The Secretariat informed the Bureau that UNESCO's Division for Physical Heritage organized a project monitoring mission in December 1994 to these two cultural sites in Bangladesh inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1985. The mission reported on the progress of the two projects financed under the UNESCO/Japan Funds-in-Trust for Cultural Heritage within the International Safeguarding Campaign for Paharpur and Bagerhat. The mission, while noting with satisfaction, the progress made in the archaeological and architectural documentation, recommended inter alia that: (i) national norms and standards be developed with regard to archaeological investigations, recording and documentation, and conservation and construction work to be carried out within the World Heritage protected zones; (ii) a national mechanism for planning, execution, monitoring and evaluation of conservation work and research be established by the Department of Archaeology; (iii) reports on the recently conducted archaeological research and conservation work be completed and published; (iv) the conservation laboratory at the Department of Archaeology, in terms of building facilities, equipment and staff be improved; (v) sign posts and boards indicating the World Heritage protected area be improved; and (vi) training strategy and programme, perhaps within the SAARC regional framework, be developed.
The Bureau noted the joint statement signed by UNESCO and the Department of Archaeology at the conclusion of the review mission of the International Campaign for Bagerhat and Paharpur, calling for the organization of a World Heritage monitoring mission for a thorough review and recommendations on measures to improve the legal protection, enforcement mechanism and administration of the Department of Archaeology, as well as to develop appropriate training and international assistance programmes. The Bureau recommended that the World Heritage Centre conduct a joint mission with the Bangladeshi authorities concerned as soon as possible and to report to the Committee at its nineteenth session.