8194 Decisions
146 Resolutions
By Year
The Bureau took note of the report by IUCN on the following issues: (a) legal matters, in particular land claims and sacred sites of the Maori people; (b) continued cattle grazing which has an impact on the natural World Heritage values and should be phased out, and (c) that the 1986 IUCN recommendation to include the site of the coastal forest (Waitutu forest) in the World Heritage area, was not taken up. Plans have been made by the Maori owners to sell the land for logging operations.
The Bureau requested the Centre to send a letter to the New Zealand authorities transmitting the above ...
The Bureau was informed that a fire broke out at the site on 22 February 1994 in the buffer zone area and rapidly swept through the site. A report by the Forest Fire Control and Rescue Division of the Royal Forest Department in Bangkok indicated that fire fighting was difficult, particularly in the mountain area of the Sanctuary. It furthermore stated that the fire was completely extinguished by 15 March 1994 and damage assessment revealed that 10,924 ha were burnt. The report noted that fire is a normal and frequent occurrence at the site but generally it is not damaging. The Bureau took ...
The Delegate of the United States informed the Bureau about a report concerning Yellowstone National Park, inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1978. The Park is faced with a proposed mining project of a gold mine two miles north of the northeast boundary of the site. The area concerned is both public and private with 20% under the administration of the US Forest Service. The mine would remove 56 acres of wetlands to build an artificial lake and would call for construction of access roads and housing for the workers. The economic value of the project is estimated at US$ 1 billion in ...
Sites: Yellowstone National Park
The Bureau was informed that the property was one of the most important black rhino refuges at the date of inscription with a population of 500. The ten remaining rhinos are being captured and translocated for intensive protection. The site has never received assistance from the World Heritage Fund to control poaching.
The Bureau raised concern about this loss of one of the World Heritage values of the site, and asked the Centre to work closely together with CITES and IUCN to determine the lessons learned from this unfortunate experience. This specific case could be used to coordinate ...
Mr. Mounir Bouchenaki, Director of the Division of Physical Heritage, recalled the recommendations made by the Committee at the time of the inscription of the Angkor site on the World Heritage List in December 1992, and informed the Bureau of the latest action taken by the Director-General of UNESCO for the safeguard of Angkor. The Director-General decided to give additional support to the UNESCO Office in Cambodia, by assigning Mr. Khamliène Nhouyvanisvong, former Acting Assistant Director-General for External Relations, to the post of Director of this Office, and also naming him ...
Sites: Angkor
The three mosques of Djingareiber, Sankore and Sidi Yahia were placed on the List of World Heritage in Danger in 1990. These properties are threatened by obvious, precise and imminent dangers:
a) serious alteration of the mud construction materials
b) serious alteration of the structures
c) the climatic factor of desertification.
The Bureau was informed of the content of the report, produced in French, concerning the state of conservation of the three mosques, by the UNESCO consultant. In 1990, this consultant elaborated the proposal for the placing of the mosques on the List of ...
Sites: Timbuktu
During its present session, the Secretariat informed the Bureau that this site, inscribed in 1978, continued to be threatened by frequent floods. However, thanks to financial assistance from the European Union, the Polish authorities have at their disposal the necessary pumping material to maintain a satisfactory level of salubrity of the historic part of the mine.
Furthermore, Bureau members were informed that in 1991 the Polish authorities prepared a humidity-level study, and that in 1993 the data collected was examined during a seminar held in the United States, which was attended by ...
The Coordinator of the MAP/UNEP "100 historical sites" programme presented this archaeological site inscribed in 1992, which is immerged below 1.50m of water due to subsidence. However, the maintenance work there is being carried out in a satisfactory manner by the Archaeological Institute of the Department of Antiquities, in spite of the lack of human and financial resources. The Bureau was informed of the wish of the Albanian authorities to create a natural and cultural archaeological park. To accomplish this, the Hydrology Institute of Tirana has prepared a study in order to identify ...
Sites: Butrint
18 BUR VI.B
Great Wall; Imperial Palace of the Ming and Qing Dynasties; Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor; Mogao Caves; Peking Man Site at Zhoukoudian (China)
The Bureau was informed about the results of a World Heritage Centre monitoring mission to the existing five cultural World Heritage Sites in China, namely the Great Wall, the Imperial Palace of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor, the Mogao Caves and the Peking Man Site at Zhoukoudian. The mission had been generally impressed with the standard of maintenance of Chinese World Heritage sites and the professionalism of the staff responsible for them. Nevertheless, the mission had been able to raise specific technical issues with the State Bureau of Cultural ...
The MAP/UNEP Coordinator of the "100 historical sites" Programme emphasized the exemplary character of the conservation measures. He reported on the considerable financial support from the Municipality, and he briefly outlined the "Safeguard Plan for the Enhancement of the Safeguarded Sector of Arles". He also mentioned the plan for preventive action to combat atmosphericpollution to conserve the Primatiale Saint-Trophime. This project, partially financed by the World Monument Fund, has elaborated a 24-hour surveillance system which can detect and forecast atmospheric changes.
The ...
The Bureau was informed of the outcome of an ICOMOS mission which visited Lubeck in May 1994 to discuss problems arising from the development plans for the city centre. The Bureau recommended that the authorities in Lubeck be encouraged to revise its heritage protection legislation so as to allow sufficient time for the proper investigation of the city's rich archaeological heritage and to implement measures to make the important archaeological and artistic discoveries accessible to the general public. It also recommended that the authorities should seek the assistance of an experienced ...
Sites: Hanseatic City of Lübeck
This archaeological site, inscribed in 1990 and excavated since the 19th century, continues to suffer from violent winds, high humidity and the sea. Conservation work has not been carried out systematically after each excavation campaign, and the site museum is too small. Moreover, the personnel responsible for the surveillance of the site appear to be insufficient. Furthermore, it seems that pastures close to the archaeological site have been rented to the Municipality of Myknos for grazing land.
The Bureau requested the World Heritage Centre to ask the Greek authorities for precise ...
Sites: Delos
This site, which was inscribed in 1992, is threatened by the expansion of activities linked with tourism. The avenues and surrounding area of the archaeological site are threatened by urbanism and the construction of hotel complexes. Moreover, the archaeological site is subject to vibrations from the nearby airport which now accommodates large carriers, and for which an extension is planned.
The Bureau requested the World Heritage Centre to request the Greek authorities to ensure that the Antiquities Law is strictly observed, so as to limit threats weighing on the site due to tourist ...
This site was inscribed in 1987. The MAP/UNEP Coordinator of the 100 historical sites" Programme informed the Bureau that the Technical and Scientific Committee created in 1988 and which was responsible for evaluating the security of the Tower of Pisa, did remarkable work. A series of enquiries, measures and studies were undertaken to obtain information on all the physicomechanical characteristics of the substratum, and to make various hypotheses of structural evolution. The intervention approved by the Technical Committee in the spring of 1992 necessitated the development of a ...
Sites: Piazza del Duomo, Pisa
The Bureau expressed concern following the report presenting the different threats to the integrity of the site of Pétra, especially with regard to:
1) the serious impact of some ten new hotels planned or under construction, both on the visitor capacity of the site, their visibility from the site and the disproportion of several of them in relation to the village habitations, the destruction of archaeological vestiges which they cause, pollution and soil erosion;
2) the negative impact of the pumping station planned for Wadi Musa and its new hotels;
3) the risks caused to the site by ...
Sites: Petra
The Bureau expressed concern with the lack of general maintenance of the site, especially the lack of permanent and effective surveillance. It requested the World Heritage Centre to request the Jordanian authorities to take the necessary measures to ensure the satisfactory maintenance and management of the site.
Sites: Quseir Amra
World Heritage sites in Mexico:
The Observer of Mexico informed the Bureau that the Mexican National Institute for Anthropology and History (INAH) prepared state of conservation reports on the ten cultural and natural sites that were inscribed on the World Heritage List until 1992. He emphasized that Mexico has taken this initiative as it feels that it is an integral element of the implementation of the World Heritage Convention in the country and that it is one of the obligations of the States Parties to the Convention to report on the state of conservation of the sites and on the ...
The Bureau recalled that the case of Puebla was briefly discussed at the seventeenth session of the Committee. The Secretariat informed the Bureau that since then, it continued to receive letters and reports from individuals, associations and organizations on the rehabilitation plan for Puebla, particularly the so-called Rio San Francisco area.
A report was received on 28 March 1994 from the Mexican National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) that a regional development programme called ANGELOPOLIS is in preparation for an area of the State of Puebla including 14 municipalities ...
Sites: Historic Centre of Puebla
The current state of the Kathmandu Valley World Heritage site had been the cause of apprehension since 1992 and had already appeared on the agenda of a number of meetings of the Bureau and of the World Heritage Committee. The Bureau was informed of the conclusions of the joint UNESCO/ICOMOS Review Mission of 14-30 November 1993, which had recommended that the site be placed on the List of World Heritage in Danger and returned to the World Heritage List within a period of one to three years, after sixteen specific matters of concern had been met. It was explained that the World Heritage ...
Sites: Kathmandu Valley
The Bureau was informed of the considerable improvements for site conservation and management in the two years since the initial mission. These improvements were achieved with the support of the Canadian Government. The Bureau noted with satisfaction that ICOMOS will provide a detailed report to the Committee session in December, including a long-term assessment of conservation problems at the site for the decade to come.
Sites: Kizhi Pogost