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Jesuit Missions of the Guaranis: San Ignacio Mini, Santa Ana, Nuestra Señora de Loreto and Santa Maria Mayor (Argentina), Ruins of Sao Miguel das Missoes (Brazil)

Argentina, Brazil
Factors affecting the property in 2003*
  • Financial resources
  • Human resources
  • Industrial areas
  • Interpretative and visitation facilities
  • Management systems/ management plan
Factors* affecting the property identified in previous reports
  • Aggressive natural environment (issue resolved)
  • Need for increased sub­regional cooperation
International Assistance: requests for the property until 2003
Requests approved: 3 (from 1988-2003)
Total amount approved : 50,000 USD
Missions to the property until 2003**

October 2002: interdisciplinary expert team visit to the Jesuit Missions of the Guaranies in Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil 

Conservation issues presented to the World Heritage Committee in 2003

Upon the invitation of the World Monuments Fund (WMF), an interdisciplinary expert team visited the Jesuit Missions of the Guaranies in Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil from 16 to 26 October 2002. The UNESCO Regional Adviser for World Heritage participated in the mission. The mission's objective was to analyse the present state of conservation of the Jesuit Missions, their management and their potential for cultural tourism development and to make recommendations for future action. An important conclusion of the mission was that the ensemble of the original thirty missions is fragmented in terms of interpretation, criteria for interventions and conservation and management. The fact that seven of these missions located in three different countries appear on the World Heritage List does not seem to have had a major impact on decision-making at the local, national or regional level. There is no systematic institutional or professional co-operation between the countries.

In response to these issue, the expert team proposed a three-year capacity building programme for the ensemble of the Jesuit Missions. The programme will strengthen the institutional and technical/professional capacities in the countries concerned, including Uruguay, for the integral conservation, management and sustainable development of the missions. The first activity of the programme will be a training-workshop for those responsible for the conservation and management of the sites. This one-week workshop will be held in the mission of Sao Miguel, Brazil, in the second half of 2003. Brazil has submitted a training request under the World Heritage Fund and additional contributions have been requested under the Netherlands Funds-in-Trust and the World Monuments Fund. 

Decisions adopted by the Committee in 2003
27 COM 7B.84
Jesuit Missions (Brazil/Argentina/Paraguay)

The World Heritage Committee [50],

1. Takes note of and welcomes the initiative to implement a sub-regional capacity- building programme for the conservation, management and sustainable development of the Jesuit Missions of the Guaranis (2003to 2005);

2. Welcomes the co-operation established to this effect between UNESCO and the World Monuments Fund;

3. Requests the World Heritage Centre to provide information on the implementation and results of the programme

[50]  Decision adopted without discussion.

Draft Decision: 27 COM 7 (b) 84

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Takes note of and welcomes the initiative to implement a sub-regional capacity building programme for the conservation, management and sustainable development of the Jesuit Missions of the Guaranies (2003 to 2005),

2. Welcomes the co-operation established to this effect between UNESCO and the World Monuments Fund,

3. Invites the Secretariat to provide information at its 28th session on the implementation and results of the programme. 

Report year: 2003
Argentina Brazil
Date of Inscription: 1983
Category: Cultural
Criteria: (iv)
Documents examined by the Committee
arrow_circle_right 27COM (2003)
Exports

* : The threats indicated are listed in alphabetical order; their order does not constitute a classification according to the importance of their impact on the property.
Furthermore, they are presented irrespective of the type of threat faced by the property, i.e. with specific and proven imminent danger (“ascertained danger”) or with threats which could have deleterious effects on the property’s Outstanding Universal Value (“potential danger”).

** : All mission reports are not always available electronically.