World Heritage Centre

43 COM 7.1 Statutory matters related to Reactive Monitoring

wh-support@unesco.org — Sun, 30 Jun 2019 00:00:00 EST

The World Heritage Committee,

Having examined Documents WHC/19/43.COM/7,
Recalling Decisions 40 COM 7, 41 COM 7, and 42 COM 7, adopted at its 40th (Istanbul/UNESCO, 2016), 41st (Krakow, 2017) and 42nd (Manama, 2018) sessions respectively,
Thanks the State Party of Azerbaijan, Host Country of the 43rd session of the World Heritage Committee (Baku, 2019), for having organized the third World Heritage Site Managers’ Forum, as a capacity-building exercise aimed at increasing the understanding of the World Heritage decision-making process among site managers, in order to achieve more effective protection of Outstanding Universal Value (OUV), takes note with appreciation of the 2019 World Heritage Site Managers’ Forum Statement and encourages the future Host Countries to continue this initiative in conjunction with the World Heritage Committee session;

Evaluation of the Reactive Monitoring process
Taking note with appreciation of the evaluation of the Reactive Monitoring process launched by the World Heritage Centre, thanks the State Party of Switzerland for its financial support, as well as the experts tasked with this evaluation, for their thorough analysis of this process, instrumental in achieving the objectives of the World Heritage Convention;
Expresses its gratitude to all the stakeholders of the Convention who have actively contributed to this evaluation;
Notes that the recommendations formulated in the evaluation refer to improvements of the current practices and do not call for structural changes nor amendments to the statutory documents, and requests all stakeholders of the Convention to take them on-board and implement them at their level as soon as possible;
Agrees that the World Heritage Centre should prioritize implementation of the high priority recommendations, with an initial focus on those relevant to communication, capacity-building, including for site managers, and finance;
Also requests the World Heritage Centre to present a progress report on the implementation of the recommendations, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 44th session in 2020;

Issues related to the List of World Heritage in Danger
Reaffirming the need to promote a better understanding of the implications and benefits of properties being inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger,
Thanks the State Party of Romania for its initiative to host a multi-stakeholder international workshop focusing on the List of World Heritage in Danger, including exchange of good practice, promotion of the properties inscribed on this List and the conservation needs to improve their state of conservation, such as Costed Action Plans;
Requests the World Heritage Centre to present a report on this workshop and other initiatives related to the List of World Heritage in Danger at the 44th session in 2020;

Selection of the World Heritage properties to be proposed for discussion
Reaffirming the importance of focusing the debates on those properties and global conservation issues of greatest concern during the World Heritage Committee sessions, and taking into account the results of the evaluation of the Reactive Monitoring process,
Supports the outcomes of the reflection conducted by the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies regarding the elaboration of the list of state of conservation reports to be proposed for discussion by the Committee, as well as the current practice allowing Committee members to add to this list the reports they wish to discuss, by providing a written request to the Chairperson of the Committee, through the World Heritage Centre, sufficiently in advance of the session, and indicating the reason why the reports are requested to be opened for discussion;
Recognizes that the selection of the state of conservation reports to be discussed by the Committee during its sessions should be based on clear and objective criteria, including the level of threat to the property, rather than being based on representativity.

43 COM 7.2 Pressing conservation issues

wh-support@unesco.org — Sun, 30 Jun 2019 00:00:00 EST

The World Heritage Committee,

Having examined Documents WHC/19/43.COM/7, WHC/19/43.COM/7A, WHC/19/43.COM/7A.Add, WHC/19/43.COM/7A.Add.2, WHC/19/43.COM/7A.Add.3, WHC/19/43.COM/7B, WHC/19/43.COM/7B.Add, WHC/19/43.COM/7B.Add.2 and WHC/19/43.COM/7A.Add.3,
Recalling Decisions 40 COM 7, 41 COM 7, and 42 COM 7, adopted at its 40th (Istanbul/UNESCO, 2016), 41st (Krakow, 2017) and 42nd (Manama, 2018) sessions respectively,

Emergency situations resulting from conflicts
Deplores the loss of human life as well as the degradation of humanitarian conditions resulting from the prevailing conflict situations in several countries, and expresses its utmost concern at the devastating damage sustained and the continuing threats facing cultural and natural heritage in general;
Expresses its deep concern at the inter-community conflicts observed in Mali between the Dogon and Fulani communities, which have caused considerable loss of human life and significant damage to the cultural heritage, particularly within the World Heritage property of the Cliffs of Bandiagara (Land of the Dogons);
Thanks the State Party of Mali for the urgent actions that have been put in place to ensure the safety of communities in and around the property, and encourages the State Party, to also take into account in its actions the protection of the property’s rich cultural heritage, and to do so in collaboration with the stakeholders involved in the establishment of long-term peace in Mali;
Welcomes the dispatch of a UNESCO mission to assess the damage caused to the property, and identify the needs related to the built and intangible cultural heritage and the objects and practices associated with the Cliffs of Bandiagara, in order to propose an Action Plan for the rehabilitation of the villages concerned;
Urges again all parties associated with conflicts to refrain from any action that would cause further damage to cultural and natural heritage and to fulfill their obligations under international law by taking all possible measures to protect such heritage, in particular the safeguarding of World Heritage properties and the sites included in the Tentative List;
Also urges again States Parties to adopt measures against using World Heritage properties for military purposes and to stop related uncontrolled development and impact;
Reiterates its utmost concern about the continuing threats of wildlife poaching and illegal trafficking of wildlife products linked to impacts of conflict and organized crime, which is eroding the biodiversity and Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of many World Heritage sites across the world, and urges States Parties to take the necessary measures to curb this problem, including through the implementation of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES);
Calls upon the international community to further support the safeguarding of the cultural and natural heritage of countries affected by conflict, through earmarked funds or through contributions to the UNESCO Heritage Emergency Fund;
Appeals to all Member States of UNESCO to cooperate in the fight against the illicit trafficking of cultural objects, as well as cultural heritage protection in general, including through the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolutions 2199 (2015), 2253 (2015) and 2347 (2017);

Reconstruction
Thanks the State Party of Poland for the efforts to widely disseminate the Warsaw Recommendation on Recovery and Reconstruction of Cultural Heritage, as well as the proceedings of the international conference "The Challenges of World Heritage Recovery" held in Warsaw in May 2018;
Welcomes the policy document "Culture in the reconstruction and rehabilitation of cities", published by UNESCO and the World Bank, which contributes to the reflection launched on the challenges related to the reconstruction of World Heritage properties;
Requests the World Heritage Centre, ICOMOS and ICCROM and the States Parties to the World Heritage Convention, to continue the reflection on the recovery and reconstruction of World Heritage properties, and requests the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies report back to the World Heritage Committee on the progress made in improving advice in this regard;

Climate Change
Notes with appreciation the initiatives taken by the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies to advance work on updating the Policy Document on the Impacts of Climate Change on World Heritage properties, including through a planned widespread online consultation with States Parties, Advisory Bodies and civil society;
Requests that the development of the updated Policy Document be completed for consideration by the Committee at its 44th session in 2020;
Welcomes the initiative taken by the World Heritage Centre together with a global private-public consortium of partners, to build climate adaptation strategies across five marine World Heritage sites in Australia, Belize, France and Palau;
Urges all States Parties to step up action toward better understanding the climate vulnerability of World Heritage properties and put in place adaptation strategies that strengthen the resilience of properties and ensure the conservation of their Outstanding Universal Value.

43 COM 7.3 Other matters

wh-support@unesco.org — Sun, 30 Jun 2019 00:00:00 EST

The World Heritage Committee,

Having examined Documents WHC/19/43.COM/7, WHC/19/43.COM/7A, WHC/19/43.COM/7A.Add, WHC/19/43.COM/7A.Add.2, WHC/19/43.COM/7A.Add.3, WHC/19/43.COM/7B, WHC/19/43.COM/7B.Add, WHC/19/43.COM/7B.Add.2 and WHC/19/43.COM/7A.Add.3,
Recalling Decision 42 COM 7, adopted at its 42nd (Manama, 2018),

Management Plans in the context of urban development
Noting that the many Management Plans and management systems for urban properties are not adequately anchored in the legal mechanisms, systems, and processes for urban development,
Also noting that the pressures of high investment urban development projects in and around properties are increasingly a threat to their Outstanding Universal Value (OUV), and that in contrast, the OUV could provide a valuable opportunity for the property and its wider setting to define a new urban vision that integrates and valorizes the OUV with new needs and aspirations,
Recalling that the approach of the 2011 UNESCO Recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape has highlighted the need for urban areas to be well integrated into their wider social, economic and cultural context, calls on all States Parties to prepare and deliver Management Plans, for properties in and around urban areas, so that their planning elements can be integrated directly into the planning and development policies, plans, processes and instruments; regardless of whether the property is inscribed for its urban values or not;
Requests the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies to continue reflecting on the mechanisms and tools needed to assess and guide interventions in and around urban properties to sustain the OUV of the properties and to promote sustainable development and actively engage with the wider development processes that could over time impact the appearance, use, and meaning of buildings and spaces in properties and their settings;
Notes with appreciation the International Union of Architects Forum (UIA) on “Mass Tourism in Historic Cities”, which was held in Baku, Azerbaijan, on 7-9 June 2019 and welcomes the proposal of the UIA to prepare, in close cooperation with the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies, guidelines for architectural competitions in and around World Heritage urban properties that will recognise their Outstanding Universal Value;
Welcomes the offer of the Government of Japan to host an international experts meeting in January 2020 to provide further guidelines for the integration of the assessment of the impacts for interventions in the wider processes of urban management by applying the 2011 Recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape to address the challenges of increased urbanization in close cooperation with the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies;
Calls on the UNESCO Secretariat to develop measures to address the inherently limited nature of institutional capacity in SIDS, acting as an impediment in identifying, inventorying and proposing potential cultural and natural heritage sites for listing;

Tourism
Acknowledging the contribution of sustainable tourism to the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development and the positive impact it can have on local communities and the protection of World Heritage properties, nevertheless notes with concern that the number of properties negatively affected by overcrowding, congestion and tourism infrastructure development continues to increase;
Noting that the protection of Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) must be a central objective for all World Heritage properties, requests States Parties to develop visitor management plans and strategies that address the seasonality of tourism (smoothing visitor numbers over time and spreading visitors across sites), encourage longer more in-depth experiences promoting tourism products and services that reflect natural and cultural values, and limit access and activities to improve visitor flows and experiences, while reducing pressures on the attributes which underpin OUV ;
Encourages the States Parties to support UNESCO in its efforts to assist heritage and tourism managers with system development and data collection to help destinations understand their specific situations and early warning signs, provide incentives for sustainable tourism development and raise awareness to change visitor behaviour;
Calls on UNESCO Secretariat to recognize opportunities for forging synergies between core UNESCO activities that could be harnessed to strengthen heritage sites: youth, heritage tourism training, sustainable heritage tourism and biodiversity, and relate it directly to SIDS;

Heritage Impact Assessments / Environmental Impact Assessments (HIAs/EIAs)
Notes the progress of revising the guidance on impact assessment for World Heritage undertaken by the ICCROM/IUCN World Heritage Leadership Programme together with the World Heritage Centre and ICOMOS.

43 COM 7A.1 Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra (Indonesia) (N 1167)

wh-support@unesco.org — Sun, 30 Jun 2019 00:00:00 EST

The World Heritage Committee,

Having examined Document WHC/19/43.COM/7A,
Recalling Decision 42 COM 7A.40 adopted at its 42nd session (Manama, 2018),
Welcomes the progress achieved by the State Party on increasing patrols within the property to reduce poaching and illegal logging, and the commitment of the Provincial Government of Aceh to prioritize the prevention of further deforestation in the Aceh part of the Leuser Ecosystem;
Takes note of the Emergency Action Plan for Sumatran Rhino and guidebook for monitoring Sumatran Tiger but notes with concern the continued spatial limitation of the surveys that do not allow for comprehensive monitoring of the Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger (DSOCR), and requests the State Party to monitor range occupancy of the four key species (Sumatran Elephant, Tiger, Rhino and Orangutan);
Notes with significant concern the ongoing forest loss and strongly requests the State Party to scale up efforts to halt encroachment and to implement control measures to prevent further proliferation of the invasive species Merremia peltata while prioritizing increased patrolling, monitoring and forest restoration activities of ecologically sensitive areas, wildlife corridors, and road sides;
Also requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre the 2018 forest cover data that will form the baseline for measuring progress towards achieving the indicator for the DSOCR, and to also report on the forest cover in the property, to allow a consistent comparison across the years;
Also welcomes the State Party’s commitment not to grant any permits for geothermal energy exploration inside the property, and encourages the State Party to legislate against possible future geothermal development proposals inside World Heritage properties;
Further requests the State Party to ensure that all planned projects or works are subject to Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) processes in conformity with IUCN’s World Heritage Advice Note on Environmental Assessment, with a specific section focusing on the potential impact of the project on the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV), and that information about any planned projects is submitted to the World Heritage Centre for review by IUCN, in accordance with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines;
Notes that the State Party will consult the World Heritage Centre and IUCN to develop a proposal for a significant boundary modification to better reflect the OUV of the property and the modifications made to the national park boundaries via Ministerial Decrees;
Reiterates its concern that two road upgrade projects have been approved without the necessary EIA process and urges the State Party:

a) Not to start the construction of the Karo-Langkat road upgrade until an EIA, including an assessment of the OUV of the property, has been undertaken in consultation with IUCN,

b) To ensure that a comprehensive assessment of the impacts on the OUV for the Bukit Tapan road upgrade is undertaken and appropriate mitigation measures identified and submitted to the World Heritage Centre for review by IUCN prior to further construction taking place;
Requests furthermore the State Party to enhance the geographic coverage of patrols in the property, to expedite the boundary demarcation of the property to halt encroachment, and to continue implementing all other corrective measures;
Finally requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2020, an updated report on the state of conservation of the property and the implementation of the above, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 44th session in 2020;
Decides to retain the Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra (Indonesia) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.

43 COM 7A.2 East Rennell (Solomon Islands) (N 854)

wh-support@unesco.org — Sun, 30 Jun 2019 00:00:00 EST

The World Heritage Committee,

Having examined Document WHC/19/43.COM/7A.Add,
Recalling Decision 42 COM 7A.41, adopted at its 42nd session (Manama, 2018),
Commends the efforts made by customary landowners, local communities and the State Party to protect the property, in particular by not allowing commercial logging and mining within the property;
Regrets however that a logging concession has been granted up to 200 meters from the boundary of the property without assessing the impacts on its Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) and before an understanding of the ecological connectivity between East and West Rennell is available, requests the State Party to submit an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for this project, and urges the State Party to closely monitor the situation, ensure that the boundary of the World Heritage property is clearly demarcated on the ground, and extend the buffer zone as new scientific information becomes available;
Notes that the letter submitted to the World Heritage Centre on behalf of the Tuhunui Tribe of East Rennell in May 2018, indicating their wish to withdraw its customary land from the World Heritage property, has been revoked, and also notes the competing claims of customary rights among tribes and individual households;
Welcomes the State Party’s effort to initiate dialogue with customary landowners and local communities concerning the 2010 Protected Areas Act, but also regrets that little progress has been made with the implementation of the commitments made by the State Party at the 2017 Round Table, including the finalization of a Management Plan, which was recommended by the Committee at the time of inscription in 1998, and also urges the State Party to include those commitments in the work plan and budget of relevant ministries;
Adopts the following corrective measures and also requests the State Party to implement them, as a matter of urgency, to strengthen the protection of the OUV and integrity of the property while enhancing livelihoods of local communities:

a) Adopt a new Cabinet Paper, prepared by the three Chairs of the 2017 Round Table, reconfirming the 2016 Cabinet Paper, reaffirming all Round Table Ministerial commitments for East Rennell and directing all ministries to provide a concrete timeline and budget for their implementation,

b) Ensure that the Lake Tegano World Heritage Site Association (LTWHSA) can officially and immediately apply for National Protected Areas status for the World Heritage property in order to initiate the official consultation process by the Director of the Environment and Conservation Division, and to finalize the Management Plan (including zoning),

c) Ensure that the World Heritage property is actively promoted, including on the website of the Solomon Islands Visitors Bureau and on all relevant maps and promotional leaflets, and immediately begin actively promoting appropriate tourism using existing accommodations and facilities;
Further requests the State Party to implement all other recommendations of the 2019 Reactive Monitoring mission, including:

a) Clarify the consent provision of the 2010 Protected Areas Act, particularly what concerns the ‘interested parties’ who would need to be involved in the process,

b) Provide the LTWHSA with the support needed to manage the World Heritage property to international standards,

c) Improve access to the property for tourists and local communities and improve access to basic services and facilities,

d) Prioritize the development of sustainable livelihoods for the local communities, recognizing the important role played by women in East Rennell, including through a development plan, and seek technical and financial support from the international community for this effort,

e) Ensure the Rennell-Bellona Constituency Development Fund reserves an allocation for East Rennell and its local communities,

f) Develop a scientific research programme at Lake Tegano, seeking support from the international research community and also incorporating traditional ecological knowledge,

g) Continue and expand the recently started bird monitoring program, and seek international support to mitigate the effects of invasive species,

h) Ensure that EIAs are carried out for all proposed developments within the property and its vicinity to guarantee that these do not have a negative impact on the OUV of the property,

i) Consider registering and surveying all lands under the Registration of Customary Lands Act, prioritizing the western shore of the lake, where most people live and where initial tourism lodges should be clustered,

j) Record and map local culture, traditional and living knowledge, customary governance, genealogies and language of the East Rennell communities,

k) Consider assessing, in the 2020 state of conservation report, whether the current timeframe for implementing the Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger (DSOCR) is realistic;
Notes with great satisfaction the substantial support that the States Parties of Australia and New Zealand provided to the Solomon Islands in an effort to prevent the Kangava Bay oil spill from reaching the property, and calls upon the ship owner and insurer of the MV Solomon Trader to cover all expenses of the ecological and socio-economical impacts;
Requests furthermore the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2020, an updated report on the state of conservation of the property and the implementation of the above, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 44th session in 2020;
Decides to retain East Rennell (Solomon Islands) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.

43 COM 7A.3 Everglades National Park (United States of America) (N 76)

wh-support@unesco.org — Sun, 30 Jun 2019 00:00:00 EST

The World Heritage Committee,

Having examined Document WHC/19/43.COM/7A.Add,
Recalling Decision 41 COM 7A.1, adopted at its 41st session (Krakow, 2017),
Welcomes the progress achieved in implementing the 2006 corrective measures and notes with satisfaction that their full operational benefits are expected to be in place by mid-June 2020, that water quality targets have already been met and that “supercolonies” of wading birds have returned to the property;
Commends the State Party for also implementing next generation restoration projects in order to achieve the Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger (DSOCR) by 2025-2026, and congratulates it for committing as much as USD 2.5 billion over four years to advance the restoration of the Everglades;
Notes with concern the ongoing threat from invasive alien species (IAS), and requests the State Party to ensure a continued, long-term allocation of resources to control the existing IAS inside the property, and for the mangement strategy to emphasize prevention and early detection with rapid response measures;
Appreciates that the General Management Plan (GMP) of the property aims to respond to the impacts of climate change, including sea-level rise, and reiterates its requests to the State Party to submit the GMP to the World Heritage Centre and IUCN;
Also recalling its established position on the incompatibility of oil and gas exploration and exploitation with World Heritage status, notes with utmost concern the prospect of exploratory drilling within the Water Conservation Areas located upstream of the property, and urges the State Party to ensure a detailed Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) that assesses the possible impacts on the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property is undertaken, in line with the IUCN World Heritage Advice Note on Environmental Assessment, and to submit the EIA to the World Heritage Centre for review by IUCN as a matter of priority and before conducting any hydrocarbon drilling activities;
Also reiterates its request to the State Party to inform the World Heritage Centre about the potential for hydraulic fracturing projects in proximity of the property and the proposal of a utility transmission line along its eastern border;
Also requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2020, an updated report on the state of conservation of the property and the implementation of the above, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 44th session in 2020;
Decides to retain Everglades National Park (United States of America) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.