The World Heritage Committee,
1. Noting the Report of the World Heritage Centre presented in Part I of the document WHC-04/28.COM/9 Rev,
2. Recalling Decisions 27 COM 4 and 27 COM 5.1 and the need for the Committee to be kept informed on the implementation of its Decisions,
3. Takes note with appreciation of the special activity in support of World Heritage in the Democratic Republic of Congo; Decisions adopted at the 28th session of the World Heritage WHC-04/28 COM/26, p.4 Committee (Suzhou, 2004)
4. Expresses its strong concern at the critical shortages of permanent staff in the World Heritage Centre – in particular in the Latin America and the Caribbean, Europe and North America and Policy and Statutory Implementation units, which seriously impinge upon the responsibilities of the World Heritage Centre as Secretariat for the World Heritage Convention, and considers that such shortages need to be urgently addressed – at the latest, starting from the Programme and Budget of UNESCO for the biennium 2006-2007;
5. Takes note of the proposal for an on-line database for the implementation of the decisions of the Committee presented in Part II of document WHC-04/28.COM/9 Rev;
6. Requests the World Heritage Centre to submit, for its consideration at its 29th session (2005), the thematic initiatives of the World Heritage Centre on “Astronomy and World Heritage” and “Marine Conservation”;
7. Decides that the World Heritage Centre shall finalize and submit for the approval of the Chairperson of its 27th session (2003) the revised Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention, as adopted at its 6th extraordinary session (2003). The revised Operational Guidelines shall be applied, if finalized, from 1 November 2004, with appropriate transitional arrangements where necessary. In particular, nominations submitted for consideration by the Committee at its 30th session in July 2006 will be considered and evaluated in accordance with the Operational Guidelines of 2002. Furthermore, the Chairperson of the 27th session of the Committee is authorized to include observations made by the Committee during its 28th session ;
8. Requests the World Heritage Centre to report on the on-line database at its 29th session (2005), on the understanding that such database will become operational from 1 April 2005, and that it will include information on the implementation of the decisions adopted at all its sessions, both ordinary and extraordinary, since its 26th session (2002);
9. Further requests the World Heritage Centre to develop a similar database for the decisions adopted by the General Assembly of the States Parties to the World Heritage Convention, and to report on such development at its 29th session (2005).
