The World Heritage Committee,
1. Having examined Document WHC/19/43.COM/14,2. Notes with concern that over 60% of compulsory and assessed voluntary contributions remain unpaid, and continuing delays in the settlement of such contributions have adverse and damaging implications on the functioning of the World Heritage programme;
3. Recalls that the payment of compulsory and assessed voluntary contributions is, as per Article 16 of the World Heritage Convention, an obligation incumbent on all States Parties which have ratified the Convention and strongly urges all States Parties, which have not yet paid the totality of their assessed contributions for 2019, including voluntary contributions in accordance with Article 16.2 of the Convention, to ensure that their contributions are paid in the best of time;
4. Noting that supplementary voluntary contributions increase the level of future World Heritage Fund budget, warmly thanks those States Parties which have already made such contributions in 2018 and in the past years and calls upon all States Parties to consider allocating supplementary voluntary contributions to the World Heritage Fund, either on the basis of one of the options recommended by the General Assembly of States Parties to the World Heritage Convention at its 19th session (2013) [1], or by paying a voluntary annual fee by properties inscribed on the World Heritage List;
5. Notes with appreciation the in-kind contributions provided by the Azerbaijani authorities as well as the supplementary costs they covered as host of the 43rd session of the World Heritage Committee;
6. Also recalls that the sustainability of the World Heritage Fund and overall funding for World Heritage are strategic issues and a shared responsibility which concern States Parties and all relevant partners, affecting the overall credibility of the World Heritage Convention, including effectiveness and efficiency of World Heritage protection;
Part I: Implementation of the budget for the biennium 2018-2019 and preparation of the budget for the biennium 2020-2021
7. Takes note of the statement of accounts of the World Heritage Fund for 2018-2019 as of 31 December 2018;8. Approves the budget for the World Heritage Fund for the biennium 2020-2021 and its corresponding breakdown as shown in Annex IV;
Part II: Follow-up to Decision 42 COM 14
10. Congratulates the World Heritage Centre for its efforts on extrabudgetary resource mobilization and innovative fund raising approaches, and encourages all States Parties to support these initiatives for the benefit of the Convention;
11. Warmly thanks the States Parties who have contributed to the funding of the evaluation or monitoring missions undertaken by the Advisory Bodies, and calls upon all States Parties to consider following these examples;
12. Takes note with appreciation of the mechanism for funding evaluation of nominations by the Advisory Bodies, proposed by Norway in 2018 as a measure towards ensuring the sustainability of the World Heritage Fund and shifting resources to conservation activities;
13. Decides to adopt the mechanism, starting with nominations submitted from 1 February 2020, and to include it in the Operational Guidelines, with the following modalities:
a) It will consist in the payment of a voluntary contribution by States Parties submitting new nominations, taking into account the average costs of evaluations as indicated by the Secretariat (currently starting from US$ 22,000 for a regular nomination and US$ 44,000 for mixed sites and complex serial/transnational sites);
b) No contributions would be expected from Least Developed Countries or Low-Income Economies (as defined by the United Nations Economic and Social Council's Committee for Development Policy), Lower Middle-Income Countries as defined by the World Bank, Small Island Developing States and States Parties in conflict or post-conflict situations;
c) The contributions are expected to be made after the nomination enters the evaluation cycle further to a positive outcome of the completeness check;
d) This mechanism shall not impact on the Advisory Bodies’ objective evaluation of sites nor the priority of handling nominations which will be based on the Operational Guidelines;
e) The contributions shall be made to a new dedicated sub-account of the World Heritage Fund established to this end;
14. Requests the Secretariat to take the necessary steps to establish the new sub-account and to provide information to the States Parties on the practical modalities for payment before the end of 2019;15. Also requests the World Heritage Centre to report on the implementation of this decision as well as on the status of implementation of the “Roadmap for Sustainability of the World Heritage Fund” at its 44th session in 2020.
[1] Option 1: Increasing the standard percentage used in the calculation of the contributions to the World Heritage Fund from 1% to 2%,
Option 3.1: Increasing the contributions by a flat rate of US$3,300 per property inscribed,
Option 3.2: Increasing the contributions by an additional 4% of the current assessed contribution per property inscribed,
Option 3.3: Increasing the contributions by an additional amount per property inscribed, according to a percentage increasing with the number of properties inscribed,
Option 3.4: Increasing the contributions by an additional amount per property inscribed, according to a percentage decreasing with the number of properties inscribed,
Option 4: Increasing the contributions on the basis of the number of tourists arrivals at World Heritage Sites,
Option 5: Contributing per activity.