The Bureau considered 4 requests for technical cooperation for strengthening management of natural World Heritage sites and took the following decisions:

Requests approved by the Bureau

Srebarna Nature Reserve (Bulgaria) - US19,000: Purchase and installation of equipment for the measurement and monitoring of water-levels and water quality in the Srebarna Wetlands.

Requests not approved by the Bureau

Kilimanjaro National Park (Tanzania): The Bureau requested the Tanzanian authorities to reformulate their request for US$30,000 for developing a system of trails in the Park, and take into considreation more urgent conservation priorities for the management of the Park which have been set by the new Management Plan for the site.

noted the increasing demand for support for organizing training courses for natural and cultural heritage specialists.

recommended that in the future the annual training budget should be divided equally for training natural and cultural heritage specialists.

considered 8 requests for supporting the training of natural heritage specialists and worked on the assumption that the training budget for 1995 will be the same as that of 1994 and gave priority to supporting training activities in Africa and in less developed countries.

Requests approved by the Bureau

1. 17th International Training Course for Protected Area Managers of Latin America, CATIE, Costa Rica: US$30,000

2. Regional Training Course for Protected Area Managers of Arab States, Egypt: US$30,000

3. Support to participants from Francophone Africa in the Training Course on Protected Areas, organized by ENGREF, France, in Côte d'Ivoire: US$19,000

4. Regional Training Course for Protected Area Managers of West Africa, organized by School of Wildlife Specialists, Garoua, Cameroon (an additional US$5,000 for supporting the publication of the proceedings of the training seminar should be sought from other sources): US$20,000

5. Fellowships to African World Heritage sites and Protected Area Managers at Regional Training Institutions:

School of Wildlife Specialists, Garoua, Cameroon: US$22,000

Mweka College of African Wildlife Management, Arusha, Tanzania: US$20,000

The Bureau also approved a sum of US$30,000 for preparing a strategy for the training of managers of natural World Heritage sites. In this connection a workshop is to be organized in cooperation with the United States National Park Service in September 1995.

The Bureau further urged the Secretariat to undertake a comprehensive assessment of the training supported by the World Heritage Fund in the past and to use the outcome of such an assessment in the elaboration of a strategy for the future.

Requests not approved by the Bureau

Due to budgetary constraints, the Bureau did not approved the sum of US$20,000 requested by the organizers of a training seminar on protected area management in Europe. The Bureau urged that the organizers raise the funds needed through alternative source in Europe.

Ujung Kulon National Park (Indonesia): The Bureau recommended that the Committee approve a sum of US$40,000 as a contribution to buffer sone development activities to provide water facilities for local people. An agreement for cessation of resource extraction inside the Park is under discussion. The objective of this project is to demonstrate operational links between the conservation of Unjung Kulon National Park and benefits to local people.

Requests approved by the Bureau

1. The Historic Town of Ouro Preto (Brazil) - US$20,000

The Bureau approved US$20,000 out of the total amount of US$50,000, subject to obtaining assurance that the balance of US$30,000 for the construction of 5 houses for the relocation of the affected inhabitants be funded by other sources.

2. ICCROM Technical Assistance - US$25,000

The Bureau approved this financial support to the ICCROM Technical Assistance programme to supply institution of State Parties, free of charge, with basic documentation, scientific and didactic equipment and conservation products.

3. Printing of Management Guidelines for World Cultural Heritage Sites, by B.M. Feilden and J. Jokilehto - US$6,900

The Bureau approved this request to support the printing cost of the French-language edition of this publication if othersources, notably of the Francophone community cannot be identified.

Requests not approved by the Bureau

1. Ngorongoro Conservation Area (United Republic of Tanzania) (International Conference on Ngorongoro, in Bellagio, Italy)

The Bureau, while recognizing the value of the proposed international conference in Italy for the Tanzanian conservators, did not recommend approval of this request in view  of other requests of higher priority and due to the availability of other funding sources for this conference at the Rockfeller Foundation in Italy.

2. Palmyra (Syrian Arab Republic)

The Bureau did not recommend the approval by the Committee of this request for US$90,000. It recommended that the Committee requests the Syrian authorities to prepare a global and coherent conservation programme for this site in accordance with the recommendations of the UNESCO expert mission which took place in December 1993.

Requests approved by the Bureau

1. Sub-Regional Conservation Workshop on Western European Medieval Wall Paintings, 1 July-10 September 1995, Sighisoara, Romania - US$28,000

2. Scientific Principles of Conservation Regional Course for Latin America, June-July 1995, Belo Horizonte, Brazil - US$30,000

3. Training of Technical Personnel, Cap Vert - US$25,000

4. Training for the Region of Latin America in Conservation of the Adobe World Heritage, October 1995, Chan Chan, Peru - US$20,000

Requests not approved by the Bureau

1. International Course on the Technology of Stone Conservation, ICCROM, 30 March-14 June 1995, Venice, Italy

Despite recognition of the importance of this course and the support given to it in previous years, the Bureau did not approve this US$51,000 request from ICCROM due to other funding priorities and in view of the fact that other funding sources were available for the organization of this regular course.

2. International Architectural Conservation Course ARC 95, ICCROM, 18 January-26 May 1995, Rome, Itlay

In view of the availability of other funding sources for this regular course, the Bureau did not approve this request for US$25,000.

3. Training Programme in the Conservation of Architecture, Painting, Wood, Stone and Antique Objects for the Preservation of the Hue World Heritage Site (1995, dates not specified), Vietnam

This request for US$40,790 was not approved in view of the approval under Technical Cooperation of US$108,000 for the purchase of conservation laboratory equipment and related training in Hue which was deemed to be of higher priority.

4. Regional Training Courses in Architectural and Urban Heritage Conservation, 05 September 1994 to 30 June 1995, Bratislava, Slovak Republic.

This request for US$19,030 was not approved at this time due to budgetary constraints and other requests of higher priority.

The Bureau recommended the approval of the full requested amount of US50,000 for, inter alia, the purchase of equipment for the documentation centre; expertise for the development of a tourism development plan; promotional and educational material and activities on World Heritage in Dubrovnik.

2. Wielizska Salt Mine (Poland) - US$100,000

The Bureau recommended, after considerable debate, the approval by the Committee of this request for US$100,000 to purchase the dehumidifying equipment required for the preservation of the salt sculptures of this World Heritage Site in Danger.

3. Kathmandu Valley (Nepal) - US$52,000

The Bureau recommended approval by the Committee of the requested US$52,000 for the deployment of a UNESCO international technical advisor for 6 months in view of the serious and urgent need for strengthen measures to redress the present state of conservation of the Kathmandu Valley.

4. The Complex of the Hue Monuments (Vietnam) (Upgrading of the Hue Conservation Laboratory) - US$108,000

The Bureau recommended the approval of the amount of US$108,000 to meet the cost of laboratory equipment purchase (US$72,700) and related short-term training to enable the Hue authorities to have the basic facilities to overcome the present obstacles to conservation. The World Heritage Centre should, however, be consulted on the list of equipment, and approve the detailed specification and cost estimate, as well as the selection of the international experts.

5. Historic Areas of Istanbul (Turkey) (Restoration of the mosaics of Hagia-Sophia) - US$80,000

The Bureau recommended approval by the Committee of an amount of US$80,000 to complete the final phase of this restoration project.

The Bureau recommended the approval of US$33,000 out of the original request for US$44,000.

2. Regional Training Course of Maghreb Architects for the Conservation and Protection of Cultural Monuments and Sites (1994 and 1995, Tunisia) - US$50,000

The Bureau recommended the approval by the Committee of the full amount of US$50,000 for this request.

3. Regional Meeting of Directors of Cultural Offices in Latin America and the Caribbean (April 1995, Cartagena, Colombia) - US$45,000

The Bureau recommended approval by the Committee of the requested amount of US$45,000 under budgetary provisions other than training, subject to the availability of funds.