Decision 46 COM 10A

Report on the results of the Third Cycle of Periodic Reporting exercise in Europe and North America

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/24/46.COM/Rev,
2. Recalling Decisions 41 COM 10A, 43 COM 10B, 44 COM 10C.5 and 45 COM 10D.3 adopted at its 41st (Krakow, 2017), 43rd (Baku, 2019), extended 44th (Fuzhou/online, 2021) and extended 45th (Riyadh, 2023) sessions respectively,
3. Commends the efforts of all the States Parties in Europe and North America to fulfil their periodic reporting obligations, including through the completion and submission of Section I by all States Parties and a very high level of completion and submission of Section II of the Periodic Reporting questionnaire, and thanks the Secretariat and the Advisory Bodies for their assistance in the Periodic Reporting process;
4. Also thanks the generosity of the States Parties of Ireland and Italy and the hospitality of the State Party of Montenegro for providing financial support and hosting a consultation and capacity-building activity with national Focal Points responsible for the implementation of the World Heritage Convention and the Third Cycle of Periodic Reporting in South-East Europe in Kotor (Montenegro);
5. Further expresses its gratitude for the generosity and commitment of the States Parties of Ireland and Germany in providing financial support for the organisation of a three-day consultation workshop with States Parties from across the region, held in December 2023, to discuss the preliminary results of the Third Cycle of Periodic Reporting and to develop the draft regional action plan;
6. Welcomes with satisfaction the Third Cycle Regional Report in Europe and North America and encourages the States Parties to disseminate it widely among all relevant stakeholders in the region;
7. Endorses the Third Cycle Regional Action Plan for Europe and North America developed in cooperation with all States Parties in the region, further encourages the States Parties in Europe and North America to integrate the Regional Action Plan into their national and subregional heritage strategies and policies, including through the development of National World Heritage Action Plans, and invites States Parties to provide voluntary contributions to support its publication in a user-friendly format in order to facilitate its adoption and implementation by all States Parties;
8. Encourages States Parties in Europe and North America to initiate regular meetings at the regional and/or subregional level to ensure a continuous exchange of knowledge and experience in the implementation of the Regional Action Plan and to monitor overall progress in its implementation, including the adaptation of monitoring indicators, and invites States Parties to host such meetings and to provide voluntary contributions to enable the Secretariat to facilitate them;
9. Finally requests the World Heritage Centre to undertake a mid-cycle assessment of the implementation of the Regional Action Plan in 2027 and to prepare a report to be submitted to the World Heritage Committee at its session in 2028.