Decision 43 COM 12

Follow-up to Recommendations of Evaluations and Audits on Working Methods and outcomes of the ad-hoc working group

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined document WHC/19/43.COM/12 and WHC/19/43.COM/INF.8 (Tunis report),
2. Recalling Decision 42 COM 8 and Decision 42 COM 12A;
3. Expressing its appreciation to the Ad-Hoc Working Group for its work and recommendations and to the State Party of Azerbaijan for their able leadership;
4. Thanks the State Party of Australia for having generously provided funding for the reflection on the nomination process and also thanks the State Party of Tunisia for having hosted the expert meeting on the reform of the nomination process, between 23 and 25 January 2019;
5. Recognizes the importance of the overarching objective of the reform of the nomination process as key measure for restoring the balance and credibility of the World Heritage List;
6. Takes note with appreciation of the outcomes of the Online consultation survey on the nomination reform, of the Report and recommendations of the Tunis Expert Meeting on the Reflection on reforming the World Heritage Nomination Process and of the Report and Recommendations of the Ad-Hoc working group;
7. Convinced that the most appropriate means for restoring and enhancing the credibility and balance of the World Heritage List is the development of high quality nominations for sites which have a strong potential to succeed, through enhanced dialogue between the States Parties and the Advisory Bodies from a very early stage, decides to endorse the principle of a two-phase nomination process, with the “Preliminary Assessment” (PA) as a first phase of the nomination process, and with the current mechanism - as described in paragraph 128 of the Operational Guidelines - as a second phase;
8. Takes note of the paper prepared by the Ad-Hoc working group in relation to the Preliminary Assessment contained in document WHC/19/43.COM/12 and its Annexes and also endorses the principles and modalities outlined therein, on which the reform should build, namely:
   1. the Preliminary Assessment shall be the first stage of the nomination process and would involve enhanced dialogue between States Parties and Advisory Bodies
   2. the PA shall be a mandatory process for all nominations
   3. the PA shall be undertaken for a specific site on the State Party’s Tentative List, further to a request by the State Party
   4. the PA shall be conducted exclusively on the basis of a desk study
   5. the decision whether to pursue or not a nomination, regardless of the outcomes of the preliminary assessment, would fall within the States Parties’ prerogative;
   6. the PA shall be introduced with a transition period to aid States Parties, the Advisory Bodies and the Committee to apply the reform effectively
9. Endorses the report and recommendations prepared by the Ad-Hoc working group and the wider set of nomination process reforms recommended therein to help improve the quality of nominations and strengthen dialogue between States Parties and the Advisory Bodies;
10. Agrees that the next phase of the reform should focus on operationalization and, being mindful of the need of careful alignment with existing processes and ensuring consistency, requests the World Heritage Centre, in consultation with the Advisory Bodies, to organize the work of this next phase, through necessary research and convening of a small expert drafting group which would reflect regional balance to discuss and propose concrete changes to be introduced into the Operational Guidelines;
11. Thanks the State Party of Australia for its generous allocation of the remaining extra-budgetary funds from the Tunis workshop, also for this next phase of the reflection on the nomination process;
12. Decides to extend the mandate of the Ad-Hoc Working Group to be composed of members of the Committee and up to two non-members per Electoral Group, giving consideration to out-going members of the Committee in 2019, to;
    1. review the outcomes of the work of the expert drafting group;
    2. further elaborate upon the nomination reform process and Preliminary Assessment proposal based on present decision;
13. Retains the status-quo regarding the involvement of additional advisory services and also encourages the Advisory Bodies to sustain consultations with UNESCO’s scientific programmes and bodies under other UNESCO conventions;
14. Takes note of the discussions held in the Ad-hoc Working Group, further encourages informal consultations between States Parties on the possibility of the elaboration of a Code of Conduct for States Parties, the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies; and also requests the World Heritage Centre to include an item to initiate discussion on the Code of Conduct in the agenda of the forthcoming 22nd session of the General Assembly of States Parties;
15. Further decides that the Ad Hoc Working Group shall work in consultation with the World Heritage Centre, Advisory Bodies and submit its report and recommendations to the 44th session of the Committee in 2020.