Decision 31 COM 16A

Working methods of the World Heritage Committee

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC-07/31.COM/16,
2. Recalling Decisions 30 COM 14A.9 and 30 COM 13.3 (Vilnius, 2006), and 29 COM 18B (Durban, 2005);
3. Requests the World Heritage Centre to check, in close consultation with the Advisory Bodies, the consistency of the relevant decisions of the Committee with the Operational Guidelines;
4. Also requests the World Heritage Centre, in order to ensure consistency, to submit the proposed revisions for consideration by the Chairperson of the World Heritage Committee, and to update the electronic, web-based version of the English and French text of the Operational Guidelines, on 1 January each year;
5. Further requests the World Heritage Centre to edit a printed paper version of the English and French texts of the Operational Guidelines once every four years, starting in 2009, for distribution of the revised paper version at its 33rd session (2009).
6. Invites the General Assembly to take into account the debate on the division of responsibilities between the General Assembly and the World Heritage Committee held at its 31st session (Christchurch, 2007) in examining the possibility that strategic policy issues become permanent agenda items for the Assembly, including:
   1. Strategic Objectives for the implementation of the World Heritage Convention,
   2. Strategic policy issues such as the Global Strategy for a Representative, Balanced and Credible World Heritage List,
   3. Orientations in relation to World Heritage Programmes and the World Heritage Fund,
   4. Reflection on major themes of cultural and natural heritage,
   5. Implementation of previous General Assembly resolutions,
   6. the State of Conservation of World Heritage;
7. Takes note of the debate on the perception of conflict of interest.