XI.8 The delegates expressed the wish that future work plans and budgets submitted to the World Heritage Committee be prepared based on precise forecasts of the resources and identified needs and priorities.
XI.9 A draft resolution prepared by the Italian Delegation and discussed earlier was distributed as amended by a working group created by the Chairperson for this purpose (Italy, Benin, Japan, Thailand, France, Lebanon and Germany). The text of this resolution approved by the Committee is the following:
Resolution presented by Italy
"The Committee,
Underlining its responsibilities assigned by the Convention for the Protection of the World Heritage,
Taking into consideration the need to have access to all the necessary means in order to fulfill its responsibilities,
Invites the World Heritage Centre and as well as any other unit of the Secretariat which might be concerned, to submit to its prior consideration every activity envisaged to be undertaken for the implementation of the Convention and funded by the Fund and by the Regular Programme."
XI.10 The Deputy Comptroller of UNESCO, representing the Director of the Centre, reminded the Committee that the World Heritage Fund was set up as a Trust Fund of UNESCO and that Regular Programme funds were voted by UNESCO's General Conference. He stated that the Secretariat took reserve on the above decision recommending that the Legal Advisor should be consulted as to the legality of the Committee being required to give its advice before Regular Programme funds voted by UNESCO's General Conference could be spent. In addition, he pointed out the pragmatic problem of obtaining the Committee's views on Regular Programme funds budgeted for 1998, when the next Committee meeting would not take place until December of that year. He reiterated the proposal made earlier that, in the context of streamlining procedures as proposed by the External Auditor in the Management Review, the Consultative Body consider a mechanism whereby the Committee should be involved in the preparation of the World Heritage Centre's Regular Programme budget for the next biennium (2000/2001).
XI.11 The Chairperson gave the following reply: "The Chairperson takes note of the remarks made by the Deputy Comptroller, representing the Director of the World Heritage Centre, on the Resolution just adopted. These remarks are misconceived in point of law and policy. In point of law, there is no way that the World Heritage Committee may be considered as a "subsidiary body" of the "UNESCO supreme governing body" i.e. the General Conference. It should be clear that the World Heritage Committee is an intergovernmental body elected by the States Parties to the World Heritage Convention, made up of sovereign states accountable to the General Assembly of States Parties. Therefore, the idea that the World Heritage Committee is not in a position to give opinions on activities, initiatives or programmes that affect the very object and purpose of the World Heritage Convention because of a perceived relationship of subordination of the General Conference is wrong. Its relation to the General Conference is one of co-operation and co-ordination between institutions of equal standing both based on international treaties of equal hierarchical value. In point of policy, the object and purpose of the Resolution is that of building confidence and co-operation between the World Heritage Committee and UNESCO through appropriate mechanisms that will ensure transparency, communication and harmonisation of respective objectives. It is regrettable therefore that the remarks of the Representative of the Director of the Centre have challenged this legal status and overlooked these policy objectives."