7 GA
Determination of the amount of the contributions to the World Heritage Fund in accordance with the provisions of Article 16 of the World Heritage Convention
11. The General Assembly unanimously decided that mandatory contributions to the World Heritage Fund for the period 19901991 would be fixed in US dollars and that, in accordance with Article 16, paragraph 1, of the Convention, the amount would be maintained at 1 per cent of contributions made by States Parties to the regular programme of Unesco, as had been decided at the six previous General Assemblies.
The Seventh General Assembly of States Parties to the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage met in Paris, on 9 and 13 November 1989, during the twenty-fifth session of the General Conference.
Eighty-eight of the hundred and eleven States which were Parties to the Convention as at 30 October 1989 and which thus had the right to vote were represented at the meeting.
Representatives of thirteen States not Parties to the Convention participated in the General Assembly as observers. Representatives of four non-governmental organizations also ...
7. The General Assembly elected by acclamation His Excellency Mr. E. G. Whitlam (Australia) as Chairman. The General Assembly also unanimously elected the representatives of Italy, Mexico, Senegal and Tunisia as Vice-Chairmans, and Mr. Keoule Boundy (Mali) as Rapporteur.
8. The agenda of the session was unanimously adopted without amendment.
9. The General Assembly examined document CC-89/CONF.013/2 by which the accounts of the World Heritage Fund were submitted to the Assembly in accordance with the Financial Regulations of the Fund. The Assembly was informed of contributions received since 31 August 1989 from several States Parties. A detailed statement of these contributions is given below.
Etat partie
Somme
Années de contribution
(en dollars des Etats-Unis d'Amérique)
Costa Rica
696
1986 to 1988
Cyprus
958
1988-1989
German Democratic ...
7 GA 12
Means of ensuring an equitable representation of different regions and cultures of the world
12. Examination of item 7 of the agenda concerning the examination of the means of ensuring an equitable representation of different regions and cultures of the world gave rise to an intensive debate. At the opening of the debate, the Delegate of Sri Lanka, whose mandate on the Committee was about to be completed, explained that his country had withdrawn from standing for re-election for a further term in order to respond to the need of ensuring a rotation of members on the Committee. Most speakers were of the opinion that, a better rotation of members on the Committee was a necessary ...
13. Under item 8 of its agenda the General Assembly was called on to elect seven Members to the World Heritage Committee to replace the following seven Members who would have completed their term of office at the end of the twenty-fifth session of the General Conference: Algeria, Australia, Lebanon, Malawi, Norway, Sri Lanka and Turkey. The list of States Parties having submitted their candidature was read out to the Assembly. In accordance with Article 16, paragraph 5, of the Convention, the list of candidates was limited to those States Parties which had paid their contributions to the ...
20. Under item 9 of the agenda "Other business", the representative of Tunisia launched an appeal for assistance in favour of the site of Tipasa, inscribed on the World Heritage List, which has recently suffered from an earthquake. Several delegates gave their support and expressed the desire that the World Heritage Committee examine this question during its forthcoming meeting. The Secretariat then specified that a request by Algeria for emergency assistance could be submitted at any time and would be examined without delay. The delegate of Thailand, for his part, wished that the state ...
21. The Chairman said he was pleased that the meeting had allowed the drawing up of the main principles for an improved geographical distribution of members on the Committee and declared the seventh General Assembly of States Parties to the World Heritage Committee closed.
The Bureau was glad to learn that, thanks in part to support provided under the World Heritage Fund, the situation of this site had greatly improved. The Bureau re-considered this matter under the agenda item concerning nominations/exclusion from the List of World Heritage in Danger (see paragraph XI.28.C.).
Sites: Ngorongoro Conservation Area
2) Garamba National Park (Zaire)
The joint project to rehabilitate this Park run by the Frankfurt Zoological Society/WWF/World Heritage Fund met with considerable success since no more rhinoceros have been poached in the last 5 years, the rhinoceros population has increased by 50% and a better management regime has been established. The Park recently celebrated the 50th anniversary since its foundation. The Bureau noted this situation with satisfaction and recommended that the property be re-examined in 1990: if the situation continued to show improvement, steps should be taken to ...
Sites: Garamba National Park
The Bureau recalled that IUCN had reported on the deteriorating situation of this site on several occasions and that the Committee had requested the Ivoirian authorities to propose its inscription on the List of World Heritage in Danger. It noted that the Secretariat had contacted the Ivoirian authorities, but that only recently a response had been obtained in the form of a request for preparatory assistance in order to prepare a technical cooperation request for an integrated project addressing the need for increased protection of the natural values of this Park and also the ...
Sites: Taï National Park
The Bureau was informed of the project to construct a major highway across the Park, which would be financed by a number of Development Banks. Several impact studies - some contradictory in their conclusions - had been made: the Bureau expressed its preference for the alternative route outside of the Park to the North, which in addition to preserving the natural values of Niokolo-Koba, would serve to link up isolated villages. The Bureau requested the Secretariat to prepare a letter to the highest authority in Senegal recalling this State Party's obligation to protect the natural values ...
Sites: Niokolo-Koba National Park
The Bureau wished firstly to commend the Zimbabwean authorities for their efforts to protect the remaining rhinoceros and elephant populations. The Bureau expressed great concern however over the proposed oil exploration programme, particularly in the light of a very negative report submitted to the Secretariat by the Zimbabwe National Commission for Unesco. The Bureau therefore requested the Secretariat to convey its concern to the highest government authorities of Zimbabwe, as well as to the Director of Mobil Oil Company.
The Bureau learnt of several threats to this site, including a proposal to excise a large section of land for settlement. The Bureau requested the Secretariat to contact the Ecuadorian authorities to express its concern over the proposed excision and to encourage them to draw up a request for technical cooperation to support the elaboration of a revised management plan addressing many of the conflicting issues in the Park. The Bureau hoped that the request for technical cooperation could be submitted in time for examination by the Committee in December 1989.
Sites: Sangay National Park
The Bureau noted with satisfaction that the two States Parties had recently undertaken measures to coordinate the management and protection of these contiguous parks containing the famous waterfalls. In response to the suggestion of the IUCN representative to encourage the States Parties' acceptance to list these waterfalls under one name on the World Heritage List, the representative of Brazil stated that his government had not changed its position on this matter and that the two sites should continue to be indicated separately on the World Heritage List.
The Bureau noted that the preparatory assistance mission to this site in November 1988 had resulted in the elaboration of a two-year Unesco/UNDP project on evaluating the impact of iron-ore extraction on the natural values of the site and elaborating an integrated management plan which would improve protective measures and encourage socio-economic development of the transition zone. The Bureau nevertheless wished to express its concern about further damage to this site and suggested that this concern be communicated to the World Bank.
Following a request of the Committee on 21 April 1989, the American authorities submitted a report on the fire management policy review and the recovery plan following the 1988 wildfires. The Bureau wished to thank the American authorities for this report and for their offer to make it available for other States Parties.
Sites: Yellowstone National Park
The Bureau noted that this site had recently been invaded by several hundreds of local people which had caused great damage to the park and the loss of several lives. The Indian authorities had sent in the police to halt further destruction, but the problem of illegal encroachment was still not resolved. The Bureau requested the Secretariat to contact the Indian authorities to express its concern over this situation and encourage taking appropriate measures to restore the site.
Sites: Manas Wildlife Sanctuary
The Bureau was informed by the representative of the Government of Australia of proceedings instituted against it before the Federal Court by the Government of Queensland with respect to the protection of the site of the Wet Tropics of Queensland inscribed on the World Heritage List in December 1988. The judge of the Federal Court is called upon to examine the question whether the ban decided by the Federal Government on commercial forestry operations in the site can reasonably be regarded as appropriate and adapted to the objectives of protecting, conserving, enhancing and rehabilitating ...
Sites: Wet Tropics of Queensland