Resolution 16 GA 3A.1

Elections to the World Heritage Committee - Reflection on election procedures of World Heritage Committee members and on the distribution of seats to ensure an equitable representation of the different Regions and Cultures of the World

The General Assembly,

1. Having examined Documents WHC-07/16.GA/3A and WHC-07/16.GA/INF.3A,
2. Recalling Resolution 15 GA 9, adopted at its 15th session (UNESCO, 2005), requesting to initiate a “process to discuss possible alternatives to the existing system of elections to the World Heritage Committee ” before its 16th session,
3. Keeping in mind the discussions held during the 31st session of the World Heritage Committee (Christchurch, 2007) and during the 16th session of the General Assembly of States Parties to the Convention (UNESCO, 2007),
4. Reiterating the need to ensure a more equitable representation of the different regions and cultures of the world, as well as a fair rotation in the composition of the Committee,
5. Emphasizing the need to envisage a less complex and less time-consuming voting method to better focus on other important issues for discussion,
6. Decides to intensify the examination of all possible alternatives to the current election system and to this end establishes an open-ended working group in order to make recommendations thereon, to inform the World Heritage Committee of its work, and to deliver its final report to the 17th session of the General Assembly in 2009;
7. Requests H. E. Mr. Kondo (Japan) to chair this working group in his personal capacity and the World Heritage Centre to give the necessary support to the working group;
8. Calls upon the World Heritage Committee to examine at its upcoming sessions the progress achieved by this working group and to make possible recommendations on it;
9. Further decides to inscribe this item on the agenda of its 17th session (October-November 2009) to examine possible modifications to its Rules of Procedure.