M. Firouz Basherzadeh (Iran) a été élu par acclamation président du Comité.
Un membre du Comité a proposé de modifier l'article 12 du règlement intérieur provisoire de manière à prévoir l'élection de 4 vice-présidents. Deux autres ont appuyé cette proposition, qui a été adoptée. Le Comité a ensuite élu par acclamation les représentants de la République arabe d'Egypte, de la France, du Nigéria et de la Pologne comme vice-présidents et M. Peter H. Bennett (Canada) comme rapporteur.
7. Le Président a invité les membres du Comité à examiner l'ordre du jour provisoire établi par le Secrétariat. Le représentant du Directeur général a proposé d'y ajouter un point intitulé "Questions diverses" au titre duquel la proposition de collaboration émanant de l'Organisation internationale pour la protection des oeuvres d'art (doc. CC-77/CONF.001/5) et la proposition de donation faite par le professeur Badawy (doc. CC-77/CONF.001/7) seraient étudiées. Il a suggéré en outre que la question des méthodes de travail du Comité soit examinée non pas séparément mais en même temps que les ...
[Uniquement en anglais] In reply to a suggestion that the Rules of Procedure should be examined by a working group which would report back to the Committee at a later plenary meeting, the Legal Adviser stated that, in the absence of a text formally approved by the Committee, the Provisional Rules of Procedure would prevail and he therefore proposed that they be examined at an early plenary meeting; this would not prevent the Committee from amending the Rules of procedure at a later stage, if necessary. He added that the Rules of Procedure would probably only assume their final form after ...
[Uniquement en anglais] Several amendments were proposed to bring greater clarity to the text or to reflect more closely the terms of the Convention. The Rules relating to the election of officers and to the voting procedures gave rise to some comment.
[Uniquement en anglais] With respect to the eligibility for re-election of members of the Bureau, participants considered that, although rotation in the membership of the Bureau was necessary, continuity in the work of the Committee was of paramount importance. Various proposals followed, some providing for re-election of all officers and others for re-election of the Vice-Chairmen and the Rapporteur only. A further proposal which sought to limit the eligibility of all officers for immediate re-election to a second term of office was finally accepted.
[Uniquement en anglais] An explanation was requested on the different weightings required for a majority vote under the terms of paragraphs 2 and 3 of Rule 28. The Legal Adviser referred members to paragraph 8 of Article 13 of the Convention·which stipulated that "Decisions of the Committee shall be taken by a majority of two-thirds of its members present and voting". This provision was included in an Article of the Convention dealing with substantive questions and not with procedural matters. It was therefore considered that a two-thirds majority should be required on substantive ...
[Uniquement en anglais] Participants requested that two points raised in connection with the Rules of Procedure be noted in the summary record. The first related to the meetings of the Committee which, in the opinion of one member, should be given wide publicity. The second concerned the suspension of the Rules of Procedure which, as confirmed by the Legal Adviser, could be initiated by any State member of the Committee.
[Uniquement en anglais] A corrigendum setting cut the modifications made by the Committee, as well as an amendment proposed by the representative of the Director-General to Rule 8.2, was examined at the last meeting of the Committee which then proceeded to adopt unanimously the revised text of its Rules of Procedure. (Annex II)
[Uniquement en anglais] The Chairman invited the members of the Committee to consider the main working document and gave the floor to the representative of the Director-General who introduced the document which had been prepared with the assistance of the Rome Centre, ICOMOS and IUCN.
[Uniquement en anglais] Some discussion ensued on the method to be followed in examining the different points raised in the document and it was decided to establish two working groups with which the Rome Centre, ICOMOS and IUCN would be associated and which would review the proposed criteria for the inclusion of cultural and natural properties in the World Heritage List, and drafting group which would formulate the decisions taken by the Committee on other matters. The Committee proceeded to debate the general principles involved in establishing the World Heritage List and to examine, one ...
De l'avis de plusieurs membres, le Comité devrait faire une déclaration sur les conceptions de base dont s'inspire la Convention et, en particulier sur la nécessité de dresser une liste du patrimoine mondial. D'autres ont estimé que dans le cadre de la discussion sur les critères relatifs à l'inscription des biens sur la liste, on serait nécessairement amené à traiter des concepts généraux mis en jeu.
Plusieurs membres ont exprimé la conviction que la liste du patrimoine mondial devrait avoir un caractère exclusif et que, compte tenu de son impact, il faudrait la mettre au point avec le plus grand soin en cherchant à établir un juste équilibre tant sur le plan géographique qu'entre les biens culturels et naturels. La responsabilité d'assurer ce caractère exclusif incomberait tout d'abord aux Etats qui feront les demandes d'inscription, et en second lieu au Comité lequel aurait le droit de rejeter les demandes ; l'adoption de critères à appliquer pour décider quelles demandes seront ...
La possibilité d'adopter de tels critères a fait l'objet d'un débat, au cours duquel les points ci-après ont été mentionnés : difficultés déjà rencontrées dans ce domaine à l'échelon national, caractère variable et subjectif de l'évaluation des qualités, influence de la pensée occidentale et enfin différence entre les perceptions à l'intérieur d'une culture donnée et à I'extérieur de celle-ci. En réponse, le représentant de l'ICOMOS a reconnu qu'il est malaisé de formuler des critères valables pour l'ensemble des biens culturels dans le monde entier et de traduire des concepts en mots ...
Certains membres du Comité ont exprimé l'espoir que les informations fournies aux Etats membres seront assez précises pour leur permettre de sélectionner des biens vraiment aptes à être inscrits sur la liste, et que les critères retenus les aideront à restreindre leur choix. A cet égard, quelqu'un a proposé qu'un maximum soit fixé au nombre des demandes que chaque Etat pourrait présenter à l'origine, mais à la réflexion cela n'a pas été jugé souhaitable. Il a cependant été décidé de conseiller aux Etats de limiter le nombre des demandes soumises au même moment, étant entendu qu'elles ne ...
[Uniquement en anglais] Questions were raised with respect to the calendar for the submission of nominations to be examined at the second session of the Committee. Many members mentioned difficulties for their own national authorities in meeting the deadline of 1 April 1978, particularly in those countries where complete inventories had not yet been established. Several members strongly urged that technical co-operation should be financed under the Fund for the preparation of these inventories. The representative of the Director-General referred participants in this respect to the ...
[Uniquement en anglais] Several members considered that an independent assessment by experts of the nominations submitted would be essential and it was proposed that the nominations should be transmitted, for comments and evaluation, to the Rome Centre, ICOMOS or IUCN, as appropriate.
[Uniquement en anglais] One member considered that States not Parties to the Convention should be able to have properties nominated by a State Party for inclusion in the List. Other participants inquired about the possibility of nominating properties not situated in national territories, such as international sites, for instance the United Nations building in New York, or regions such as Antarctica. However, it was pointed out that the Convention was very explicit in this respect, Article II referring to the submission by each State Party of inventories of properties situated in its ...
[Uniquement en anglais] The Committee then proceeded to examine the working document paragraph by paragraph and to put forward their comments which would be taken into account by the drafting committee in formulating the decisions taken by the Committee.
1 COM VI.A(b).25
[Uniquement en anglais] General Principles relating to the establishment of the World Heritage List
[Uniquement en anglais] Several participants felt that the fundamental notion of the Committee's complete independence in evaluating nominations of States Parties should be more emphatically underlined. Others foresaw that certain properties would be re-evaluated in the light of new discoveries which may lead to the deletion of properties from the List. The "loss of integrity" referred to as a reason for the deletion of property from the List did not appear pertinent in the case of cultural property; for example, monuments in ruins, obviously having lost their integrity, could be eligible ...