Banc d'Arguin National Park (Mauritania)
The Committee recalled that IUCN reported to the Bureau at its eighteenth session on a planned capture operation of six monk seals from the sea population of the park. Subsequently, the Centre was informed by the French Ministry for the Environment that the experiment was carefully planned and coordinated with IUCN's Species survival Commission and that the capture operation and breeding experiment is under the direction of the "Comité scientifique international pour le suivi du programme français de sauvegarde du phoque moine".
The ...
Sites: Banc d'Arguin National Park
Te Wahipounamu (New Zealand)
In July 1994 the Bureau was advised of threats to the integrity of this site arising from cattle grazing in some parts of the Park and the impact of potential logging operations in Maori-owned coastal forests immediately adjacent to the Park. As requested by the Bureau, the New Zealand authorities have submitted a report outlining measures being implemented for mitigating these threats. IUCN has expressed satisfaction with these measures and no further action is required at the present time.
Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA) (Tanzania)
The Committee recalled that at its last session it expressed serious concerns over the Tanzanian Government's new policy to open NCA to agriculture. The Committee was informed that, though Cultivation is continuing to spread, there appears to be some control preventing its random expansion. Nevertheless, the Committee remained concerned that the expansion of agriculture is taking away traditional pastoral lands of Masai who, as a last resort to ensure their own food security, are being forced to clear lands for subsistence agriculture. The ...
Sites: Ngorongoro Conservation Area
Serengeti National Park (Tanzania)
The Committee noted that the state of conservation of this site has not been assessed since its inscription in 1981 and was pleased to note several improvements to the site effected by the Tanzanian National Park Authority (TANAPA); e.g. a management plan has been prepared and is now under implementation; work on a new and creative visitor-education centre is nearing completion; roads and other infrastructure have been upgraded; and long-term wildlife census, research and monitoring projects continue to operate. However, the Committee recognized that ...
Sites: Serengeti National Park
Redwood National Park (United States of America)
The Committee was informed of a proposal of the California Department of Transportation (COT) regarding a road realignment of the US Highway 101 in Del Norte County which will result in the removal of about 200 trees in this World Heritage site. Although COT has prepared an environmental impact statement (EIS), the Committee was informed that the EIS made no mention of the World Heritage status of the area. The Committee therefore requested the Centre to write to the American authorities and suggest that the COT recognize the international ...
Mosi-oa-Tunya/Victoria Falls (Zambia and Zimbabwe)
The World Heritage Centre was informed by letter of 5 August 1994 from the National Heritage Conservation commission of Zambia that the proposal to build the Batoka Dam was dropped. The Batoka Gorge Hydro Electric Scheme would have had a major environmental impact on the World Heritage site and would have flooded the Batoka Gorge of the Zambezi River, a two million year old unique geological and geomorphological formation.
The Committee commended the Government of Zambia on the decisions taken to ensure the integrity of this World ...
Mana Pools, Sapi and Chewore Reserves (Zimbabwe)
The Committee regretted that with the relocation of the ten remaining rhinos from this Park to an intensive protection zone, this World Heritage site has lost one of its "flagship" species. The Committee urged the Centre that in order to protect populations of similar species in other World Heritage sites, it should expand its cooperation with IUCN's Species survival Commission and the Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade on Endangered species (CITES).
Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu (Peru)
The Committee was informed on proposed helicopter flights from Cusco to the village of Aguas Calientes, which is only two kilometers from the ruins of Machu Picchu, authorization of which would be subject to the approval of an environmental impact study by the National Institute for Natural Resources (INRENA). IUCN informed that it was finalizing the examination of the impact study and that it will transmit its recommendations to the Secretariat as soon as these are available.
The Committee requested that the Bureau at its forthcoming nineteenth ...
Palace of Abomey (Benin)
The Committee commended the Government of Benin and ICCROM for the activities undertaken since 1992 in training in preventive conservation and for the project for the conservation and enhancement of the Royal Palaces of Abomey which is foreseen for 1994-1996 in collaboration with ICCROM and the Government of Italy. The Committee decided to retain this site on the List of World Heritage in Danger and requested the Secretariat to ensure that a monitoring mission be undertaken to Abomey to evaluate the state of conservation of the eleven palaces that have not yet ...
Sites: Royal Palaces of Abomey
Angkor (Cambodia)
The Committee noted that at its eighteenth session, the Bureau expressed satisfaction with the progress accomplished by the Royal Cambodian Government in response to the requests formulated by the Committee at its sixteenth session, when Angkor was inscribed on the World Heritage List and List of World Heritage in Danger.
At the invitation of UNESCO and at the request of the Chairperson of the Committee, the Minister of State of the Kingdom of Cambodia, H.E. Mr Vann Molyvann, made a presentation to Committee members, highlighting the main tasks undertaken by the Royal ...
Sites: Angkor
Dubrovnik (Croatia)
The Committee was informed that the restoration of what is called the fifth facade of the city -the roofs- was almost completed and that there remained but a few insulae awaiting repairs, and that important progress had been made in the restoration of several of the most important monuments of the city.
The Committee commended the Government of Croatia and UNESCO on the progress made in the conservation and restoration of Dubrovnik. It noted, however, that after the priority needs had been taken care of, other works such as the restoration of nine destroyed palaces ...
Sites: Old City of Dubrovnik
Timbuktu (Mali)
The Committee was informed that the Government of Mali had fully endorsed the recommendations of a UNESCO mission that was undertaken in early 1994 and which recommended a method of intervention involving the local population which, since the construction of the mosques, had been responsible for their upkeep, thus perpetuating a living religious cultural tradition. The Committee also endorsed this proposal and decided that it would support its implementation, if and when requested by the State Party. The Committee decided to retain the site on the List of World Heritage ...
Sites: Timbuktu
Bahla Fort (Oman)
The Committee recalled that it was informed during its seventeenth session, that intensive restoration works were being undertaken at this site and that it appeared probable that the nature of the material used for the restoration work, the rapidity with which the work was being carried out and the methods used could raise a certain number of questions with regard to conserving the authenticity of the monument. The Committee was informed that the Director of the World Heritage Centre, at the invitation of the Government of Oman, undertook a mission to Oman in March 1994 ...
Sites: Bahla Fort
Chan Chan Archaeological Zone (Peru)
The Committee welcomed the initiative of the Government of Peru to organise in October 1995, in collaboration with ICCROM and CRATerre, a regional course on the conservation of adobe, parallel to which the participants and international experts would also evaluate the past conservation practices and experiences in Chan Chan and define new conservation policies for this site. The Committee requested the authorities to submit the results of the course and the assessment of the conservation policies and practices to the Secretariat so that ...
Wieliczka Salt Mine (Poland)
The Committee took note of the long-term conservation strategy that had been developed for this site, which included a project for ventilation and dehumidification. The Committee encouraged the Polish authorities to implement this long-term conservation strategy and requested to be kept informed of its implementation. It decided that this site be retained on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
Kasbah of Algiers (Algeria)
The Observer of Algeria presented the annual report for 1994 entitled "The Results of the Interventions for the Safeguard of the Kasbah of Algiers" which was addressed to UNESCO in conformity with the request of the Committee at the time of the site's inception. She announced that a request for international assistance in order to ensure the training of architects for the safeguard of the site will shortly be addressed to the World Heritage Centre.
Sites: Kasbah of Algiers
Serra da Capivara (Brazil)
The UNDP/UNESCO Regional Project presented a report on this complex site that contains 380 sites of historical interest and where the greatest threats come from fire and poaching. Tourism, although in the increase, had not had a negative impact on the site yet. A zoning plan was being introduced which defined the degree of access to five different types of area with various levels of access.
The monitoring mission recommended that:
- the zoning plan should be extended so as to cover the whole area of the park and that buffer zones be established to limit the ...
Memphis and its Necropolis - the Pyramid Fields from Giza to Dahshur (Egypt)
The Committee studied the report of the Secretariat and the information communicated by the Supreme Council of Antiquities on the situation at the World Heritage site of Memphis and its Necropolis - the Pyramid Fields from Giza to Dahshur concerning the following:
a) the ongoing construction of a highway cutting in two the site of the World Heritage site at Zawyat al-Eryan, at about 2 kms south of the Sphynx;
b) the ongoing construction of about 3,000 lodgings in the buffer zone at Kafr el Gabal and of houses ...
Medieval city of Rhodes (Greece)
The Committee requested the Greek authorities for precise information on the legal protection of the Medieval city as well as to define a legal framework for the main principles guiding the restoration of the buildings of the Medieval City of Rhodes.
Sites: Medieval City of Rhodes
Quirigua (Guatemala)
The Committee took note of a report presented by the UNDP/UNESCO Project which stated that the state of conservation of the site is very good, but that it had been demonstrated that the architecture and sculptures are subject to continuous, low-level erosion. In the mid-eighties thatch-roofed huts were built over the site's sculptures to protect them from rainfall. These do not, however, protect the sculptures from wind-blown rainfall. Furthermore, it was noted that the storage areas for excavated objects do not meet minimal conservation standards.
It was ...