Decision 41 COM 10B.2

Follow-Up to the Second Cycle of the Periodic Reporting Exercise for All Regions

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/17/41.COM/10B,
2. Recalling Decision 40 COM 10B.2 adopted at its 40th session (Istanbul/UNESCO, 2016),
3. Welcomes the progress made in the follow-up of the Second Cycle of Periodic Reporting in the Africa region;
4. Thanks the governments of the China, Flanders (Belgium), the Netherlands and Hungary, the European Union and the African World Heritage Fund for their contributions towards supporting follow-up activities to the Second Cycle of Periodic Reporting in Africa;
5. Commends the States Parties of the Africa Region who have been actively implementing the Action Plan, and encourages States Parties, who have not already done so, to establish their National World Heritage Committees and to develop their National Action Plans and Budgets;
6. Calls upon States Parties to continue to support financially and technically the implementation of the Action Plan for the Africa region through follow-up activities in cooperation with the World Heritage Centre, the Advisory Bodies and the African World Heritage Fund (AWHF); and to take advantage of the annual mobilization of the African World Heritage Day on 5 May in fostering support for the Action Plan for the Africa region;
7. Further reminds States Parties which have not already done so to submit their Retrospective Statements of Outstanding Universal Value by 1 February 2018 at the latest, as well as clarifications of boundaries by 1 December 2017 at the latest;
8. Notes with appreciation the follow-up activities to the Ngorongoro Declaration, and also commends the World Heritage Centre for developing case studies on the strengthening, throughout Africa, of the sustainable development approach as well as the AWHF, the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies and their partners for the World Heritage nomination support programme launched in Africa;
9. Requests the World Heritage Centre, in collaboration with the Advisory Bodies, the AWHF, and with the support of States Parties, to continue its efforts to coordinate and implement the Regional Capacity-Building Programme according to the Action Plan 2012-2017;
10. Also requests the World Heritage Centre to present a progress report on the implementation of the Action Plan(s) for the Africa region every two years as from 2019 (43rd session).