World Heritage National Focal Points of the Arab States Region meet for Periodic Reporting Workshop
From 12-14 November 2018, World Heritage Focal Points of the Arab States region came together in Manama, Bahrain for a workshop on Periodic Reporting for the World Heritage Convention.
The workshop was organised and hosted by the UNESCO Category 2 Centre ARC-WH in cooperation with the World Heritage Centre and was held within the framework of the Third Cycle of Periodic Reporting (PR), currently being implemented in the Arab States region (2018-2019). The aim of the workshop was to familiarise National Focal Points of the Arab States Region with the Periodic Reporting questionnaire and to provide them with the tools to support the World Heritage Site Managers in their countries in their reporting duties.
Over the course of the two days, the participants were introduced to the modalities of the Periodic Reporting Process and discussed how it will be implemented in their countries.
During the workshop, participants listened to presentations on the Periodic Reporting Process, on the PR questionnaire and on regional action plans from the World Heritage Centre, on the role of the ARC-WH Category 2 Centre in the Periodic Reporting process, and a presentation on the Qal’at al-Bahrain – Ancient Harbour and Capital of Dilmun World Heritage property from the property’s Site Manager. Representatives of the Advisory Bodies to the World Heritage Convention, IUCN and ICOMOS presented specific aspects of the conservation-related content of the PR questionnaire.
The participants were divided into three subgroups and simulated the filling in of the questionnaires. The exercise lead to a number of useful discussions and sharing of experience between the Focal Points of the region. Principal outcomes of the meeting included the establishment of closer contacts between the Focal Points with a view to future cooperation on Periodic Reporting, and the defining of the role of the ARC-WH as the key regional partner for the Periodic Reporting in the Arab States region (2018-2019).
Periodic Reporting is one of the core conservation monitoring mechanisms of the World Heritage Convention. Every six years, the States Parties are invited to submit to the World Heritage Committee a Periodic Report on the application of the World Heritage Convention in their territory.
Further meetings on Periodic Reporting for World Heritage Site Managers in the region are foreseen for spring 2019
