Africa on the World Heritage Online Map Platform

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Documents WHC/24/46.COM/5A and WHC/24/46.COM/INF.5A,
2. Recalling Decisions 44 COM 5A and 45 COM 5A adopted at its extended 44th (Fuzhou/online, 2021) and extended 45th (Riyadh, 2023) sessions respectively,
3. Takes note with appreciation of the activities undertaken by the World Heritage Centre over the past year in pursuit of Output 5.CLT1 to ensure that “Member States’ capacities [are] strengthened to identify, protect and manage tangible heritage”, and the five Strategic Objectives of the World Heritage Committee;
4. Notes with appreciation that UNESCO organized, in close cooperation with the government of Italy, the Naples Conference on Cultural Heritage in the 21st century in November 2023, as the first major event bringing together the 1972 Convention on the World Cultural and Natural Heritage and the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, thanks the government of Italy for its initiative, encourages the reinforcement of synergies between World Heritage and Intangible Cultural Heritage, and invites all World Heritage stakeholders to draw inspiration from the Call for Action ‘The Spirit of Naples’;
5. Commends the government of Norway for its continued substantial contribution to the World Heritage Fund to strengthen management and conservation of severely threatened natural World Heritage properties in Africa, including those inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger and calls on other States Parties to join this initiative;
6. Welcomes the continued efforts of the World Heritage Centre to collaborate and enhance synergies among UNESCO’s Culture conventions and the Biodiversity-related conventions and programmes towards the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), thanks the government of Switzerland for its funding to strengthen this work, and reiterates its requests to the States Parties to pursue such cooperation also at the national level, including in the implementation of the National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs);
7. Welcomes the proposed organization of an expert meeting on World Heritage and the Kunming-Montreal GBF end of 2024, towards identifying and further developing coordinated actions on World Heritage and the GBF, and invites States Parties to contribute financially for this purpose;
8. Thanks the States Parties that have provided geo-referenced data of World Heritage properties for inclusion in the World Heritage Online Map Platform and encourages all States Parties to submit such data in order to fully benefit from the potential of this tool for monitoring the state of conservation of World Heritage properties;
9. Thanks all the States Parties that generously supported financially and/or in kind both the activities towards the implementation of the Convention, as well as the reinforcement of the human resources of the World Heritage Centre, and invites other States Parties to continue providing such support and increase it where possible;
10. Notes with concern that the implementation of the World Heritage Convention faces several significant challenges, including financial and capacity constraints, that impact its effectiveness;
11. Invites the Director General to reinforce the World Heritage Centre notably by allocating more UNESCO financial and human resources to the World Heritage Centre and by supporting its fundraising activities from the private sector, civil society, multilateral funds and institutions in line with UNESCO’s financial rules and regulations;
12. Takes note of the discussions held during its 46th session (New Delhi, 2024) regarding the UNESCO Mid-term Strategy (C/4) and the draft Programme and Budget (C/5) documents, in conformity with 42 C/Resolution 81, adopted by the General Conference at its 42nd session (UNESCO, 2023);
13. Requests the World Heritage Centre to present a report on its activities, including a result-based report on the Thematic Programmes, under Item 5A, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 47th session.

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The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/24/46.COM/7,
2. Recalling Decisions 42 COM 7, 43 COM 7.2, 44 COM 7.2, 45 COM 7.1 and 45 COM 7.2 adopted at its 42nd (Manama, 2018) and 43rd (Baku, 2019) sessions, and its extended 44th (Fuzhou/online, 2021) and 45th (Riyadh, 2023) sessions respectively,
3. Also recalling that all proposed major interventions in and around World Heritage properties should be subject to rigorous impact assessments, as outlined in Paragraph 118bis of the Operational Guidelines, in line with the Guidance and Toolkit for Impact Assessment in a World Heritage Context, and that both the proposals and the impact assessment-related documentation be submitted, in accordance with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines, to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies, before any interventions for new construction, demolition, modification, recovery or reconstruction commences or decisions made that cannot be reversed;

Improving the perception of the List of World Heritage in Danger

4. Reaffirming that the inscription of a property on the List of World Heritage in Danger aims to mobilize international support to help States Parties to effectively address the challenges faced by the properties concerned,

5. Also reaffirming the need to promote a better understanding of the implications and benefits of properties being inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger, welcomes the Secretariat’s information material entitled “Implementing New Visions: a Guidebook for action on the List of World Heritage in Danger (2024)” and thanks the State Party of Norway for its financial support to this end;

6. Encourages the States Parties, the World Heritage Centre, the Advisory Bodies and the World Heritage-related Category 2 Centres to disseminate widely this guidebook through appropriate means, including in local languages, to the World Heritage community at large and the broader public, with a view to contributing to a more positive perception of the List of World Heritage in Danger;

Emergency situations resulting from conflicts

7. Expresses utmost concern that conflicts (including armed conflict and civil unrest) continue to represent a major threat to World Heritage properties and remain one of the major reasons for the inscription of properties on the List of World Heritage in Danger;

8. Regrets the loss of human life and the degradation of humanitarian conditions resulting from the prevailing conflict situations, including threats to the personnel and local communities in and around World Heritage properties;

9. Welcomes protection and conservation efforts being undertaken by the concerned States Parties at World Heritage properties in current and former conflict zones and that some States Parties are progressively proceeding with the development of corrective measures and the definition of the Desired state of conservation for the removal of properties from the List of World Heritage in Danger (DSOCR) for some cultural properties in collaboration with the World Heritage Centre and ICOMOS;

10. Urges again all parties associated with conflicts to ensure the protection of cultural and natural heritage, including to avoid their use for military purposes and also reiterates its utmost concern at the increase in illicit trafficking of cultural objects, resulting from armed conflicts, and appeals to all States Parties to cooperate in the fight against these threats, and for cultural heritage protection in general, including through the ratification of the 1970 Convention and the 1954 Convention and its two Protocols, as well as the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolutions 2199 (2015), 2253 (2015) and 2347 (2017), and the implementation of the UNESCO Recommendations on Museums and Collections (2015);

11. Welcomes the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies’ continued actions in responding to emergencies and conflicts threatening cultural and natural heritage, including the Outstanding Universal Value, including through the Heritage Emergency Fund (HEF) and the Rapid Response Facility (RRF), UNESCO’s actions and emergency assistance programme and the First Aid and Resilience for Cultural Heritage of ICCROM;

12. Reiterates its call upon the international community to further support the safeguarding of the cultural and natural heritage of countries affected by conflict, through earmarked funds or through contributions to the UNESCO World Heritage Fund, HEF and RRF;

Recovery and Reconstruction

13. Recalls that reconstruction is justifiable only in exceptional circumstances, and should be based on thorough documentation, guided by conservation plans and policies that support the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV), and as outlined in Paragraph 86 of the Operational Guidelines;

14. Takes note of the programmes initiated and implemented by the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies and other international partners to respond to the destruction of heritage through documentation, emergency response, recovery and reconstruction;

15. Welcomes the continued efforts by States Parties in responding to post-conflict and post-disaster recovery and reconstruction, as well as their positive social and community interlinkages and thanks UNESCO, the Advisory Bodies, and all the partners for their generous support of the initiatives and efforts;

16. Reiterates its previous encouragement to all State Parties to prepare comprehensive risk preparedness strategies and emergency response plans for World Heritage properties that are exposed to risk from natural disasters;

17. Reminds State Parties that Recovery Plans and on major reconstruction projects, which extend beyond emergency repair and stabilisation works should be subject to Heritage Impact Assessments (HIAs) prepared in accordance with the Guidance and Toolkit for Impact Assessments in the World Heritage Context and that detailed project documentation including HIAs should be submitted to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies before making any decision that would be difficult to reverse, in conformity with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines.

Development pressures and the need for management effectiveness

18. Notes with concern the continued and increasing pressures on World Heritage arising from a wide range of development pressures from small scale housing projects to large scale infrastructure development, including for transport and energy, urban development and expansion, mining and extraction, and the building of border barriers, to the development of tourism infrastructure within World Heritage properties or in their wider setting, resulting in significant potential and ascertained threats to the OUV of these properties;

19. Notes the importance of clearly established governance and legislation protecting the OUV of the property and that effective management systems for World Heritage properties must be integrated into urban, local and regional development plans and processes so that the coherent and coordinated protection of OUV is implemented by all levels of government;

20. Welcomes the launch of the UNESCO Urban Heritage Atlas digital tool that also supports the implementation of the 2011 Recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape and encourages States Parties to implement the Atlas for managing World Heritage properties in urban contexts;

21. Invites States Parties to regularly evaluate their World Heritage management systems to ensure that management is effective, and to inform adaptive management approaches by utilizing the 2023 Enhancing Our Heritage Toolkit 2.0 to ensure that the OUV is conserved and management objectives are achieved;

22. Reminds States Parties that in order to effectively plan, manage and inform decision-making, that they ensure that the potential impacts of developments on the OUV are appropriately assessed, in line with Paragraph 3 above and that no developments proceed that would negatively impact the OUV;

23. Notes furthermore the support of sound information systems for effective management systems, such as the World Heritage Online Map Platform and the UNESCO Urban Heritage Atlas, as well as the importance of sharing management practices through the UNESCO World Heritage Canopy platform and the IUCN-ICCROM-ICOMOS Nature-Culture Community of PANORAMA and invites States Parties to continue to contribute to their information and practices;

24. Also welcomes the agreement signed between UNESCO, IUCN and the Kingdom of the Netherlands Commission for Environmental Assessment (NCEA) to reinforce capacity building and quality assurance for Strategic Environmental Assessments (SEAs) and Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIAs) for World Heritage properties;

Local Communities, Indigenous Peoples, and Human-Rights

25. Recalling Article 5 of the Convention that each State Party shall adopt for their territory a general policy which aims to give the cultural and natural heritage a function in the life of the community, and the integration of the protection of that heritage into comprehensive planning programmes as a means of ensuring effective protection, conservation and presentation of cultural and natural heritage;

26. Also recalling the obligations of States Parties to ensure that the management of their World Heritage properties should follow a human rights-based approach in line with international human rights standards and norms, including the expectations set out in the 2015 Policy on the Integration of a Sustainable Development Perspective in World Heritage Processes, and the UNESCO Policy on Engaging with Indigenous Peoples in order to ensure the full participation of all right-holders and stakeholders and in particular Indigenous peoples including through the provision of free, prior and informed consent on issues related to World Heritage properties that affect Indigenous Peoples;

27. Further recalling the provisions of the Operational Guidelines that call upon States Parties to adopt a human rights-based approach and to ensure the participation of local communities and/or Indigenous Peoples in the implementation of the Convention;

28. Acknowledges that historically for some World Heritage properties, OUV has been defined without the meaningful or sufficient participation of the Indigenous Peoples concerned and may not have taken into account their perspectives, including their relationship with the land and the interconnectedness of nature and culture and that this may have significant negative impacts on the rights, practices, traditions, livelihoods and heritage of concerned Indigenous Peoples;

29. Expresses its utmost concern and strongly condemns all forms of human rights violations against Indigenous Peoples and local communities, including forced evictions, and reiterates that such violations are unacceptable within the framework of the World Heritage Convention, urges the States Parties concerned to urgently investigate allegations where such violations have been reported, and calls upon States Parties to ensure equitable, inclusive and participatory governance mechanisms ensuring full respect of human rights, including the rights of Indigenous Peoples, as an integral part of the management of World Heritage properties;

30. Takes note that an international expert workshop on ‘Recognising and Respecting Indigenous Peoples’ Heritage Values in World Heritage Sites’ was organised by the International Indigenous Peoples Forum on World Heritage (IIPFWH) in January 2024 with the participation of the Advisory Bodies and the World Heritage Centre, and invites the IIPFWH to make available the outcome document at the earliest opportunity;

31. Also takes note that the 21st General Assembly and Scientific Symposium of ICOMOS addressed the question of human rights-based approach to heritage management;

Climate Change

32. Notes with concern the increasing impacts of Climate Change on cultural and natural World Heritage properties;

33. Welcomes the adoption of the Policy Document on Climate Action for World Heritage (Policy Document) by the General Assembly of States Parties to the World Heritage Convention at its 24th session (UNESCO, 2023), urges States Parties to implement it and encourages States Parties, the World Heritage Centre, the Advisory Bodies and World Heritage-related Category 2 Centres to disseminate it widely through appropriate means;

34. Takes note of the initiatives taken by the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies to advance work to support implementation of the Policy Document, including on the development of a draft climate action for World Heritage toolkit and through the ongoing revision of the Resource Manual on Managing Disaster Risks for World Heritage, as well as the upcoming activities for a Guidance Document and encourages States Parties to support these initiatives through extrabudgetary contributions;

35. Also takes note of the ICOMOS Climate Change Adaptation Guide, proposed online and the pro-active engagement with the threats posed by climate change to Indigenous heritage;

World Heritage contribution to Biodiversity Conventions

36. Reiterates its request to States Parties to fully harness the World Heritage Convention in supporting the goals and targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, including through effective collaboration among convention focal points, and by integrating World Heritage-related objectives within their updated National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs), to ensure synergies between World Heritage and other biodiversity-related Conventions, and that World Heritage properties fully benefit from international biodiversity financing such as the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund;

37. Thanks the States Parties of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Germany for their offer to support the expert meeting on World Heritage and the Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, with a view to elaborating specific guidance on how the World Heritage Convention could be better harnessed to contribute to the Global Biodiversity Framework and the aims of the Joint Programme of Work on the Links between Biological and Cultural Diversity, and requests that the outcomes and recommendations of the expert meeting be reported to the Committee at its 47th session;

38. Noting the growing concern over the impacts of avian influenza on wildlife in World Heritage properties, encourages management authorities to develop appropriate management strategies in line with international standards and good practice.

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The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/23/45.COM/7,
2. Recalling Decisions 40 COM 7, 41 COM 7, 42 COM 7, 43 COM 7.2, and 44 COM 7.2 adopted at its 40th (Istanbul/UNESCO, 2016), 41st (Krakow, 2017), 42nd (Manama, 2018), 43rd (Baku, 2019) and extended 44th (Fuzhou/online, 2021) sessions respectively,
3. Also recalling that all proposed major interventions in and around World Heritage properties should be subject to rigorous impact assessments, as outlined in Paragraph 118bis of the Operational Guidelines, in line with the Guidance and Toolkit for Impact Assessments in a World Heritage Context, and that both the proposals and the impact assessment-related documentation be submitted, in accordance with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines, to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies, before any intervention for new construction, demolition, modification, recovery or reconstruction commences or decisions made that cannot be reversed;

    

   Emergency situations resulting from conflicts

4. Expresses utmost concern that conflicts (including armed conflict and civil unrest) continue to represent a major threat to World Heritage properties and remain one of the major reasons for the inscription of properties on the List of World Heritage in Danger;
5. Regrets the loss of human life and the degradation of humanitarian conditions resulting from the prevailing conflict situations in several countries, including threats to the personnel and local communities, as well as the continuing threats facing cultural and natural heritage in regions of armed conflict where there are significant concerns regarding security in and around World Heritage properties;
6. Welcomes protection and conservation efforts being undertaken by the concerned States Parties at World Heritage properties and that the States Parties are progressively proceeding with the development of corrective measures and the definition of the Desired state of conservation for the removal of the properties from the List of World Heritage in Danger (DSOCR) for some cultural properties following due process;
7. Urges again all parties associated with conflicts to ensure the protection of cultural and natural heritage, including to avoid their use for military purposes and also urges States Parties to fulfil their obligations under international law, including the 1954 Convention and its two Protocols, by taking all possible measures to protect such heritage, including of World Heritage properties and sites included in Tentative Lists;
8. Reiterates its utmost concern about the continuing threats of wildlife poaching and illegal trafficking of wildlife and timber products linked to impacts of armed conflict and organized crime, which is eroding the biodiversity and Outstanding Universal Value of World Heritage properties around the world, and further urges States Parties to take the necessary measures to curb this problem, including through the implementation of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES);
9. Also reiterates its utmost concern at the increase in illicit trafficking of cultural objects, resulting from armed conflicts, and appeals to all States Parties to cooperate in the fight against these threats, and for cultural heritage protection in general, including through the ratification of the 1970 Convention and the 1954 Convention and its two Protocols, as well as the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolutions 2199 (2015), 2253 (2015) and 2347 (2017), and the implementation of the UNESCO Recommendations on Museums and Collections (2015);
10. Welcomes the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies’ continued actions in responding to emergencies and conflicts threatening cultural and natural heritage, including the Outstanding Universal Value, including through the Revive the Spirit of Mosul and the Li Beirut initiatives, the Heritage Emergency Fund (HEF) and the Rapid Response Facility (RRF) and also UNESCO actions in Ukraine and emergency programmes in Sudan, Syria, Yemen, Iraq, Libya, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Benin, Burkina Faso, Niger, Mali, Central African Republic, Palestine, and other countries;
11. Reiterates its call upon the international community to further support the safeguarding of the cultural and natural heritage of countries affected by conflict, through earmarked funds or through contributions to the UNESCO World Heritage Fund, HEF and RRF;

    Recovery and Reconstruction

12. Recalls that reconstruction is justifiable only in exceptional circumstances, and should be based on thorough documentation, guided by conservation plans and policies that support the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV), and as outlined in Paragraph 86 of the Operational Guidelines;
13. Takes note of the various programmes initiated and implemented by the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies and other international partners to respond to the destruction of heritage through documentation, emergency response, recovery and reconstruction;
14. Welcomes the continued efforts by States Parties in responding to post-conflict and post-disaster recovery and reconstruction, including the various reconstruction projects nearing completion, as well as their positive social and community interlinkages and thanks France, Germany, Japan, Norway, the Republic of Korea, Spain, the Sultanate of Oman, the United Arab Emirates, the European Union, the International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage in Conflict Areas (ALIPH), the Heritage Emergency Fund and the Arab Regional Centre for World Heritage (ARC-WH) for their generous support, including for the reconstruction of the House of Wonder, an emblematic building in East Africa, in the Stone Town of Zanzibar, United Republic of Tanzania;
15. Encourages all State Parties to prepare comprehensive risk preparedness strategies and emergency response plans for World Heritage properties that are exposed to risk from natural disasters;
16. Requests States Parties to ensure the integrity of the OUV of World Heritage properties and that all recovery and reconstruction projects be guided by thorough and comprehensive recovery proposals, including plans and drawings, integrated and aligned with the needs of local communities and subject to rigorous impact assessments as noted in Paragraph 3 above;

     

    Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework

17. Welcomes the adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) during the fifteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP-15) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in December 2022 to set the global pathway to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030, in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development;
18. Requests the States Parties to fully harness the World Heritage Convention in supporting the goals and targets of the GBF, including through effective collaboration among convention focal points, and by integrating World Heritage-related objectives within their National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs);
19. Also requests the World Heritage Centre, in collaboration with the Advisory Bodies, to identify and develop coordinated actions on World Heritage and the GBF, including specific guidance on how the World Heritage Convention might contribute to the aims of the Joint Programme of Work on the Links between Biological and Cultural Diversity, subject to the availability of resources, and to integrate reporting on progress regarding contributions of World Heritage to the GBF under the Committee’s item on Sustainable Development and invites States Parties to contribute financially for this purpose;

     

    Urban pressure

20. Notes that pressures on historic urban areas arising from inappropriate urban development interventions and inadequate development controls, rapid and inadequately planned development, including large development projects, additions that are incompatible in their volume, tourism and transportation infrastructure, as well as the accumulated impact of incremental changes, have continued within numerous World Heritage properties and in their buffer zones and settings, and considers that these present significant potential and ascertained major threats to the Outstanding Universal Value of properties, including their integrity and authenticity, and increase their vulnerability to disasters, such as those resulting from climate change;
21. Also noting that the findings of the UNESCO Third Member State Consultation on the Implementation of the 2011 Recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape (2011 Recommendation) request States Parties to implement the 2011 Recommendation in urban World Heritage properties and, with technical assistance from the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies, to integrate it as a tool in the monitoring processes of the state of conservation, and the preparation and updating of management plans concerning nomination process for World Heritage properties in cities and settlements including with the support of the World Heritage Urban Heritage Atlas tool;
22. Recalls the essential contribution of local communities, and the importance of their participation in decision-making processes, as well as the need to support sustainable, compatible, and inclusive livelihoods for local communities and further requests States Parties to embed stakeholder engagement in management systems and processes, in line with Paragraph 12 of the Operational Guidelines, with the 2011 Recommendation and the Policy on the Integration of a Sustainable Development Perspective into the Processes of the World Heritage Convention (2015);
23. Invites all States Parties to establish governance mechanisms for urban heritage that support coordination and coherence across different sectors such as infrastructure, tourism, transport, and urban development to integrate heritage management into the plans and processes of the settlement and the region;
24. Stresses the importance of carrying out impact assessments to evaluate and thereby avoid or manage potential threats to the OUV of properties, including their authenticity and integrity, arising from new urban development projects in line with paragraph 3 above;
25. Also emphasizes the need to enhance resilience of World Heritage properties in urban areas vulnerable to climate change-related impacts, in line with the 2011 Recommendation and the outcomes of the activities of the UNESCO World Heritage Cities Programme;
    
    Infrastructure development
26. Notes with concern the growing pressure of infrastructure development, such as extractive mining activities, dams, hydropower, transportation infrastructure, and the expansion of tourism infrastructure, on the Outstanding Universal Value of World Heritage properties;
27. Welcomes the commitment announced by the International Hydropower Association (IHA) that no new hydropower projects should be developed in World Heritage properties, and a duty of care pledge to implement high standards of performance and transparency for any hydropower projects outside of but affecting protected areas such as World Heritage properties;
28. Strongly urges all States Parties, development proponents and financiers to incorporate the Guidance and Toolkit for Impact Assessments in a World Heritage Context into planning and decision-making processes to contribute to safeguarding the OUV of World Heritage properties, in line with Paragraph 3 above;
29. Requests all States Parties to:
    1. Inform the World Heritage Centre of any planned developments located within a World Heritage property, its buffer zone or in its wider setting that may impact on its OUV, prior to making any decision that would be difficult to reverse, in conformity with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines,
    2. Ensure that the potential impacts of developments on the OUV are appropriately assessed, in line with Paragraph 3 above,
    3. Ensure that no proposed developments proceed that would negatively impact on the OUV,
    4. Ensure that no deliberate measures are taken, which might damage directly or indirectly the inscribed properties situated on the territory of other States Parties to the Convention, in conformity with Article 6 of the World Heritage Convention;

    
    Corporate Sector and the World Heritage ‘no-go’ commitment

30. Welcomes the launch of the UNESCO Guidance for the World Heritage ‘No-Go’ Commitment: Global standards for corporate sustainability as a means to assist the corporate sector to develop or update their policies and strategies to safeguard World Heritage, and thanks the Government of Flanders (Belgium) for its financial support;

31. Requests the World Heritage Centre, in collaboration with the Advisory Bodies, to continue its collaboration with the corporate sector in view of supporting the adoption and implementation of World Heritage safeguard policies, and invites companies and relevant organisations to develop and update their corporate sustainability policies in line with the UNESCO guidance, and lodge them with UNESCO;

    Rights-based Issues

32. Recalling Article 5 of the Convention that each State Party shall adopt for each country a general policy, which aims to give the cultural and natural heritage a function in the life of the community, and the integration of the protection of that heritage into comprehensive planning programmes are means of ensuring effective protection, conservation and presentation of cultural and natural heritage,
33. Also recalling the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples,
34. Further recalling the various provisions of the Operational Guidelines that encourage States Parties to adopt a human rights-based approach to the nomination and subsequent effective management of inscribed World Heritage properties,
35. Bearing in mind that specific and significant spiritual meanings are mentioned to justify the Outstanding Universal Value of a large number of the World Heritage properties to be found in most countries around the world, also recalling a number of research studies and analyses of religious heritage and sacred sites carried out by the Advisory Bodies,
36. Underlining that living religious and sacred sites require specific approach and policies for protection and management that take into account their distinct spiritual nature, crucial to their Outstanding Universal Value, as a key factor in their conservation and that such policies cannot be sustainable without in-depth consultation with the appropriate stakeholders;
37. Calls upon all States Parties to ensure that human rights, including cultural rights, are protected as an integral part of the management of World Heritage properties by establishing equitable and participatory governance arrangements;
38. Strongly condemns all forms of human rights violations and abuses towards indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs), including any forced eviction;
39. Notes with utmost concern the reported cases of alleged human rights abuses towards IPLCs in and around World Heritage properties and therefore, strongly urges the States Parties concerned to urgently investigate the allegations and take appropriate actions to address their findings, following an equitably governed consultative process with the participation and decision making of all rightsholders and stakeholders;
40. Reminds States Parties of their obligations to ensure that the management of World Heritage properties follows a rights-based approach that includes full involvement of all rightsholders and stakeholders, in particular IPLCs, in line with the 2015 Policy on World Heritage and Sustainable Development, the UNESCO Policy on Engaging with Indigenous Peoples and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and international human rights standards;
41. Requests the Secretariat, with the Advisory Bodies, to enhance activities in the framework of the Initiative on Heritage of Religious Interest and to resume elaboration of the thematic paper proposing to the States Parties general guidance regarding the management of their cultural and natural heritage of religious interest, and in compliance with the national specificities, and invites the States Parties to provide voluntary contributions to this end;

     

    Earth observation and spatial data for World Heritage conservation

42. Welcomes the development of the World Heritage Online Mapping Platform to provide a comprehensive, complete, accurate and geo-referenced dataset for the World Heritage properties that, in the pilot phase of the project, are in the Europe and North America region, and thanks the Government of Flanders (Belgium) for the support provided to the pilot phase of the project;
43. Also welcomes the Urban Heritage Atlas platform and tool for geo-referenced cultural mapping of the attributes of urban heritage and invites States Parties to use the tool for better managing their World Heritage properties and takes note with satisfaction of the continued activities of the Urban Heritage Climate Observatory applying earth observation tools for World Heritage cities;
44. Invites States Parties to contribute to the above-mentioned platforms and tools with already available GIS data, complementary narrative and visual analysis, expertise, networks, and financial resources;
45. Reiterates its request to States Parties, the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies, to strengthen collaborative partnerships with UNESCO Category 2 Centres and other relevant institutions with a view to furthering the necessary institutional and individual capacity needed to make full use of spatial data, Earth observation satellite technologies and analysis tools for the monitoring of the state of conservation of World Heritage properties.

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