The Arab States region starts the Third Cycle of the Periodic Reporting exercise
The Third Cycle of Periodic Reporting (2018 – 2024), a global World Heritage conservation monitoring exercise carried out in six-year cycles, begins this September with reporting in the Arab States region.
World Heritage Site Managers and National Focal Points of the 84 World Heritage properties (76 cultural, 5 natural and 3 mixed sites in 18 State Parties) in the Arab States region will be the first to fill out the questionnaire for the Third Cycle of Periodic Reporting.
The purpose of the Periodic Reporting Exercise is to give key stakeholders the opportunity to reflect on the implementation of the World Heritage Convention in the Arab States region and to take stock of matters relating to the conservation, protection and management of World Heritage sites at the regional, national and the site level.
Reporting in the Arab States region will last approximately 10 months and will run from September 2018 to the end of July 2019. During this time, participants will gather relevant information and complete and submit their questionnaires.
Participants in this cycle of Periodic Reporting will benefit from the many new developments which have taken place since the last reporting cycle, including revised and updated questionnaires integrating the Sustainable Development approach and synergies with other conventions and a suite of training and guidance materials which have been developed specifically for the exercise.
The exercise also offers the opportunity for regional cooperation and exchange. Over the course of the reporting year the World Heritage Centre and the Arab Regional Centre (ARC-WH) located in Manama, Bahrain which will provide financial and technical cooperation, will be offering a number of training workshops for National Focal Points and Site Managers in the region.
For more information on Periodic Reporting please visit https://whc.unesco.org/en/periodicreporting/
Decisions (1)
The World Heritage Committee,
- Having examined Document WHC/23/45.COM/10C,
- Recalling Decision 44 COM 10A adopted at its extended 44th session (Fuzhou/Online, 2021),
- Welcomes the progress made in the follow-up on the implementation of the Third Cycle Regional Action Plan for the Arab States (2021-2027);
- Expresses its appreciation to the Arab Regional Centre for World Heritage (ARC-WH) for its follow-up on the implementation of the Action Plan for the Arab States (2021-2027);
- Invites the States Parties to support the implementation of the Action Plan for the Arab States (2021-2027), and to continue their collaboration with the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, the Advisory Bodies and ARC-WH in implementing the related activities;
- Acknowledges with appreciation that the Strategy for World Heritage in Africa was informed by an inclusive consultation process, which included the seven Arab States located in the African Continent, and that it is aligned with the regional Action Plans for Africa and the Arab States;
- Also acknowledges with appreciation that the outcomes of the UNESCO World Conference on Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development – MONDIACULT 2022 (Mexico City, 2022), and the reflections of international conference The Next 50 - The Future of World Heritage in Challenging Times, Enhancing Resilience and Sustainability (Delphi, 2022), have been taken into consideration in the implementation of activities carried out thereafter;
- Reminds the States Parties of the Arab States region, which have not already done so, to submit their Retrospective Statements of Outstanding Universal Value by 1 February 2024 at the latest, as well as clarifications of boundaries by 1 December 2023 at the latest;
- Reiterates its request to the UNESCO World Heritage Centre to monitor the implementation of the Regional Action Plan in view of preparing a mid-cycle assessment report to be presented to the World Heritage Committee at its 46th session.