Decision 6 EXT.COM 1

Openning of the Session

The 6th extraordinary session of the World Heritage Committee was opened by Mr Tamás Fejérdy, (Hungary) Chairperson on 17 March 2003 at UNESCO Headquarters. He welcomed Mr Koïchiro Matsuura the Director-General of UNESCO and the 21 members of the Committee: Argentina, Belgium, China, Colombia, Egypt, Finland, Greece, Hungary, India, Lebanon, Mexico, Nigeria, Oman, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Saint Lucia, South Africa, Thailand, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Zimbabwe^4.

73 States Parties to the World Heritage Convention who are not members of the Committee were represented as observers: Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Benin, Brazil, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Eritrea, France, Gabon, Germany, Grenada, Haiti, Holy See, Honduras, Iceland, Indonesia, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Israel, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Kuwait, Latvia, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Lithuania, Madagascar, Malaysia, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Romania, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saudi Arabia, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Togo, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Republic of Tanzania, United States of America, Venezuela and Vietnam.

The Permanent Observer Mission of Palestine to UNESCO also participated at this session as an observer.

Representatives of the Advisory Bodies to the Committee, namely the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of the Cultural Property (ICCROM), the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) and the World Conservation Union (IUCN) also attended the session.

The World Heritage Committee,

Accepts the presence of individuals and representatives of the following international governmental organizations (IGOs), international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) and non- governmental organizations (NGOs) at the session:

• Bird Life International
• Ms Alessandra Borchi, LUISS University of Rome
• Kulturarv utan Gränser / Cultural Heritage without Borders
• Europa Nostra
• European Center of Byzantine and Postbyzantine Monuments (EKBMM)
• National Heritage Trust Fund Mauritius
• Ms Dominique Sewane (Consultant)
• United Nations Foundation (UNF)
• The Wilderness Society (Australia)
• Yachay Wasi