CORRIGENDUM: Meeting of National Focal Points of Nordic, Baltic, Western and Mediterranean Europe on the Implementation of the Second Cycle of the Periodic Reporting Exercise on the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention

CLT/WHC-12/12

Madam, Sir,

I am pleased to let you know that, in the framework of the implementation of the Second Cycle of the Periodic Reporting exercise in Europe and North America, the national Focal Points for Periodic Reporting from Nordic, Baltic, Western and Mediterranean Europe shall meet in Berlin from 24 to 26 September 2012, at a meeting hosted by Germany and organized in collaboration with the World Heritage Centre (see Decision 36 COM 10B.7). The Focal Points as well as German Site Managers have already received an invitation from the German authorities on 18 July 2012.

Please note that the core meetings will take place during two days on 24 and 25 September and will be held in English. On day 2, a practical training on the usage of the Periodic Reporting questionnaire will introduce the online tool to Focal Points and Site Managers of Group A (Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States of America). A parallel session will be held for the National Focal Points of Mediterranean Europe (Group B). The practical training for Mediterranean Europe will take place in Florence/Italy in September 2013.

The meetings will be followed by a visit to Stralsund, a component of the World Heritage site “Historic Centres of Stralsund and Wismar“ on the afternoon of 25 September and to Rügen Island on 26 September, where a component of the World Heritage site “Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and the Ancient Beech Forests of Germany” is located. Participants in the field visit will return to Berlin in the evening of 26 September and may wish to arrange their travel dates to and from Berlin accordingly.

To facilitate the participation of Focal Points from all the countries of the sub-regions, the host country will cover some meals during the workshop (for one/two participant by country) as well as the costs of the field visit. All other expenses including accommodation for each participant should be covered by his/her country.

For countries with cultural and natural World Heritage sites, the participation of both the Focal Point for cultural World Heritage as well as the Focal Point for natural World Heritage is recommended.

I would like to draw your attention to the importance of this workshop for the implementation of the Second Cycle of the Periodic Reporting exercise in Europe and North America. National Focal Points will be expected, after this meeting, to organize national workshops and act as trainers in further seminars with national authorities and Site Managers, in order to facilitate the completion of the Periodic Reporting online questionnaire. The national Focal Points for Periodic Reporting should be in charge of the overall coordination of the reporting, including the collaboration with Site Managers and other relevant national and local authorities, throughout the whole process of the Periodic Reporting exercise.

Logistical details as well as the finalized agenda of the workshop will be communicated to your Focal Points shortly by the host country. For any further information please contact Dr Birgitta Ringbeck from the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Germany’s World Heritage Focal Point via e-mail at
birgitta.ringbeck@diplo.de or phone at +49 (0) 30 1817 4784.

At this opportunity, I would also like to refer to the newly established Periodic Reporting online platform that presents all relevant information in a structured and targeted manner including video tutorials as well as the recently developed hand book for Site Managers, with a view to facilitating the implementation of the Periodic Reporting exercise. The platform can be accessed through the following link: https://whc.unesco.org/en/153.

I thank you for your cooperation and support in the implementation of the World Heritage Convention.

Please accept, Madam/Sir, the assurances of my highest consideration.

Kishore Rao
Director

cc:  Permanent Delegation of Germany to UNESCO

National Commissions (Nordic, Baltic, Western and Mediterranean Europe)

Advisory Bodies

Nordic World Heritage Foundation