II.1 The Committee adopted the agenda (WHC-99/CONF./209/1), the Annotated Agenda (WHC- 99/CONF.209/2) and the Provisional Calendar with modifications. Following unanimous agreement, the Committee decided to discuss the Agenda Item 7 on 'Follow-up to the work of the Consultative Body to the World Heritage Committee', to enable a working group to be established under this agenda item and for it to complete its task as early as possible during the session. In response to the interventions by the Delegates of Australia, Belgium, Canada, Hungary, Thailand and Zimbabwe, the Chairperson proposed ...
IV.1 The Rapporteur of the twenty-third session of the Bureau (5 - 10 July 1999), and the third extraordinary session of the World Heritage Committee, 12 July 1999, presented the two reports WHC-99/CONF.209/4 and WHC-99/CONF.209/5 respectively. Concerning the report of the twenty-third session of the Bureau, Mr Janos Jelen (Hungary) said the report reflects the debate of the Bureau and the document can be instrumental for States Parties and the members of the Committee when they prepare themselves for future meetings. Regarding the report of the third extraordinary session of the ...
23 COM VI.14
Progress Report on the Implementation of the Regional Actions Described in the Global Strategy Action Plan Adopted by the Committee at its twenty-second Session
VI.14 The Committee,
having recognized that regional action plans had already contributed in a tangible manner towards the implementation of the Global Strategy,
adopted under Chapter II for the Budget for 2000 an amount of US$ 278,000, of which US$ 20,000 for Central and Eastern Europe, and under Thematic Studies US$ 40,000 for ICOMOS and US$ 15,000 for IUCN.
It also took note of Information Documents WHC-99/CONF.209/INF.8, WHC-99/CONF.209/INF.11, WHC-99/CONF.209/INF.14 and ...
VII.1 The Chairperson introduced item 7 and recalled the origin of the creation of this consultative body (twentieth session of the Committee, December 1996, Merida, Mexico). He informed the delegates of the relevant documents and requested the Director of the Centre to present the item.
VII.2 The Director of the Centre took the floor and described the content of the Working Document and summarized the decisions to be taken that he proposed for submission to the Committee. The decision concerning the technical questions, amended by Benin, were adopted as follows:
The Committee requested ...
VIII.1 Following the review of the state of conservation reports and at the recommendation of the Bureau, the Committee decided to inscribe the following natural and cultural properties on the List of World Heritage in Danger:
Salonga National Park (Democratic Republic of the Congo)
Rwenzori Mountains National Park (Uganda)
Iguaçu National Park (Brazil)
Hampi (India)
VIII.2 The Committee did not recommend the deletion of properties from the List of World Heritage in ...
VIII.3 The Committee approved the change of the name of the following property included on the World Heritage List:
"Sokkuram Grotto" to "Sokkuram Grotto and Pulguksa Temple" (Republic of Korea)
Concerning the request from Germany, that "Roman Monuments, Cathedral and Liebfrauen-Church in Trier" is changed to "Roman Monuments, Cathedral Saint Peter and St. Mary's Church in Trier", the Chairperson suggested consultations between the Centre and the State Party to define the correct English version.
VIII.6 The Committee noted that Germany, following the twenty-third session of the Bureau, had withdrawn the nomination of The Cathedral of St-Maurice and St-Catherine, Magdebourg (Germany).
Property: Península Valdés
Id. N°: 937
State Party: Argentina
Criteria: N (iv)
The Committee decided to inscribe Peninsula Valdés on the World Heritage List under criterion (iv).
Peninsula Valdés contains very important and significant natural habitats for the in-situ conservation of several threatened species of outstanding universal value, and specifically its globally important concentration of breeding southern right whales, which is an endangered species. It is also important because of the breeding populations of southern elephant seals and southern sea lions. The ...
Sites: Península Valdés
Property: Discovery Coast Atlantic Forest Reserves
Id. N°: 892Rev
State Party: Brazil
Criteria: N (ii) (iv)
IUCN informed the Committee that the evaluation of this property has been undertaken based on the revised nomination submitted by the State Party in April 1999.
The Brazilian Discovery Coast includes eight separate protected areas containing the best and largest remaining examples of Atlantic forest in the Northeast region of Brazil and contains high numbers of rare and endemic species. The site displays the biological richness and evolutionary history of the few remaining ...
Property: Atlantic Forest Southeast Reserves
Id. N°: 893-894Rev
State Party: Brazil
Criteria: N(ii) (iii) (iv)
IUCN informed the Committee that the evaluation of this property has been undertaken based on the revised nomination submitted by the State Party in April 1999.
The Atlantic Forest Southeast Reserves contain the best and largest remaining examples of Atlantic forest in the Southeast region of Brazil. The 25 protected areas that make up the site display the biological richness and evolutionary history of the few remaining areas of Atlantic forest of Southeast Brazil. The ...
Property: Miguasha Park
Id. N°: 686Rev
State Party: Canada
Criteria: N(i)
In its representation of vertebrate life, Miguasha Park is the most outstanding fossil site in the world for illustrating the Devonian as the "Age of Fishes". The area is of paramount importance in having the greatest number and best preserved fossil specimens found anywhere in the world of the lobe-finned fishes that gave rise to the first four-legged, air-breathing terrestrial vertebrates - the tetrapodes.
The Committee decided to inscribe the site under natural criterion (i). The Committee commended the ...
Sites: Miguasha National Park
Property: Area de Conservacion Guanacaste
Id. N°: 928
State Party: Costa Rica
Criteria: N (ii) (iv)
The Committee decided to inscribe the Guanacaste Conservation Area on the World Heritage List under criteria (ii) and (iv).
The site demonstrates significant, major biological and ecological processes in both its terrestrial and marine-coastal environments, as exemplified by: a) evolution, succession and restoration of Pacific Tropical Dry Forest; b) altitudinal migration and other interactive biogeographic and ecological processes along its dry forest - montane humid forest - cloud ...
Property: Desembarco del Granma National Park
Id. N°: 889
State Party: Cuba
Criteria: N (i) (iii)
The uplifted marine terraces of the Desembarco del Granma National Park and associated ongoing development of karst topography and features, represent a globally significant example of geomorphologic and physiographic features and ongoing geological processes. The area includes spectacular stair-step terraces and cliffs and the ecosystems that have evolved on them, as well as some of the most pristine and impressive coastal cliffs bordering the Western Atlantic between the Canadian ...
Property: Lorentz National Park
Id. N°: 955
State Party: Indonesia
Criteria: N (i) (ii) (iv)
The Committee recalled that the Bureau at its twenty-third session requested the Centre to inform the Indonesian authorities of a number of aspects suggested by IUCN dealing with the management of the site, and in particular: (a) the priority need to continue the process of management planning for the Park with full involvement of the local stakeholders; (b) encouragement for the proposed establishment of a Foundation which would assist in the management of the Park; (c) possible twinning ...
Sites: Lorentz National Park
Property: Puerto-Princesa Subterranean River National Park
Id. N°: 652Rev
State Party: Philippines
Criteria: N (iii) (iv)
The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park features a spectacular limestone karst landscape with its underground river. A distinguishing feature of the river is that it flows directly into the sea, and the lower portion of the river is subject to tidal influences. The area also represents a significant habitat for biodiversity conservation. The site contains a full mountain to the sea ecosystem and protects forests, which are among the most significant in ...
Property: The Laurisilva of Madeira
Id. N°: 934
State Party: Portugal
Criteria: N (ii) (iv)
The Committee decided to inscribe the Laurel Forest of Madeira on the World Heritage List under natural criteria (ii) and (iv).
The site contains the largest surviving relict of the virtually extinct laurisilva forest type that was once widespread in Europe. This forest type is considered to be a centre of plant diversity containing numerous rare, relict and endemic species, especially of bryophytes, ferns and flowering plants. It also has a very rich invertebrate fauna. Endemic species ...
Sites: Laurisilva of Madeira
Property: Western Caucasus
Id. N°: 900
State Party: Russian Federation
Criteria: N (ii) (iv)
The Western Caucasus has a remarkable diversity of geology, ecosystems and species. It is of global significance as a centre of plant diversity. Along with the Virgin Komi World Heritage site, it is the only large mountain area in Europe that has not experienced significant human impact, containing extensive tracts of undisturbed mountain forests unique on the European scale.
The twenty-third session of the Bureau could not study this nomination because the requested field mission was delayed ...
Sites: Western Caucasus
Property: Greater St. Lucia Wetland Park
Id. N°: 914
State Party: South Africa
Criteria: N (ii) (iii) (iv)
The Committee decided to inscribe the Greater St. Lucia Wetland Park on the World Heritage List under natural criteria (ii), (iii) and (iv).
The St. Lucia site consists of thirteen contiguous protected areas with a total size of 234,566 hectares. The site is the largest estuarine system in Africa and includes the southernmost extension of coral reefs on the continent. The site contains a combination of on-going fluvial, marine and aeolian processes that have resulted in a ...
Sites: iSimangaliso Wetland Park
Property: Belovezhskaya Pushcha/Bialowieza Forest - Extension
Id. N°: 33-627 Bis
State Party: Belarus / Poland
The Committee recalled that IUCN informed the twenty-third extraordinary session of the Bureau that the proposed extension would provide an important contribution to the biodiversity of the Polish part of the existing World Heritage site, in particular through the oligothrophic pinewoods. However, they are not significant for the existing World Heritage site as a whole.
The Committee decided not to include the extension into the existing World Heritage site.
The Committee ...
Sites: Białowieża Forest
VIII.4 The Committee noted that the twenty-third extraordinary session of the Bureau had noted that the Government of Australia provided the Centre with complementary information concerning the mixed cultural and natural nomination of the Greater Blue Mountains Area (Australia) on 7 October 1999. The State Party has commenced preparation of additional detailed complementary material addressing issues raised by the Bureau at its twenty-third ordinary session in July 1999. The Bureau had recommended deferral for the natural part of the nomination and did not recommend inscription according ...
Sites: Greater Blue Mountains Area
VIII.5 Concerning the site of the Aeolian Islands (Italy), the Committee noted that the Bureau at its extraordinary session had deferred the site. The Delegate of Italy informed the Committee that there had been a misunderstanding in the information provided, and that management plans and regulations for the site exist. Several delegates highlighted procedural matters in particular paragraph 65 of the Operational Guidelines, and stated that deferred sites are not presented for consideration by the Committee. Other delegates underlined the sovereignty of the Committee in its decisions. ...
Property: Mount Wuyi
Id. N°: 911
State Party: China
Criteria: N (iii) (iv) / C(iii) (vi)
The Committee decided to inscribe the site on the World Heritage List under natural criteria (iii) and (iv) and cultural criteria (iii) and (vi).
Natural criteria (iii) and (iv) : Mount Wuyi is one of the most outstanding subtropical forests in the world. It is the largest, most representative example of a largely intact forest encompassing the diversity of the Chinese Subtropical Forest and the South Chinese Rainforest. It acts as a refuge for a large number of ancient, relict plant species, ...
Sites: Mount Wuyi
Property: Ibiza, Biodiversity and Culture
Id. N°: 417Rev
State Party: Spain
Criteria: N(ii)(iv) / C(ii)(iii)(iv)
The Committee decided to inscribe the site on the basis of natural criteria (ii) and (iv) and cultural criteria (ii), (iii) and (iv).
Natural criteria (ii) and (iv):
The marine component of this site is characterised by the presence of dense and very well preserved prairies of oceanic Posidonia (seagrass) and coral reefs. Oceanic Posidonia only occurs in the Mediterranean basin and this site is the best preserved example within this region. The area also contains the ...
Property: Pyrénées - Mont Perdu
Id. N°: 773 Bis
State Party: France / Spain
The Committee noted the comment by ICOMOS that the small extension proposed by France is a valuable contribution to the overall cultural landscape. IUCN informed the Bureau that the existing Pyrénées - Mount Perdu (France/Spain) World Heritage site was inscribed under natural criteria (i) and (iii). The proposed extension would not meet any natural criteria on its own. However, the extension has comparable scenic and geomorphological values to the existing site. IUCN noted concerns as to whether the legal basis ...
Sites: Pyrénées - Mont Perdu
Property: Cueva de las Manos, Río Pinturas
Id. N°: 936
State Party: Argentina
Criteria: C (iii)
The Committee inscribed the site on the World Heritage List on the basis of criterion (iii):
Criterion (iii): Cueva de las Manos contains an outstanding collection of prehistoric rock art which bears witness to the culture of the earliest human societies in South America.
Property: City of Graz - Historic Centre
Id. N°: 931
State Party: Austria
Criteria: C (ii) (iv)
The Committee inscribed the site on the World Heritage List on the basis of criteria (ii) and (iv):
Criterion (ii): The Historic Centre of the City of Graz reflects artistic and architectural movements originating from the Germanic region, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean, for which it served as a crossroads for centuries. The greatest architects and artists of these different regions expressed themselves forcefully here and thus created brilliant syntheses.
Criterion (iv): The ...
Property: The Belfries of Flanders and Wallonia
Id. N°: 943
State Party: Belgium
Criteria: C (ii) (iv)
The Committee inscribed the site on the World Heritage List on the basis of criteria (ii) and (iv):
Criterion (ii): The belfries of Belgium are exceptional examples of a form of urban architecture adapted to the political and spiritual requirements of their age.
Criterion (iv): The Middle Ages saw the emergence of towns that were independent of the prevalent feudal system. The belfries in the historic County of Flanders and in Wallonia symbolize this new-found independence, and ...
Property: Historic Centre of the Town of Diamantina
Id. N°: 890
State Party: Brazil
Criteria: C (ii) (iv)
The Committee inscribed the site on the World Heritage List on the basis of criteria (ii) and (iv):
Criterion (ii): Diamantina shows how explorers of the Brazilian territory, diamond prospectors, and representatives of the Crown were able to adapt European models to an American context in the 18th century, thus creating a culture that was faithful to its roots yet completely original.
Criterion (iv): The urban and architectural group of Diamantina, perfectly integrated into ...
Property: The Dazu Rock Carvings
Id. N°: 912
State Party: China
Criteria: C (i) (ii) (iii)
The Committee inscribed this site on the World Heritage List on the basis of criteria (i), (ii) and (iii):
Criterion (i): The Dazu Carvings represent the pinnacle of Chinese rock art for their high aesthetic quality and their diversity of style and subject matter.
Criterion (ii): Tantric Buddhism from India and the Chinese Taoist and Confucian beliefs came together at Dazu to create a highly original and influential manifestation of spiritual harmony.
Criterion (iii): The eclectic nature ...
Sites: Dazu Rock Carvings
Property: Viñales Valley
Id. N°: 840 Rev
State Party: Cuba
Criteria: C(iv)
The Committee inscribed the site on the World Heritage List on the basis of criterion (iv):
Criterion (iv): The Viñales Valley is an outstanding karst landscape in which traditional methods of agriculture (notably tobacco growing) have survived unchanged for several centuries. The region also preserves a rich vernacular tradition in its architecture, its crafts, and its music.
The Committee noted that during the recent UNESCO General Conference, the Valley of Viñales was awarded the ...
Sites: Viñales Valley
Property: Litomyšl Castle
Id. N°: 901
State Party: Czech Republic
Criteria: C (ii) (iv)
The Committee inscribed the site on the World Heritage List on the basis of criteria (ii) and (iv):
Criterion (ii): Litomyšl Castle is an outstanding and immaculately preserved example of the arcade castle, a type of building first developed in Italy and modified in the Czech lands to create an evolved form of special architectural quality.
Criterion (iv): Litomyšl Castle illustrates in an exceptional way the aristocratic residences of Central Europe in the Renaissance ...
Sites: Litomyšl Castle
Property: Litomyšl Castle
Id. N°: 901
State Party: Czech Republic
Criteria: C (ii) (iv)
The Committee inscribed the site on the World Heritage List on the basis of criteria (ii) and (iv):
Criterion (ii): Litomyšl Castle is an outstanding and immaculately preserved example of the arcade castle, a type of building first developed in Italy and modified in the Czech lands to create an evolved form of special architectural quality.
Criterion (iv): Litomyšl Castle illustrates in an exceptional way the aristocratic residences of Central Europe in the Renaissance ...
Sites: Litomyšl Castle
Property: Historic Centre of Santa Ana de los Rios de Cuenca
Id. N°: 863
State Party: Ecuador
Criteria: C (ii) (iv) (v)
The Committee inscribed the site on the World Heritage List on the basis of criteria (ii), (iv) and (v).
Criterion (ii): Cuenca illustrates the successful implantation of the principles of Renaissance urban planning in the Americas.
Criterion (iv): The successful fusion of different societies and cultures in Latin America is vividly symbolized by the layout and townscape of Cuenca.
Criterion (v): Cuenca is an outstanding example of a planned inland Spanish ...
Property: The Bronze Age Burial Site of Sammallahdenmäki
Id. N°: 579 Rev
State Party: Finland
Criteria: C (iii) (iv)
The Committee inscribed the site on the World Heritage List on the basis of criteria (iii) and (iv):
Criterion (iii): The Sammallahdenmäki cairn cemetery bears exceptional witness to the society of the Bronze Age of Scandinavia.
Criterion (iv): The Sammallahdenmäki cemetery is an outstanding example of Bronze Age funerary practices in Scandinavia.
Delegates drew the attention that the inscription of this nonmonumental property responds to the ...
Property: The Jurisdiction of Saint-Emilion
Id. N°: 932
State Party: France
Criteria: C (iii) (iv)
The Committee inscribed the site on the World Heritage List on the basis of criteria (iii) and (iv):
Criterion (iii): The Ancient Jurisdiction of Saint-Emilion is an outstanding example of an historic vineyard landscape that has survived intact and in activity to the present day.
Criterion (iv): The intensive cultivation of grapes for wine production in a precisely defined region and the resulting landscape is illustrated in an exceptional way by the historic Jurisdiction of ...
Property: Museumsinsel (Museum Island), Berlin
Id. N°: 896
State Party: Germany
Criteria: C (ii) (iv)
The Committee inscribed the site on the World Heritage List on the basis of criteria (ii) and (iv).
Criterion (ii): The Berlin Museumsinsel is an unique ensemble of museum buildings, which illustrated the evolution of modern museum design over more than a century.
Criterion (iv): The art museum is a social phenomenon that owes its origins to the Age of Enlightenment and its extension to all people to the French Revolution. The Museumsinsel is the most outstanding example of this ...
Property: Wartburg Castle
Id. N°: 897
State Party: Germany
Criteria: C (iii) (vi)
The Committee inscribed the site on the World Heritage List on the basis of criteria (iii) and (vi):
Criterion (iii): The Castle of Wartburg is an outstanding monument of the feudal period in Central Europe.
Criterion (vi): The Castle of Wartburg is rich in cultural associations, most notably its role as the place of exile of Martin Luther, who composed his German translation of the New Testament there. It is also a powerful symbol of German integration and unity.
The Observer of Poland pointed ...
Sites: Wartburg Castle
Property: The Archaeological Sites of Mycenae and Tiryns
Id. N°: 941
State Party: Greece
Criteria: C (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) (vi)
The Committee inscribed the site on the World Heritage List on the basis of criteria (i),( ii), (iii),( iv) and (vi):
Criterion (i): The architecture and design Mycenae and Tiryns, such as the Lion Gate and the Treasury of Atreus and the walls of Tiryns, are outstanding examples of human creative genius.
Criterion (ii): The Mycenaean civilisation, as exemplified by Mycenae and Tiryns, had a profound effect on the development of classical Greek ...
23 COM VIII.C.1
The Historic Centre (Chorá) with the Monastery of Saint-John the Theologian and the Cave of the Apocalypse on the Island of Pátmos (Greece)
Property: The Historic Centre (Chorá) with the Monastery of Saint-John the Theologian and the Cave of the Apocalypse on the Island of Pátmos
Id. N°: 942
State Party: Greece
Criteria: C (iii) (iv) (vi)
The Committee inscribed the site on the World Heritage List on the basis of criteria (iii), (iv) and (vi):
Criterion (iii): The town of Chorá on the Island of Pátmos is one of the few settlements in Greece that have evolved uninterruptedly since the 12th century. There are few other places in the world where religious ceremonies that date back to the ...
Property: Hortobágy National Park
Id. N°: 474 Rev
State Party: Hungary
Criteria: C (iv) (v)
The Committee inscribed the site on the World Heritage List on the basis of criteria (iv) and (v):
Criterion (iv): The Hungarian Puszta is an exceptional surviving example of a cultural landscape constituted by a pastoral society.
Criterion (v): The landscape of the Hortobágy National Park maintains intact and visible traces of its traditional land-use forms over several thousand years, and illustrates the harmonious interaction between people and ...
Property: Darjeeling Himalayan Railway
Id. N°: 944
State Party: India
Criteria: C (ii) (iv)
The Committee inscribed the site on the World Heritage List under criteria (ii) and (iv):
Criterion (ii): The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway is an outstanding example of the influence of an innovative transportation system on the social and economic development of a multi-cultural region, which was to serve as a model for similar developments in many parts of the world.
Criterion (iv): The development of railways in the 19th century has a profound influence on social and economic ...
Sites: Mountain Railways of India
Property: Villa Adriana (Tivoli)
Id. N°: 907
State Party: Italy
Criteria: C (i) (ii) (iii)
The Committee inscribed the site on the World Heritage List on the basis of criteria (i),( ii) and( iii):
Criteria (i) and (iii): The Villa Adriana is a masterpiece that uniquely brings together the highest expressions of the material cultures of the ancient Mediterranean world.
Criterion (ii): Study of the monuments that make up the Villa Adriana played a crucial role in the rediscovery of the elements of classical architecture by the architects of the Renaissance and the Baroque period. ...
Sites: Villa Adriana (Tivoli)
Property: Shrines and Temples of Nikko
Id. N°: 913
State Party: Japan
Criteria: C (i) (iv) (vi)
The Committee inscribed this property on the World Heritage List on the basis of criteria (i), (iv) and (vi):
Criterion (i): The Nikko shrines and temples are a reflection of architectural and artistic genius; this aspect is reinforced by the harmonious integration of the buildings in a forest and a natural site laid out by people.
Criterion (iv): Nikko is a perfect illustration of the architectural style of the Edo period as applied to Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples. The ...
Sites: Shrines and Temples of Nikko
Property: Historic Fortified Town of Campeche
Id. N°: 895
State Party: Mexico
Criteria: C (ii) (iv)
The Committee inscribed the site on the World Heritage List on the basis of criteria (ii) and (iv):
Criterion (ii): The harbour town of Campeche is an urbanization model of a Baroque colonial town, with its checkerboard street plan; the defensive walls surrounding its historic centre reflect the influence of the military architecture in the Caribbean.
Criterion (iv): The fortifications system of Campeche, an eminent example of the military architecture of the 17th and 18th ...
Property: The Archaeological Monuments Zone of Xochicalco
Id. N°: 939
State Party: Mexico
Criteria: C (iii) (iv)
The Committee inscribed the site on the World Heritage List on the basis of criteria (iii) and (iv):
Criterion (iii): Xochicalco is an exceptionally well preserved and complete example of a fortified settlement from the Epiclassic Period of Mesoamerica.
Criterion (iv): The architecture and art of Xochicalco represent the fusion of cultural elements from different parts of Mesoamerica, at a period when the breakdown of earlier political structures resulted in intensive ...
Property: Droogmakerij de Beemster (Beemster Polder)
Id. N°: 899
State Party: Netherlands
Criteria: C (i) (ii) (iv)
The Committee inscribed the site on the World Heritage List on the basis of criteria (i), (ii), and (iv):
Criterion (i): The Beemster Polder is a masterpiece of creative planning, in which the ideals of antiquity and the Renaissance were applied to the design of a reclaimed landscape.
Criterion (ii): The innovative and intellectually imaginative landscape of the Beemster Polder had a profound and lasting impact on reclamation projects in Europe and ...
Property: Sukur Cultural Landscape
Id. N°: 938
State Party: Nigeria
Criteria: C (iii) (v) (vi)
The Committee inscribed the property on the World Heritage List on the basis of criteria (iii), (v) and (vi):
Criterion (iii): Sukur is an exceptional landscape that graphically illustrates a form of land-use that marks a critical stage in human settlement and its relationship with its environment.
Criterion (v): The cultural landscape of Sukur has survived unchanged for many centuries, and continues to do so at a period when this form of traditional human settlement is under threat in ...
Sites: Sukur Cultural Landscape
Property: The Historic Town of Vigan
Id. N°: 502Rev
State Party: Philippines
Criteria: C (ii) (iv)
The Committee inscribed the property on the World Heritage List on the basis of criteria (ii) and (iv):
Criterion (ii): Vigan represents a unique fusion of Asian building design and construction with European colonial architecture and planning.
Criterion (iv): Vigan is an exceptionally intact and wellpreserved example of a European trading town in East and South-East ...
Sites: Historic City of Vigan
23 COM VIII.C.1
Kalwaria Zebrzydowska: the Mannerist architectural and Park Landscape Complex and Pilgrimage Park (Poland)
Property: Kalwaria Zebrzydowska: the Mannerist architectural and Park Landscape Complex and Pilgrimage Park
Id. N°: 905
State Party: Poland
Criteria: C (ii) (iv)
The Committee inscribed the site on the World Heritage List on the basis of criteria (ii) and (iv):
Criterion (ii): Kalwaria Zebrzydowska is an exceptional cultural monument in which the natural landscape was used as the setting for a symbolic representation in the form of chapels and avenues of the events of the Passion of Christ. The result is a cultural landscape of great beauty and spiritual quality in which natural ...
Property: Historic Centre of Sighisoara
Id. N°: 902
State Party: Romania
Criteria: C (iii) (v)
The Committee inscribed the site on the World Heritage List on the basis of criteria (iii) and (v):
Criterion (iii): Sighisoara is an outstanding testimony to the culture of the Transylvanian Saxons, a culture that is coming to a close after 850 years and will continue to exist only through its architectural and urban monuments.
Criterion (v): Sighisoara is an outstanding example of a small fortified city in the border region between the Latinoriented culture of Central Europe and the ...
Property: The Dacian Fortresses of the Orastie Mountains
Id. N°: 906
State Party: Romania
Criteria: C (ii) (iii) (iv)
The Committee inscribed the site on the World Heritage List on the basis of criteria (ii), (iii), and (iv):
Criterion (ii): The Dacian Fortresses represent the fusion of techniques and concepts of military architecture from inside and outside the classical world to create a unique style.
Criterion (iii): The Geto-Dacian Kingdoms of the late 1st millennium BC attained an exceptionally high cultural and socio-economic level, and this is symbolized by this group of ...
Property: Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park
Id. N°: 910
State Party: Saint Christopher & Nevis
Criteria: C (iii) (iv)
The Committee inscribed the site on the World Heritage List on the basis of criteria (iii) and (iv):
Criterion (iii): Brimstone Hill is an outstanding British fortress, built by slave labour to exact standards during a peak period of European colonial expansion in the Caribbean.
Criterion (iv): Because of its strategic layout and construction, Brimstone Hill Fortress is an exceptional and well preserved example of 17th and 18th century British military ...
23 COM VIII.C.1
The Fossil Hominid Sites of Sterkfontein, Swartkrans, Kromdraai, and Environs (South Africa)
Property: The Fossil Hominid Sites of Sterkfontein, Swartkrans, Kromdraai, and Environs
Id. N°: 915
State Party: South Africa
Criteria: C (iii) (vi)
The Committee inscribed this property on the World Heritage List on the basis of criteria (iii) and (vi):
Criteria (iii) and (vi): The Sterkfontein area contains an exceptionally large and scientifically significant group of sites which throw light on the earliest ancestors of humankind. They constitute a vast reserve of scientific information, the potential of which is enormous.
In response to the Delegate of Thailand, ICOMOS ...
Property: Robben Island
Id. N°: 916
State Party: South Africa
Criteria: C (iii) (vi)
The Committee inscribed this property on the World Heritage List on the basis of criteria (iii) and (vi):
Criterion (iii): The buildings of Robben Island bear eloquent witness to its sombre history.
Criterion (vi): Robben Island and its prison buildings symbolize the triumph of the human spirit, of freedom, and of democracy over oppression.
Many members of the Committee expressed their pleasure and emotion and congratulated South Africa for having proposed this site which symbolizes the fight ...
Sites: Robben Island
Property: San Cristóbal de la Laguna
Id. N°: 929
State Party: Spain
Criteria: C (ii) (iv)
The Committee inscribed the site on the World Heritage List on the basis of criteria (ii) and (iv):
Criteria (ii) and (iv): San Cristóbal de la Laguna was the first non-fortified Spanish colonial town, and its layout provided the model for many colonial towns in the Americas.
Sites: San Cristóbal de La Laguna
Property: State Historical and Cultural Park "Ancient Merv"
Id. N°: 886
State Party: Turkmenistan
Criteria: C (ii) (iii)
The Committee inscribed the property on the World Heritage List on the basis of criteria (ii) and (iii):
Criterion (ii): The cities of the Merv oasis have exerted considerable influence over the cultures of Central Asia and Iran for four millennia. Seljuk City in particular, influenced architecture and architectural decoration and scientific and cultural development.
Criterion (iii): The sequence of the cities of the Merv oasis, their fortifications, and their ...
Property: The Heart of Neolithic Orkney
Id. N°: 514 Rev
State Party: United Kingdom
Criteria: C (i) (ii) (iii) (iv)
The Committee inscribed the site on the World Heritage List on the basis of criteria (i),(ii),(iii), and (iv):
The monuments of Orkney, dating back to 3000-2000 BC, are outstanding testimony to the cultural achievements of the Neolithic peoples of northern Europe.
Sites: Heart of Neolithic Orkney
Property: Hoi An Ancient Town
Id. N°: 948
State Party: Viet Nam
Criteria: C (ii) (v)
The Committee inscribed this property on the World Heritage List on the basis of criteria (ii) and (v):
Criterion (ii): Hoi An is an outstanding material manifestation of the fusion of cultures over time in an international commercial port.
Criterion (v): Hoi An is an exceptionally well-preserved example of a traditional Asian trading ...
Sites: Hoi An Ancient Town
Property: My Son Sanctuary
Id. N°: 949
State Party: Viet Nam
Criteria: C (ii) (iii)
The Committee inscribed this property on the World Heritage List on the basis of criteria (ii) and (iii):
Criterion (ii): The My Son Sanctuary is an exceptional example of cultural interchange, with an indigenous society adapting to external cultural influences, notably the Hindu art and architecture of the Indian sub-continent.
Criterion (iii): The Champa Kingdom was an important phenomenon in the political and cultural history of South-East Asia, vividly illustrated by the ruins of My Son.
The ...
Sites: My Son Sanctuary
Property: Butrint
Id. N°: 570 Bis
State Party: Albania
Criteria: C (iii)
ICOMOS expressed its concern that tourism developments in a small area on the coast, excluded from the proposed extension, could have a disastrous impact on the site. ICOMOS, therefore, strongly recommended that this area be included in the protected area.
The Committee decided to extend the property under the existing criterion (iii) under the condition that the excluded area would be included in the zone of the proposed enlargement.
The Delegate of Italy offered the interest of his Government to support ...
Sites: Butrint
Property: Palaces and Parks of Potsdam and Berlin - Extension
Id. N°: 532 Ter
State Party: Germany
Criteria: C (i)(ii)(iv)
The Committee approved this extension to the World Heritage site of the Palaces and Parks of Potsdam and Berlin, on the World Heritage List under the existing criteria (i), (ii) and (iv).
23 COM VIII.C.2
Extension: Ferrara, City of the Renaissance and its Po Delta (extension of Ferrara, city of the Renaissance) (Italy)
Property: Ferrara, City of the Renaissance and its Po Delta (extension of Ferrara, city of the Renaissance)
Id. N°: 733 Bis
State Party: Italy
Criteria: C (ii) (iii) (iv) (v) (vi)
The Committee approved this extension to the World Heritage site of the City of Ferrara and to inscribe this site on the World Heritage List on the basis of criteria (iii) and (v), in addition to the already existing criteria (ii), (iv) and (vi):
Criterion (iii): The Este ducal residences in the Po Delta illustrate the influence of Renaissance culture on the natural landscape in an exceptional ...
23 COM VIII.C.2
Extension: The Villages with fortified churches in Transylvania (extension of Biertan and its Fortified Church) (Romania)
Property: The Villages with fortified churches in Transylvania (extension of Biertan and its Fortified Church)
Id. N°: 596 Bis
State Party: Romania
Criteria: C (iv)
The Committee approved this extension to the World Heritage site Biertan and its fortified church, on the World Heritage List under the existing criterion (iv).
Property: The Loire Valley between Maine and Sully-sur-Loire
Id. N°: 933
State Party: France
Criteria: C (ii) (iv)
A lengthy and substantive debate took place with regard to this nomination and on the general issue of cultural landscapes.
It was generally recognised that the Loire Valley had outstanding universal value and was worthy of being inscribed as a cultural landscape on the World Heritage List under cultural criteria (ii) and (iv). It was also noted that a Steering Committee with representation from territorial authorities and institutions involved, had been established ...
23 COM VIII.C.4
Not inscribed: Sarajevo - Unique symbol of universal multiculture -continual open city (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Property: Sarajevo - Unique symbol of universal multiculture -continual open city
Id. N°: 851 Rev
State Party: Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Committee decided not to inscribe this property on the World Heritage List.
Property: The Kysuce-Orava Switchback Railroad
Id. N°: 756
State Party: Slovakia
The Committee decided not to inscribe this property on the World Heritage List.
IX.1 The Secretariat presented the Working Document WHC-99/CONF.209/12 that contains the Action Plan for the Arab region which should be completed by December 2000, and the periodic reporting exercise for the African States that should be completed by December 2001.
IX.2 Particular mention was made of the links with the implementation of the Global Strategy. The periodic monitoring exercise would help States Parties to recognize their insufficiencies in the field of conservation and facilitate the identification of their needs. The managers of the sites will be trained and ultimately ...
23 COM X.A.1
Reports on the State of Conservation of Properties inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger
X.1 The Committee examined that state of conservation of fifteen natural and four cultural properties inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
X.2 Srebarna Nature Reserve (Bulgaria)
The Committee was informed that the State Party had submitted a detailed report on the project for monitoring the state of conservation of Srebarna and, in accordance with the request of the twenty-second session of the Committee (Kyoto, Japan, 1998), the Ministry of Environment and Water of the Republic of Bulgaria had submitted a National Report "concerning the progress in restoration of ecological status of Srebarna Reserve in accordance with its removing from the List of World Heritage in Danger". IUCN and the Centre presented a review of the ...
Sites: Srebarna Nature Reserve
X.3 Manovo-Gounda-St.Floris National Park (Central African Republic (CAR))
The Committee noted with concern that the President of the State Party has not responded to letters from the Director-General and the Chairperson, transmitting the recommendations of the twenty-second session of the Committee (Kyoto, Japan, 1998), inviting the President's urgent intervention for the preparation of a detailed state of conservation report and a rehabilitation plan for the conservation of the site. IUCN informed the Committee that it has received a report that calls for an urgent project formulation ...
23 COM X.A.4
SOC: Virunga National Park, Garamba National Park, Kahuzi Biega National Park, Okapi Wildlife Reserve (Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC))
X.4 Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)
Virunga National Park, Garamba National Park, Kahuzi Biega National Park, Okapi Wildlife Reserve
The Committee recalled the fact that at its last session (Kyoto, Japan, 1998) it had requested the Centre and IUCN to consult with ICCN and conservation NGOs working in the DRC and estimate the cost of paying allowances to staff at Virunga National Park as an interim measure, and submit a proposal for emergency assistance for consideration by the twenty-third session of the Bureau in 1999. The conservation NGOs, ICCN, concerned bilateral ...
X.5 Sangay National Park (Ecuador)
The Committee was pleased to note that, in accordance with the recommendation of its twenty-second session (Kyoto, 1998), the State Party had invited a mission to the site. The mission had been undertaken by IUCN experts and representatives of WWF, Fundacion Natura and the Ministry for the Environment of Ecuador, from 10 to 14 June 1999. The State Party did not have adequate time to respond to the mission's findings at the time of the twenty-third session of the Bureau (5-10 July 1999). Hence, the Bureau had requested that the State Party provide a ...
Sites: Sangay National Park
X.6 Simen National Park (Ethiopia)
The Committee noted with concern that the Centre has not yet received a response from the State Party to the letter transmitting the observations and recommendations of the twenty-third session of the Bureau (5 - 10 July 1999). IUCN had requested to consult with relevant authorities, particularly those in Bahir Dar, who disagreed with the decision of the twentieth session of the Committee (Merida, Mexico, 1996) to include Simen in the List of World Heritage in Danger. IUCN has not yet received any response to its requests in this regard. The lack of ...
Sites: Simien National Park
X.7 Mount Nimba Nature Reserve (Guinea/Cote d'Ivoire)
The Director-General of the Centre for Environmental Management of Mount Nimba (CEGEN), via his letter of 21 September 1999, has informed the Centre that the Government of Guinea created the CEGEN in 1995. It continues to explore the feasibility for exploiting the mine immediately adjacent to Mt. Nimba in a manner that would respect the integrity of the World Heritage site. The Government of Guinea, through CEGEN, has over the last few months entered into negotiations with UNDP and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) to finance a ...
X.8 Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve (Honduras)
The Committee was informed that the State Party has not yet responded to the recommendation of the last session of the Committee (Kyoto, Japan, 1998), reiterated by the twenty-third ordinary session of the Bureau held from 5 to 10 July 1999, to invite an IUCN/Centre mission to the site. IUCN has informed the Centre that some reports it has received question whether the Patuca II hydro power project will get approval for its implementation. The damage caused by Hurricane Mitch in 1998 appears to have revived concerns over the ecological ...
X.9 Manas Wildlife Sanctuary (India)
The Committee was informed that, as requested by the twentythird ordinary session of the Bureau (5-10 July 1999), IUCN has reviewed the justifications, provided by Indian authorities, to the budgetary revisions for the utilization of the US$ 70,000 of the US$ 90,000 approved by the twenty-first session of the Committee (Naples, Italy, 1997). The US$ 70,000 was originally intended for the reconstruction of guard camps and staff residential facilities destroyed during the Bodo militancy from 1989 to 1992. The revisions proposed suggested that the ...
Sites: Manas Wildlife Sanctuary
X.10 Aïr and Ténéré Natural Reserves (Niger)
The Committee was informed that the Chairperson had approved, in April 1999, US$ 20,000 for the sensitization of all stakeholders to the conservation needs of the site. The project is one of the five activities foreseen in the emergency rehabilitation plan prepared by the State Party and submitted to the twentythird session of the Bureau in July 1999. The total cost of implementing the plan is estimated at US$ 127,000. The Bureau had endorsed the plan and recommended that the Centre and IUCN explore ways and means for financing the ...
X.11 Ichkeul National Park (Tunisia)
The Committee was informed that the Bureau, at its twenty-third ordinary session in July 1999, agreed with the recommendations of a joint IUCN/Ramsar/Centre mission to the site, undertaken in February 1999, in accordance with the wish of Bureau and the Committee expressed at their respective sessions in 1998. The Bureau had welcomed the suggestion of the mission team that the State Party include, in its threat mitigation status report to the twenty-third session of the Committee, definitions of current and expected values for a set of indicators, e.g. ...
Sites: Ichkeul National Park
X.12 Everglades National Park (United States of America)
The Committee recalled that at its last session it had requested the State Party to submit an up-to-date state of conservation report on the site, including proposed action being taken by the State Party to determine impacts of rehabilitation measures on the integrity of the site and plans for the eventual removal of the site from the List of World Heritage in Danger. The Observer of the United States of America regretted the delay in the submission of the report requested by the last session of the Committee but informed the ...
Sites: Everglades National Park
X.13 Yellowstone National Park (United States of America)
The Committee recalled that at its last session it had requested the State Party to submit an up-to-date state of conservation report on the site. This should include proposed measures being taken by the State Party to determine impacts of rehabilitation measures on the integrity of the site and plans for the eventual removal of the site from the List of World Heritage in Danger. The Observer of the United States of America regretted the delay in the submission of the report requested by the last session of the Committee but ...
Sites: Yellowstone National Park
X.14 Butrint (Albania)
In response to the UNESCO-ICOMOS-Butrint Foundation assessment mission (October 1997), the Government of Albania has taken important decisions to strengthen management, planning and protection for the site. In August 1998, it created the Office for the World Heritage site of Butrint, for the coordination and implementation of actions at Butrint. In June 1999, it declared the surroundings of Butrint as a "National Park" in order to prevent illegal and inadequate developments; it is foreseen that the extended area will be incorporated in an even bigger Butrint Park. ...
Sites: Butrint
X.15 Angkor (Cambodia)
The Secretariat reported on the results of the International Coordination Committee for the Safeguarding and Development of the Historic Area of Angkor (ICC) which convened its plenary session in June 1999. The Committee's attention was drawn to the decision taken by the Royal Government of Cambodia to grant to a private company the collection of entry fees to Angkor Park for a five-year period, and the allocation in 1999 of US$ 800,000 by this company to the Authority for the Protection of the Site and Development of the Region of Angkor (ASPARA) for conservation ...
Sites: Angkor
X.16 Bahla Fort (Oman)
The Secretariat reported that monitoring missions were proceeding regularly and covered the preparation of the management plan of the site and of the surrounding oasis. Restoration works were entirely financed by the Omani Government that, since 1993, invested an amount of more than six million US dollars.
The Mining Museum in Bochum, Germany, provided photogrammetric records of the Fort that are indispensable for the restoration work.
The Committee thanked the State Party for its decision to finance the monitoring missions and the full cost of the restoration ...
Sites: Bahla Fort
X.17 Chan Chan Archaeological Zone (Peru)
The Secretariat informed the Committee that it had received, some ten days before the Committee session, a copy of the very extensive and recently completed Master Plan for the site. This plan was prepared by an interdisciplinary group of experts with assistance from the World Heritage Fund. The Secretariat also reported that at the time of the meeting, the Second Pan-America Course on the Conservation and Management of Earthen Architectural and Archaeological Heritage (Government of Peru, ICCROM, CRATerre EAG, Getty Conservation Institute) was ...
23 COM X.B.18-19
Reports on the State of Conservation of Properties inscribed on the World Heritage List
X.18 The Bureau at its twenty-third extraordinary session (November 1999) examined the state of conservation of sixty-six properties inscribed on the World Heritage List (thirty natural, four mixed and thirty-two cultural properties). The extensive deliberations and recommendations of the Bureau in November 1999 were included in the report of the session that was made available to the Committee as Working Document WHC-99/CONF.209/6. The relevant section of the report of the twenty-third extraordinary session of the Bureau is attached as Annex VIII.
X.19 The Committee examined the state ...
X.20 Iguaçu National Park (Brazil)
The Committee noted that an IUCN/UNESCO mission was carried out to this site in March 1999 and that the results were presented to the July 1999 Bureau session. The mission report dealt with four issues relevant to the integrity of this World Heritage site: The Colon road, helicopter flights, dams on the Iguaçu River, and management planning. The Committee noted that the Bureau, at its twenty-third extraordinary session, examined the issues and progress made and recommended inscription of this property on the List of World Heritage in ...
Sites: Iguaçu National Park
X.21 Salonga National Park (Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC))
The Committee noted that the heightened levels of threats due to poaching and illegal encroachments as well as the conditions which led the Bureau at its July session to recommend that the Committee inscribe this site in the List of World Heritage in Danger still prevail.
The Committee requested the Centre and IUCN to extend to Salonga the co-operation with the conservation NGOs, ICCN and other partners, targeted to raise international awareness and support for four other World Heritage sites in Danger in the DRC ...
Sites: Salonga National Park
X.22 Rwenzori Mountains (Uganda)
The Committee noted the reports on lack of resources, suspension of projects and serious security issues at the Park and that a greater part of the Park is not monitored by Park staff. The Committee also noted that the Bureau at its twenty-third session, examined the issues and recommended inscription of this property on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
The Committee expressed its serious concerns regarding the security situation at this site. The Committee requested the Centre and IUCN to work closely with the Uganda Wildlife Authority. ...
X.23 Great Barrier Reef (Australia)
The Committee recalled the reports from the twenty-third ordinary and the twenty-third extraordinary session of the Bureau on the state of conservation of this property and adopted the following decision:
"The Committee noted progress reported on the "Focused Recommendations" and the "Framework for management" relating to the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area (GBRWHA) at the twenty-third and the twenty-third extraordinary sessions of the Bureau. IUCN noted the framework for action, which has been prepared and that it concerns a long-term ...
Sites: Great Barrier Reef
X.24 Comoe National Park (Côte d'Ivoire)
The Committee recalled the reports from the twenty-third extraordinary session of the Bureau on the state of conservation of this property and adopted the following decision:
"The Committee noted the discussions at the twenty-third and twentythird extraordinary sessions of the Bureau concerning illegal logging activities that are threatening the integrity of the site.
The Committee requested the State Party to consider inviting a Centre/IUCN mission to the site during the year 2000 to review threats to the integrity of the site and plan ...
Sites: Comoé National Park
X.25 Whale Sanctuary of El Viscaino (Mexico)
The Committee recalled the reports from the twenty-third ordinary and the twenty-third extraordinary session of the Bureau on the state of conservation of this property.
The Committee noted that following its request and at the invitation of the Mexican authorities, a mission was carried out to the Whale Sanctuary of El Vizcaino from 23 to 28 August 1999. The full report and the recommendations of the mission were presented in Information Document WHC-99/CONF.209/INF.20.
The Secretariat introduced the report and the main findings of the ...
X.26 Doñana National Park (Spain)
The Committee recalled the reports from the twenty-third ordinary and the twenty-third extraordinary session of the Bureau on the state of conservation of this property and adopted the following decision:
"The Committee noted that during 1998 and 1999 a number of actions were undertaken to mitigate the impacts of the ecological disaster following the spill in April 1998, in particular the results of the International Expert Meeting on the Regeneration of the Doñana Watershed in October 1999 with the participation of the World Heritage ...
Sites: Doñana National Park
X.27 St. Kilda (United Kingdom)
The Committee recalled the reports from the twenty-third ordinary and the twenty-third extraordinary session of the Bureau on the state of conservation of this property and adopted the following decision:
The Committee noted that a round table meeting on the state of conservation of the site was held in Edinburgh on 24 September 1999 with the participation of a representative from IUCN/WCPA and the UNESCO World Heritage Centre.
IUCN underlined that it does not recommend that this site be placed on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
The Delegate of ...
Sites: St Kilda
X.28 The Committee noted the decisions of the twenty-third extraordinary session of the Bureau as reflected in the Report of the Bureau session (Working Document WHC-99/CONF.209/6) included as Annex VIII to this report. Additional observations made during the Committee session are reflected below.
Shark Bay, Western Australia (Australia)
Wet Tropics of Queensland (Australia)
Heard and McDonald Islands (Australia)
The Delegate of Australia thanked IUCN for the consultative process started, which could be a model for other State Parties. He also informed the Committee that the area of ...
Sites: Białowieża Forest Bwindi Impenetrable National Park Canaima National Park Dja Faunal Reserve Galápagos Islands Gough and Inaccessible Islands Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba Archipelago Heard and McDonald Islands Huascarán National Park Kaziranga National Park Komodo National Park Lake Baikal Los Katíos National Park Morne Trois Pitons National Park Mosi-oa-Tunya / Victoria Falls Mount Kenya National Park/Natural Forest Ngorongoro Conservation Area Sagarmatha National Park Serengeti National Park Shark Bay, Western Australia Te Wahipounamu – South West New Zealand Wet Tropics of Queensland
X.29 Tasmanian Wilderness (Australia)
The Committee recalled the reports from the twenty-third ordinary and the twenty-third extraordinary session of the Bureau on the state of conservation of this property and adopted the following decision:
"The Committee requested the Australian Committee for IUCN (ACIUCN) to complete its review process on the state of conservation of the Tasmanian Wilderness with the aim of submitting an up-to-date report to the twenty-fourth session of the Bureau in 2000. ACIUCN's review should include reference to any continuing concerns, such as those noted at ...
Sites: Tasmanian Wilderness
X.30 Mount Emei Scenic Area, including Leshan Giant Buddha Scenic Area (China)
The Committee recalled the report from the twenty-third extraordinary session of the Bureau on the state of conservation of this property and adopted the following decision:
"The Committee requested the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, before 15 April 2000, a state of conservation report on developments at "Mount Emei Scenic Area, including Leshan Giant Buddha Scenic Area."
X.31 Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu (Peru)
The Committee recalled the reports from the twenty-third ordinary and the twenty-third extraordinary session of the Bureau on the state of conservation of this property and adopted the following decision:
"The Committee, having examined the report of the World Heritage Centre-IUCN-ICOMOS mission to the Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu (made available to the Committee as Information Document WHC-99/CONF.209/INF.21), endorsed the conclusions and recommendations contained in it.
The Committee congratulated the Government of Peru on the ...
X.32 The Committee noted the decision of the twenty-third extraordinary session of the Bureau as reflected in the Report of the Bureau session (Working Document WHC-99/CONF.209/6) and included in Annex VIII on the following property.
Kakadu National Park (Australia)
Sites: Kakadu National Park
X.33 Groups of Monuments at Hampi (India)
The Committee recalled the reports from the twenty-third ordinary and the twenty-third extraordinary session of the Bureau on the state of conservation of this property and adopted the following decision:
"The Committee examined the findings of the UNESCO reactive monitoring mission, and expressing deep concern over the partial construction of two cable-suspended bridges within the protected archaeological areas of Hampi, decided to inscribe the site on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
In view of the ascertained and potential dangers ...
Sites: Group of Monuments at Hampi
X.34 Peking Man Site at Zhoukoudian (China)
The Committee recalled the reports from the twenty-third ordinary and the twenty-third extraordinary session of the Bureau on the state of conservation of this property and adopted the following decision:
"The Committee took note of the findings of the report and recommendations of the ICOMOS-ICCROM Joint Mission, undertaken in September 1999, which examined the state of conservation, management and factors affecting the Peking Man Site at Zhoukoudian. The Committee expressed appreciation to the Government of China, the advisory bodies and the ...
X.35 Islamic Cairo (Egypt)
The Committee recalled the reports from the twenty-third ordinary and the twenty-third extraordinary session of the Bureau on the state of conservation of this property and adopted the following decision:
"The Committee thanked the national authorities and the international community for its commitment in supporting this important and complex site. The Committee wished to remind the State Party of the need to ensure the continuity of the long-term action for the success in the safeguarding and revitalization of Islamic Cairo. It encouraged the State Party to ...
Sites: Historic Cairo
X.36 City-Museum Reserve of Mtskheta (Georgia)
The Committee recalled the report from the twenty-third extraordinary session of the Bureau on the state of conservation of this property and adopted the following decision:
"The Committee welcomed the initiative of the Government of Georgia and the Mtskheta Foundation to develop a Heritage and Tourism Master Plan for the City-Museum Reserve of Mtskheta. It expressed its full support for this initiative that will provide the appropriate framework for a coherent set of actions to be financed by different sources and donor institutions. The ...
X.37 Palaces and Parks of Potsdam and Berlin (Germany)
The Committee recalled the report from the twenty-third extraordinary session of the Bureau on the state of conservation of this property and adopted the following decision:
"The Committee commended the German authorities for their fifth report on the state of conservation of the Parks and Palaces of Potsdam and Berlin. It acknowledged the efforts made to restrict as much as possible the negative effects of the Havel project (German Unity Project 17) on the integrity of the World Heritage site. Nevertheless, it considered that ...
X.38 Sun Temple of Konarak (India)
The Committee recalled the reports from the twenty-third ordinary and the twenty-third extraordinary session of the Bureau on the state of conservation of this property and adopted the following decision:
"The Committee, having examined the developments at the Sun Temple of Konarak, expressed concern over its state of conservation. The Committee reiterated the Bureau's requests to the Government of India to submit information concerning the structural study implemented with the financial assistance from the World Heritage Fund emergency assistance ...
Sites: Sun Temple, Konârak
X.39 Byblos (Lebanon)
The Committee recalled the reports from the twenty-third ordinary and the twenty-third extraordinary session of the Bureau on the state of conservation of this property and adopted the following decision:
"The Committee noted with satisfaction the quality of the cooperation that had been established with the Lebanese authorities and the Municipality of Byblos. It congratulated and thanked the Netherlands for its generous contribution and encouraged all parties to continue their efforts in favour of this site. The Committee requested the Secretariat and ICOMOS to ...
Sites: Byblos
X.40 Tyre (Lebanon)
The Committee recalled the reports from the twenty-third ordinary and the twenty-third extraordinary session of the Bureau on the state of conservation of this property and adopted the following decision:
"The Committee thanked the Lebanese Government for their cooperation in the preservation of the City of Tyre. In view of the serious and persistent threats to the safeguarding of the site, the Committee requested that the recommendations of the International Scientific Committee be urgently implemented, particularly the adoption of a city management plan to ensure ...
Sites: Tyre
X.41 Historic Centre of Puebla (Mexico)
The Committee recalled the reports from the twenty-third ordinary and the twenty-third extraordinary session of the Bureau on the state of conservation of this property and adopted the following decision:
"The Committee thanked the Mexican authorities for the detailed report on the damages caused by the earthquake of 15 June 1999 to the World Heritage sites of the Historic Centre of Puebla and the Earliest 16th-Century Monasteries on the slopes of Popocatepetl. It commended the authorities for the immediate response given to the earthquake and the ...
Sites: Historic Centre of Puebla
X.42 Kathmandu Valley (Nepal)
The Secretariat, in reporting on the discussions during the twenty-third extraordinary session of the Bureau and its recommendations, reminded the Committee that the Kathmandu Valley inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1979 is composed of seven Monument Zones. While these zones also contain builtup areas composed of traditional buildings, the boundaries of the protected areas were defined on the basis of a monumental vision, rather than with the objective of protecting a larger urban heritage. Thus, given the relatively limited number of traditional ...
Sites: Kathmandu Valley
X.43 Taxila (Pakistan)
Fort and Shalamar Gardens of Lahore (Pakistan)
The Committee recalled the reports from the twenty-third ordinary and the twenty-third extraordinary session of the Bureau on the state of conservation of this property and adopted the following decision:
"The Committee examined the report of the Secretariat. The Committee expressed concern over the demolition of the 375-year old essential hydraulic works of the Shalamar Gardens, which had been carried out to enlarge the 4-lane Grand Trunk Road into a 6-lane motorway, as well as the completed football stadium built ...
X.44 Central Zone of Angra do Heroismo in the Azores (Portugal)
The Committee recalled the reports from the twenty-third ordinary and the twenty-third extraordinary session of the Bureau on the state of conservation of this property and adopted the following decision:
"The Committee took note of the information provided by the State Party on the marina project in the Bay of Angra do Heroismo and the opinions expressed by ICOMOS. The Committee endorsed the views of ICOMOS regarding the proposed rehabilitation of the waterfront and urged the Portuguese authorities to take these into ...
X.45 Complex of Hué Monuments (Vietnam)
The Committee recalled the report from the twenty-third extraordinary session of the Bureau on the state of conservation of this property and adopted the following decision:
"The Committee examined the report of the Secretariat and expressed sympathy for the victims of the November floods and concern over the serious extent of the damage caused by the floods to the monuments and urban landscape of the Hue World Heritage site. Having examined the new information provided to the Bureau by the Vietnamese authorities and the Secretariat, the ...
Sites: Complex of Hué Monuments
X.46 The Committee noted the decisions of the twenty-third extraordinary session of the Bureau as reflected in the Report of the Bureau session (Working Document WHC-99/CONF.209/6) and included in Annex VIII of this report on the following properties:
Jesuit Missions of the Guaranis (Argentina and Brazil)
The Jesuit Mission of Santa Ana (Argentina)
The Potala Palace, Lhasa (China)
City of Quito (Ecuador)
The Delegate of Ecuador informed the Committee that the volcano Pichincha had erupted on 5 October and November 26 1999 and that the National Institute for Cultural Heritage (INPC) ...
Sites: Alhambra, Generalife and Albayzín, Granada Asante Traditional Buildings Auschwitz Birkenau German Nazi Concentration and Extermination Camp (1940-1945) Chavin (Archaeological Site) Churches and Convents of Goa City of Cuzco City of Quito Historic Areas of Istanbul Historic Centre (Old Town) of Tallinn Historic Ensemble of the Potala Palace, Lhasa Island of Mozambique Jesuit Missions of the Guaranis: San Ignacio Mini, Santa Ana, Nuestra Señora de Loreto and Santa Maria Mayor (Argentina), Ruins of Sao Miguel das Missoes (Brazil) Lumbini, the Birthplace of the Lord Buddha Mont-Saint-Michel and its Bay Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras Roman Monuments, Cathedral of St Peter and Church of Our Lady in Trier Seokguram Grotto and Bulguksa Temple Town of Luang Prabang
X.48 The Committee recalled that, based on discussions of specific cases at its twenty-second session, the former Chairperson, Professor Francioni, recommended the establishment of an informal contact group on mining and World Heritage sites during the annual sessions of the Committee and the Bureau.
X.49 The Committee noted that a dialogue with the mining industry had commenced and that the Centre, IUCN and ICOMOS had been invited by the International Council on Metals and the Environment (ICME) to a working session on "Mining and Protected Areas and other Ecologically Sensitive Sites" ...
XI.1 The Secretariat presented the activities detailed in Document WHC-99/CONF.209/15 on World Heritage Documentation, Information and Education Activities.
XI.2 The Director of the Centre introduced this item by recalling the new orientations of the Strategic Plan for Documentation, Information and Education approved by the Committee in 1998 at its twenty-second session. He further recalled the key strategic objectives set forth in the Strategic Plan. He stressed the need to strengthen the documentation function of the Centre, prepare new information materials with particular emphasis ...
XII.1 The Chairperson introduced item 12 of the agenda concerning the evaluation of international assistance and gave the floor to the representative of the Central Evaluation Unit of UNESCO, who reported on the progress made in the evaluation process, and underlined the competence and independence of the consultants retained. He also insisted upon the training character of this evaluation exercise and the interest in retaining this as an organizational learning process. He finished by presenting a proposal to foresee a reserve of US$ 40,000 in the next budget to carry out impact studies ...
XIII.2 The Secretariat recalled that the Operational Guidelines have been revised many times over the last twenty years and are generally considered as requiring substantial editing and reorganization. In 1998 a Global Strategy meeting for cultural and natural heritage experts was held in Amsterdam in the Netherlands. The meeting discussed the application of the "test of authenticity" and the "conditions of integrity", the question of a unified set of criteria for cultural and natural heritage and the notion of "outstanding universal value". The report of the Amsterdam meeting was ...
XIII.13 The Committee considered the revision to paragraph 65 of the Operational Guidelines as recommended by the Bureau at its twenty-third session. The Committee recalled that discussions took place at the twenty-second session of the Committee and the twenty-third session of the Bureau on the proposal made by the Delegate of Italy, and that a working group chaired by Professor Francionni had reviewed the implications of paragraph 65 during the twenty-third session of the World Heritage Bureau, and indicated that the evaluations of nominations, prepared by the advisory bodies, be ...
XIII.16 The Committee recalled that the Bureau at its twenty-third session considered a proposal made by the Delegate of Australia that reactive state of conservation reports also be transmitted to the States Parties concerned prior to the Bureau and Committee sessions. The Bureau had subsequently transmitted to the Committee a proposed revision to paragraph 68 of the Operational Guidelines.
XIII.17 The Committee decided to defer the examination of the proposed revision. It requested that this matter be considered in the framework of the meeting on the Operational Guidelines that will ...
XIII.18 The Bureau at its twenty-third session had requested the Secretariat to propose specific revisions to paragraphs 113- 116 related to priorities in providing International Assistance to States Parties. The Secretariat, however, proposed to the Committee that these revisions be prepared on the basis of the outcome of the evaluation of International Assistance that was currently being undertaken.
XIII.19 The Delegate of Belgium stated that a revision was necessary, as the present Guidelines do not exactly reflect the priorities set out in the resolution adopted by the twelfth ...
23 COM XIV.1-12
Examination of the World Heritage Fund and Approval of the Budget for 2000 and Presentation of a Provisional Budget for 2001
XIV.1 The Chairperson presented the following documents concerning the agenda item 14:
WHC-99/CONF.209/18, which presents the World Heritage Fund, the income and forecasts, the work plan and the proposed budget. This document also presents the justification of the annual requirements of the advisory bodies as well as the accounts of the World Heritage Fund as at 31 December 1998, the detailed financial statement as at 31 December 1998 and the accounts and income of the World Heritage Fund as at 30 September 1999.
WHC-99/CONF.209/INF.18, which presents the activity reports of ICOMOS, ...
XV.3 In order to allow sufficient time for the Secretariat, Advisory Bodies, and Committee to adequately examine individual requests, and in view of the limited funds available under the World Heritage Fund technical assistance budget, the Committee adopted the following:
"The Committee urged States Parties to respect the deadline for submission of international assistance requests, as indicated in paragraph 112 of the Operational Guidelines, to ensure that the Secretariat, Advisory Bodies, and Committee have adequate time to evaluate and examine requests. Taking note of the ...
XV.4 Upon examination of 55 requests, the Bureau approved 20 requests for a total amount of US$ 582,700, the Committee approved 15 requests for a total amount of US$ 744,348, and the Committee took note of 18 requests to be approved by the Chairperson for a total amount of US$ 298,229, and two requests to be approved by the Director of the World Heritage Centre for a total amount of US$ 10,000.
International Assistance for Natural Heritage
The Committee noted that the following three requests for a total amount of US$ 60,000 had been submitted for examination and approval by the Chairperson for Natural Heritage.
1.AFRICA(c).II GABON Training assistance
Workshop on implementation of the World Heritage Convention, preparation of Tentative List & Nomination of natural properties
US$ 20,000 requested US$ 20,000 recommended for approval
1.ASIA(d).II REGIONAL (NEPAL) Training assistance
Support for natural World Heritage site managers from Bangladesh, ...
The Committee took note that the following eight requests for international assistance for natural heritage had been approved by the Bureau for a total of US$ 265,700.
1.AFRICA(a).I KENYA Preparatory assistance
Preparation of nomination for «Great Rift Valley Lakes System» incorporating Lake Nakuru and the Naivasha National Park and Lake Bogoria National Reserve
US$ 30,000 requested US$ 30,000 approved
The Committee noted that the amount approved is conditional to the State Party providing a detailed explanation on the potential cultural heritage values of the area being ...
The Committee examined and approved the following request for international assistance for natural heritage for a total of US$ 50,000, which had been recommended by the Bureau:
1.AFRICA(d).II COTE D'IVOIRE Technical Co-operation
Strengthening protection of Comoe National Park
US$ 59,500 requested US$ 50,000 approved
The Committee approved a sum of US$ 50,000 of the US$ 59,500 requested by the State Party and requested the World Heritage Centre and the State Party to co-operate to achieve cost-savings in the budget lines concerned with the purchase of vehicles and computers and ...
Sites: Comoé National Park
23 COM XV.6
International Assistance for Natural Heritage approved by the Committee and the Bureau according to Region and Type of Assistance
XV.6 The requests for international assistance for natural heritage approved by the Committee and Bureau are listed below according to region and type of assistance. (amounts in US dollars).
Allocation for natural heritage for 2000
Africa
Arab States
Asia & Pacific
Latin America & Caribbean
(a) Preparatory assistance
N/A
30,000
15,000
(b) Emergency assistance
N/A
75,000
(c) Training assistance
At ...
2. International Assistance for Mixed Heritage
The Committee noted that the following two requests for a total amount of US$ 34,500 had been submitted for examination and approval by the Chairperson for mixed heritage:
2.ARAB(a).I EGYPT Preparatory assistance
Nomination of St. Catherine Area and South Sinai, as mixed (natural and cultural landscape) site
US$ 19,500 requested US$ 19,500 recommended for approval
The Committee took note that the State Party was to be invited to withdraw its 1999 nomination of St. Catherine and to re-submit a nomination of St. Catherine and south ...
Sites: Saint Catherine Area
The Committee took note that the Bureau had approved the following request for international assistance for mixed heritage for a total of US$ 30,000.
2.PACIFIC(a).I PAPUA NEW GUINEA Preparatory assistance
Preparation of the Bobongara nomination
US$ 31,123 requested US$ 30,000 approved
The Bureau approved US$ 30,000 subject to the State Party paying its dues to the World Heritage Fund in 1998 and 1999. The Bureau requested the State Party to give consideration for preparing the nomination of Bobongara as a mixed site or as a cultural site, taking into consideration the comments from ...
3. International Assistance for Cultural Heritage
The Committee noted that the following thirteen requests for a total amount of US$ 203,729 had been submitted for examination and approval by the Chairperson for cultural heritage:
3.AFRICA(a).I BOTSWANA Preparatory assistance
Tsolido nomination preparation
US$ 19,094 requested US$ 19,094 recommended for approval
3.AFRICA(a).IV KENYA Preparatory assistance
Preparation of the Lamu nomination dossier
US$ 15,924 requested US$ 15,924 recommended for approval
3.AFRICA(a).VI TOGO Preparatory assistance
Tentative ...
Sites: Antigua Guatemala Archaeological Park and Ruins of Quirigua Fort and Shalamar Gardens in Lahore Lamu Old Town Ngorongoro Conservation Area Ruins of Kilwa Kisiwani and Ruins of Songo Mnara Tsodilo
The Committee took note that the Bureau had approved the following 11 requests for international assistance for cultural heritage for a total of US$ 287,000.
3.AFRICA(a).II GAMBIA Preparatory assistance
Follow-up actions to ICOMOS recommendations for James Island & Albreda Juffure Santo Domingo Historic Zone
US$ 30,000 requested US$ 30,000 approved
The Bureau approved US$ 30,000 for this activity, which is in line with the implementation of the Global Strategy and aims at the preparation of a nomination file in accordance with ICOMOS recommendations, subject to the State Party ...
Sites: Complex of Koguryo Tombs Forts and Castles, Volta, Greater Accra, Central and Western Regions Historic Centre of Riga Kondoa Rock-Art Sites Kunta Kinteh Island and Related Sites Old Havana and its Fortification System
The Committee examined and approved the following 14 requests for international assistance for cultural heritage for a total of US$ 694,348, which had been recommended by the Bureau:
3.AFRICA(c).I REGIONAL Training assistance
AFRICA 2009
US$ 80,000 requested US$ 80,000 approved
The Committee approved US$ 80,000 for this training activity in the sub-Saharan African region bearing in mind that the activity would be implemented by the World Heritage Centre, ICCROM and CRATerreEAG.
3.AFRICA(d).III ZIMBABWE Technical Co-operation
Implementation of a management plan for Khami ...
Sites: Archaeological Site of Carthage Complex of Hué Monuments Earliest 16th-Century Monasteries on the Slopes of Popocatepetl Historic Areas of Istanbul Historic Cairo Historic Centre of Puebla Historic Centre of Shakhrisyabz Historical Monuments of Mtskheta Hoi An Ancient Town Khami Ruins National Monument Ouadi Qadisha (the Holy Valley) and the Forest of the Cedars of God (Horsh Arz el-Rab) Port, Fortresses and Group of Monuments, Cartagena Samarkand – Crossroad of Cultures
23 COM XV.8
International Assistance for Cultural Heritage approved by the Bureau and the Committee according to Region and Type of Assistance
The requests for international assistance for cultural heritage approved by the Bureau and Committee are listed according to region and type of assistance (amounts in US dollars).
Allocation for Cultural heritage for 2000
Africa
Arab States
Asia & Pacific
Europe
Latin America & Caribbean
(a) Preparatory assistance
N/A
30,000 30,000 7,000
30,000
(b) Emergency assistance
N/A
50,000
100,000
(c) Training ...
XV.9 The Committee and the Bureau together approved US$ 345,700 for natural heritage requests, US$ 30,000 for a mixed heritage request, and US$ 1,058,983 for cultural heritage requests, amounting to a total of US$ 1,434,683. Should all recommended amounts for the requests under US$ 20,000 for cultural heritage training be approved by the Chairperson, there will be virtually no funds remaining for this category of assistance for year 2000. Moreover, should all recommended amounts for preparatory assistance be approved by the Chairperson, there will remain approximately US$ 29,035 under ...
23 COM XVI.1-3
Date, Place and Provisional Agenda of the Twenty-Fourth Session of the Bureau of the World Heritage Committee
XVI.1 The Committee decided that the twenty-fourth ordinary session of the Bureau would be held at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France, from 26 June to 1 July 2000. The Committee adopted the provisional agenda for the session (Annex X), including the item proposed by the Delegate of Greece (training of personnel).
XVI.2 Several delegates noted that the follow-up to the General Assembly should be included in the agenda of the Bureau and that the discussion on this agenda item should be given enough time and attention. The Delegate of Hungary informed the Committee about the Resolution ...
XVII.1 The Chairperson recalled that the Australian Government had invited the World Heritage Committee for the year 2000 during the twentieth, twenty-first and twenty-second sessions of the Committee, as indicated in the respective reports. He also referred to official letters of invitation by the authorities of Australia and of Hungary to the Director-General of UNESCO on this matter.
XVII.2 The Delegate of Hungary announced that his Government is withdrawing its invitation to the Committee for the year 2000 and supports the Australian invitation, and that the Hungarian authorities ...
XVIII.1 The Chairperson informed the Bureau that an Algerian non-governmental organization, "Algerie 2000", volunteered to assist in the Periodic Reporting of the Maghreb region and that this NGO has experience, in particular in the restoration of the Kasbah of Algiers. The Committee expressed its appreciation by acclamation.
XVIII.2 The Observer of Uganda informed the Committee that the question of the involvement of the International Council of Museums (ICOM) should be reviewed, in particular with regard to the movable heritage, in particular with regard to moveable heritage and the ...