the Convention;
7. Requests the World Heritage Centre to present, at its 39th session, a report on its activities.

1. Having examined Document WHC-14/38.COM/5B,
2. Recalling Decision 37 COM 5B adopted at its 37th session (Phnom Penh, 2013),
3. Takes note with appreciation of the reports of the Advisory Bodies (ICCROM, ICOMOS and IUCN) on their activities;
4. Welcomes the harmonization of the reports by the Advisory Bodies and the comments on the progress made and gaps identified for the implementation of the Convention. 

1. Having examined Document WHC-14/38.COM/5C,
2. Recalling Decisions 33 COM 5A, 34 COM 5C, 35 COM 5D, 36 COM 12B and 37 COM 5C adopted at its 33rd (Seville, 2009), 34th (Brasilia, 2010), 35th (UNESCO, 2011) 36th (Saint-Petersburg, 2012) and 37th (Phnom Penh, 2013) sessions respectively,
3. Takes note of the positive impact of the actions already undertaken, as well as of plans for further actions, and invites all stakeholders to pursue efforts to enhance and facilitate dialogue, communication and transparency in all processes of the Convention and in the framework of the Director General’s meeting on “The World Heritage Convention: Thinking Ahead” (UNESCO HQ, 2-3 October 2012) as well as to address funding implications, within their respective mandates and competence, as appropriate;
4. Requests the World Heritage Centre to present a progress report on the implementation of this decision at its 39th session in 2015.

1. Having examined Document WHC-14/38.COM/5D,
2. Recalling Decisions 35 COM 5E and 36 COM 5C, adopted at its 35th (UNESCO, 2011) and 36th (Saint-Petersburg, 2012) sessions respectively,
3. Welcomes the progress made towards the development of a draft policy for integrating a sustainable development perspective into the processes of the World Heritage Convention, despite the lack of resources;
4. Acknowledges the eight key dimensions of sustainable development, namely Inclusive Economic Development, Environmental Sustainability, Peace and Security, Resilience/Disaster Risk Reduction, Gender Equality, Local Communities/Indigenous Peoples and Human Rights;
5. Acknowledges the significance of developing a policy which would emphasize the link between World Heritage and sustainable development in conjunction with the upcoming establishment of the UN post-2015 development agenda;
6. Endorses the proposed methodology for developing the draft policy for integrating a sustainable development perspective into the processes of the World Heritage Convention;
7. Recognizes however, that broader consultations should be conducted in the drafting process of the policy and that adequate financial resources should be mobilized in this regard;
8. Strongly encourages all States Parties, other potential donors and partner institutions to provide financial or in-kind support for the successful completion of this initiative;
9. Requests the World Heritage Centre along with the Advisory Bodies, if feasible, within the available resources, to submit a draft of the policy for examination by the Committee at its 39th session, in 2015. 

1. Having examined Document WHC-14/38.COM/5E,
2. Recalling Decisions 32 COM 10, 32 COM 10A, 34 COM 5F.1, 36 COM 5D and 36 COM 5E, adopted at its 32nd (Quebec City, 2008), 34th (Brasilia, 2010) and 36th (Saint Petersburg, 2012) sessions respectively,
3. Welcomes the progress report on the implementation of the World Heritage Thematic Programmes and Initiative and thanks all States Parties, donors and other organizations for having contributed to achieving their objectives;
4. Acknowledges the results attained by the Forest Programme and expresses its regrets that no extrabudgetary funding could be secured and asks the World Heritage Centre to explore alternative options before phasing out the Programme;
5. Notes the importance of the World Heritage Cities Programme and underlines the relevance of the Recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape to provide a comprehensive and thorough framework for cities’ urban planning, conservation and sustainable development;
6. Takes note that the follow-up of the HEADS Programme will be ensured in the framework of extra-budgetary projects, through extra-budgetary funding secured by the UNESCO Mexico Office from the Carlos Slim Foundation, and in coordination with the Category 2 Centre on Rock Art (Spain) and requests that the outcomes of the projects be reported to the World Heritage Committee;
7. Also takes note of the results achieved by the Earthen Architecture Programme and the lack of extra-budgetary resources; further takes note that the programme will be pursued, provided that extra-budgetary funding can be secured, with the assistance of Advisory Bodies and external partners, and encourages stakeholders to ensure the follow-up of the Programme and continue supporting research and other activities in order to assist States Parties in identifying and protecting relevant sites;
8. Notes the results achieved in the implementation of the Astronomy and World Heritage Initiative as well as the lack of extra-budgetary funding; also notes that the World Heritage Centre will continue basic coordination with its strategic partners, communicate the results achieved by the Advisory Bodies and other partners, and will provide advice to States Parties as requested; and also encourages stakeholders to ensure the follow-up of the Initiative and continue supporting research and other activities to assist States Parties in identifying and protecting relevant sites;
9. Welcomes the progress made in the implementation of the World Heritage Sustainable Tourism Programme and in securing the extrabudgetary funding and encourages the States Parties to participate in the Programme with national activities;
10. Acknowledges the results of the World Heritage Programme for Small Island Developing States (SIDS), which has been beneficial to all regions and continues to achieve its key objectives;
11. Also requests the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies, with the support of interested States Parties, to continue efforts to implement the activities foreseen under the remaining Thematic Programmes in 2014-2015;
12. Further encourages States Parties, international organizations and donors to contribute to the Thematic Programmes and Initiatives and further requests the World Heritage Centre to submit an updated result-based report on Thematic Programmes and Initiatives for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 40th session in 2016.

1. Having examined Document WHC-14/38.COM/5F and its Annexes,
2. Welcomes the findings of the audit and the recommendations offered therein;
3. Takes note that the General Assembly of States Parties decided to establish a sub-account under the World Heritage Fund with regard to recommendation 1(a), to be funded from Voluntary Contributions and to be used exclusively for enhancing the human capacities of the Secretariat, and with regard to recommendation 1(e) to apply the cost recovery policy for the staff time spent in managing the World Heritage Fund within the limit of the funds made available under the sub-account; recalls the invitation of the General Assembly to States Parties to provide voluntary supplementary contributions to the sub-account in the amount of at least US$1,000,000 per year in total;
4. Takes further note that the established practice of the Convention with regard to translation and interpretation of statutory meetings – specifically, that costs of interpretation in languages other than English and French for Committee sessions are borne by extrabudgetary contributions – satisfies Recommendation 1(d);
5. Also welcomes the establishment by the Culture Sector of a Conventions Common Services Unit that aims to support the work of all convention secretariats, as suggested in Recommendation 3, and expects that it will add value and provide cost-effective solutions to the challenges facing the Conventions;
6. Acknowledges the necessity to prioritize the workload of the Secretariat to align it with available resources (Recommendation 1 (b)), while recalling that the Organization is confronting an unprecedented financial situation that demands creative solutions;
7. Considers that the annual frequency of sessions of the Committee is appropriate and welcomes the suggestion in Recommendation 1 (c) to reduce the duration and agenda of the sessions;
8. Takes note of the suggestion to synchronize the meetings of the States Parties to the different Conventions (Recommendation 1 (c)), but considers that this would not be an advantage to States Parties in view of the duration and location of the sessions.

1. Having examined Document WHC-14/38.COM/5F as well as the “Evaluation of UNESCO’s Standard-setting work of the Culture Sector: Part III – 1972 Convention,
2. Noting that the present evaluation constitues the first such evaluation of the impact and effectiveness of the World Heritage Convention of 1972,
3. Welcomes the findings of the evaluation and the recommendations offered therein;
4. Takes note that the current periodic mechanism already includes a number of indicators and considers that Recommendation 1, with regard both to the World Heritage Convention of 1972 and the Recommendation concerning the Protection, at National Level, of the Cultural and Natural Heritage, should be addressed in the framework of the reflection period regarding the implementation modalities of the Periodic reporting exercise, to be launched after the end of the second cycle of Periodic reporting in 2015, thus building on existing mechanisms, avoiding overlap of reporting mechanisms and ensuring greater efficiency;
5. Also takes note, with regard to Recommendation 2, that the Operational Guidelines include a provision (paragraph 172) aiming to prevent negative impact of development projects on the Outstanding Universal Value of the World Heritage properties, through a recommendation to States Parties to inform the World Heritage Committee about such projects, and that no distinction between national and international investment projects is made;
6. Calls upon States Parties, with a view to fully satisfy Recommendation 2, to introduce or reinforce existing mechanisms for evaluation of the impact of investment projects, both national and international, on cultural and natural heritage in general, and on World Heritage properties, in particular, and recommends that in this regard they make sustained use of all tools and guidance already developed by the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies;
7. Further takes note of Recommendation 3 and decides to seek technical and legal advice regarding resolution of legal disputes pertaining to the meaning of certain provisions of the Convention and about the scope of obligations arising thereunder, on an ad hoc basis, as cases arise;
8. Recognizes that the proposals contained in Recommendation 4 are already being addressed by the Secretariat of the Convention of 1972 and the other cultural conventions secretariats, through the creation of Common Conventions Services Unit and that a process of harmonizing the working methods of the conventions is under way, through the Cultural Conventions Liaison Group (CCLG) and takes note that this is work in progress by the Secretariat towards complying with Recommendation 4;
9. Urges the States Parties to the Convention, in view of complying with Recommendation 4, to enhance coherence in the development of the legal tools that are necessary to make protection of heritage under the relevant UNESCO Standard-setting instruments, effective in their national laws and policies and requests the Secretariat to provide support and assistance to States Parties in this regard, where requested and appropriate;
10. Further takes note of Decision 194 EX/22 (paragraph 6) by the Executive Board of UNESCO concerning actions to be taken towards implementation of the recommendations of the evaluation of UNESCO’s Standard-setting work of the Culture Sector.

1. Having examined Document WHC-14/38.COM/6,
2. Recalling Decisions 36 COM 6, 36 COM 9B, 37 COM 5E and 37 COM 6, adopted at its 36th (Saint Petersburg, 2012) and 37th (Phnom Penh, 2013) sessions respectively,
3. Commends the progress made in the implementation of the World Heritage Capacity Building Strategy (WHCBS), its accompanying World Heritage Capacity Building Programme, and the capacity building activities carried out in 2013 and 2014;
4. Notes with appreciation the continued support of the Government of Switzerland in the implementation of the World Heritage Capacity Building Programme;
5. Acknowledges the acute need, however, for additional significant contributions in order to reach a critical mass of support for the programme to be able to reach its goal, and calls upon other States Parties and organizations to provide additional funding and other support for the implementation of the World Heritage Capacity Building Programme and associated activities at the international and regional levels;
6. Takes note of the development of the regional capacity building strategies and initiatives as a follow up to Periodic Reporting exercise in all regions, and notably of the conclusion of the Regional Capacity Building Strategy and Associated Programmes for Asia and the Pacific, led by the World Heritage Institute for Training and Research in Asia and the Pacific (WHITR-AP), and also calls upon States Parties and all concerned partners and stakeholders of the region to follow-up the implementation of the strategy;
7. Encourages the ongoing efforts by the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies to establish a biennial recognition of best practice, notably through identifying extrabudgetary financial support towards the implementation of this activity;
8. Welcomes the progress made by all category 2 centres related to World Heritage in implementing their activities as well as the outcomes of their fourth coordination meeting (Shanghai, 23-26 May 2014), generously hosted by WHITR-AP;
9. Further welcomes the establishment of the Centre for World Natural Heritage Management and Training for the Asia and Pacific Region in Dehradun (India) as a category 2 centre under the auspices of UNESCO;
10. Also takes note of the new integrated comprehensive strategy for category 2 centres, adopted by the General Conference of UNESCO, at its 37th session (Paris, 2013);
11. Also encourages the ongoing efforts to develop a UNITWIN network of UNESCO Chairs active in the field of heritage conservation which would help streamlining their contribution to the objectives of the World Heritage Convention and strengthen their synergies with existing category 2 centres, the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies;
12. Requests the World Heritage Centre and ICCROM to submit a progress report on the implementation of the World Heritage Capacity Building Strategy and the activities of the category 2 centres related to World Heritage for examination by the Committee at its 39th session in 2015.

Issues emerging from the 2014 state of conservation reports

Updates on previously reported issues

Strategic issues related to the state of conservation of World Heritage properties

1. Having examined Document WHC-14/38.COM/7A,
2. Recalling Decision 37 COM 7A.23 adopted at its 37th session (Phnom Penh, 2013),
3. Commends the efforts made by the State Party in the implementation of measures at the property and urges it to continue with the implementation of the corrective measures, with particular attention to the following:
   1. Undertake detailed condition surveys to identify priority interventions to ensure stabilization of archaeological remains,
   2. Define a comprehensive strategy to address drainage of groundwater and impacts from other sources of humidity,
   3. Finalize discussions with involved communities and develop a programme for the removal of inadequate new constructions and the creation of facilities to allow for religious uses in areas outside the boundaries of the inscribed property and its buffer zone,
   4. Further develop the management plan to establish a clear policy framework, identify strategies and actions, with precise timeframes, costs and responsibilities for implementation, in main issues for the property such as archaeological research, conservation, maintenance, protection, visitor use, among others. The developed plan should also include clear provisions for the management of the proposed buffer zone,
   5. Finalize the surveys to identify adequate boundaries for the property and buffer zones and submit, by 1 February 2015, a proposal for a minor boundary modification, in accordance with Paragraphs 163-165 of the Operational Guidelines, for examination by the World Heritage Committee;
4. Requests the State Party to submit, in accordance with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines, details of all on-going or planned restoration interventions at the property, particularly those at the Great Basilica and the reburial strategy, for review prior to implementation;
5. Also requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2015, an updated report, including a 1-page executive summary, on the state of conservation of the property and the implementation of the above, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 39th session in 2015;
6. Decides to retain Abu Mena (Egypt) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.