The Bureau recalled that the site was inscribed in 1983 and added to the List of World Heritage in Danger in 1992 due to threats from poaching and a road construction. A field mission was carried out in 1993 and a report was submitted to the seventeenth session of the World Heritage Committee in December 1993. A short up-date report has been provided by the IUCN Office in Ecuador, indicating major restructuring of the park administration and a reduction of personnel. Furthermore, the Macas-Guamote road construction is progressing with no attention being paid to the conditions of the ...
Sites: Sangay National Park
The current state of the Kathmandu Valley World Heritage site had been the cause of apprehension since 1992 and had already appeared on the agenda of a number of meetings of the Bureau and of the World Heritage Committee. The Bureau was informed of the conclusions of the joint UNESCO/ICOMOS Review Mission of 14-30 November 1993, which had recommended that the site be placed on the List of World Heritage in Danger and returned to the World Heritage List within a period of one to three years, after sixteen specific matters of concern had been met. It was explained that the World Heritage ...
Sites: Kathmandu Valley
The Bureau was informed of the considerable improvements for site conservation and management in the two years since the initial mission. These improvements were achieved with the support of the Canadian Government. The Bureau noted with satisfaction that ICOMOS will provide a detailed report to the Committee session in December, including a long-term assessment of conservation problems at the site for the decade to come.
Sites: Kizhi Pogost
This property inscribed in 1978 was also the subject of an International Campaign of UNESCO. The Coordinator of the MAP/UNEP "100 historical sites" Programme presented the results of the studies and restoration work carried out since 1965. The evaluation would indicate that a number of buildings have been preserved and conserved, however the island's problems of socioeconomic and development have yet to be resolved. Restorationwork is no longer sufficient; the needs of the population struck by unemployment must be considered. Actions to create employment to allow the population to ...
Sites: Island of Gorée
December 1993, a working meeting was held at Headquarters on 31 May 1994, with the Delegate of the Syrian Arab Republic to UNESCO and the national authorities in charge of the conservation of the cultural heritage.
A work plan for this site was thus prepared which will be financed through the US$ 19,500 accorded by the Chairperson of the World Heritage Committee in 1992. A technological partnership has been set up by UNESCO with the Electricity of France which will provide one or two experts in hydrogeology, and thus make substantial savings. A contract for the use of the balance of the ...
Sites: Ancient City of Damascus
Mr. Mounir Bouchenaki, Director of the Division of Physical Heritage, recalled the recommendations made by the Committee at the time of the inscription of the Angkor site on the World Heritage List in December 1992, and informed the Bureau of the latest action taken by the Director-General of UNESCO for the safeguard of Angkor. The Director-General decided to give additional support to the UNESCO Office in Cambodia, by assigning Mr. Khamliène Nhouyvanisvong, former Acting Assistant Director-General for External Relations, to the post of Director of this Office, and also naming him ...
Sites: Angkor
The Bureau was informed that, in accordance with the recommendations of UNESCO's expert mission carried out in December 1993, a working meeting was held at Headquarters on 31 May 1994, with the Delegate of the Syrian Arab Republic to UNESCO and the national authorities in charge of the conservation of the cultural heritage.
The World Heritage Centre was thus informed that the Syrian authorities are currently preparing a global project to safeguard and develop the city of Palmyra, for which a contribution to the national financial efforts will be requested from the Committee at its ...
Sites: Site of Palmyra
The Bureau was informed that the Proceedings of the International Seminar on the Preservation of the Rock Churches of GSreme, which was held at the site from 5 to 11 September 1993 with the support of the World Heritage Fund, are currently under publication at ICCROM, in close collaboration with the Turkish authorities in charge of conservation. The World Heritage Fund provided US$ 10,000 to finance this publication. The Bureau took note of this information.
The Delegate of the United States of America recalled that the Committee at its seventeenth session expressed its concern about plans for the extension of the Taos Airport, as this would pose a potential threat to this World Heritage site.
The Delegate informed the Bureau that the National Park Service has been in close and continuous consultations with Pueblo's Governing Council, attorneys representing the Pueblo interests and with the responsible federal agency, (Federal Aviation Administration), and that it is of the opinion that full consultation and assessment procedures to evaluate ...
Sites: Taos Pueblo
The Bureau recalled that the site was inscribed in 1983 and placed on the List of World Heritage in Danger in 1992. Furthermore, it noted that considerable discussion had taken place both at the Committee and it's Bureau sessions regarding the possible delisting of the site, and that IUCN reports on the status of the site indicating the degradation of its natural values have been reviewed continuously since December 1991. Furthermore, a report by wetland experts from the United States National Park Service indicate that major effort is required to restore the site. The Secretariat ...
Sites: Srebarna Nature Reserve
This site which was inscribed in 1986 is threatened by the path of the A303 motorway through the southern part of the site. At the request of the Observer of the United Kingdom, a communication prepared by the concerned authorities was brought to the attention of the Bureau. Two proposals for the organization of the site will be discussed on 8 July 1994 at a meeting organized by The English Heritage and the National Trust, in which the representatives of the Ministry of Transportation and international experts will participate. The first foresees the construction of a tunnel which would ...
The Bureau took note that the Government of India finally responded to the concerns of the World Heritage Committee and its Bureau by letter dated 24 January 1994. However, the Bureau showed continued concern with regard to the management of the site, the increase in poaching and the continuous decline of this World Heritage site in Danger. It therefore, endorsed international assistance, if officially requested by the Indian Government, and requested the Centre and IUCN to work closely together with two non-governmental organizations, WWF-India and the Swaminathan Foundation, to obtain a ...
Sites: Manas Wildlife Sanctuary
The Bureau was informed of a recent IUCN mission to the site giving an account on (a) the implementation of the Commonwealth and State Management Agreement which has been signed, but no further action has been taken so far and (b) on the efforts to achieve more effective conservation of the site, for which improvements have been made.
The Bureau requested the Centre to write to the Australian authorities informing them of its concerns and requesting that an up-date on progress in implementing the Agreement be presented to the next session of the Committee.
Sites: Shark Bay, Western Australia
The Bureau took note that several reports have been sent to the Centre and Bureau members by the Wilderness Society concerning Tasmania World Heritage site and the impact of logging operations in areas adjacent to the current World Heritage area. By letter of 22 March 1994, the Centre informed the Permanent Delegate of Australia and requested a response from the Australian authorities regarding this matter. The Observer from Australia indicated that discussions between the Government and the State of Tasmania are taking place at the moment. The Bureau requested the Centre to follow-up and ...
Sites: Tasmanian Wilderness
The Bureau was informed by IUCN of the first World Heritage mission to this mixed site. The report indicated problems at the site with landowner residents, aboriginal concerns as well as the fact that no management plan has yet been prepared. However, the Commonwealth is taking up these issues and furthermore, a socioeconomic impact study is underway. IUCN suggested that all authorities consider renominating the area under cultural criteria and with a reduced boundary. The Observer of Australia informed the Bureau that through the agreed management arrangements for the site, a review ...
Sites: Willandra Lakes Region
The Bureau was informed that a fire broke out at Isabela Island on 12 April 1994 and was discovered by a patrol boat of the Galapagos National Park authorities. The fire combat was very difficult, involving park personnel and both the army and the navy. After one month the fire was under control, but 4,500 ha were burnt. The giant tortoises are not at risk, but the extinction danger remains. The authorities have received emergency aid from the World Heritage Fund (US$ 50,000), UNESCO (US$ 20,000) and several governments, NGOs and individual donors. The Bureau took note of the report and ...
Sites: Galápagos Islands
The Bureau recalled that at its sixteenth session it noted concern over increasing forestry activities at the site, however, no mission was carried out. A recent report by WWF and the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople (EPC) on the ecological state of the site indicates serious threats, including overgrazing, chemical pollution as well as a proposed hydrodam construction. IUCN stressed the need for impact studies, a forest management plan and a system of reserves. The Bureau took note of the report and requested the Centre to write to the appropriate authorities transmitting its ...
Sites: Mount Athos
The Bureau took note of the Centre's report on the Paris-Dakar rally crossing the site, which had very little impact on the ecological situation of the Park. IUCN reported on the plan to capture six monk seals from the seal population of the park (100130) and move them to Antibes (Southern France) for captive breeding. After some discussion on captive breeding experiences, the Bureau requested that the propensity of the planned capture operation be reported to the World Heritage Committee.
Sites: Banc d'Arguin National Park
The Bureau took note of the report by IUCN on the following issues: (a) legal matters, in particular land claims and sacred sites of the Maori people; (b) continued cattle grazing which has an impact on the natural World Heritage values and should be phased out, and (c) that the 1986 IUCN recommendation to include the site of the coastal forest (Waitutu forest) in the World Heritage area, was not taken up. Plans have been made by the Maori owners to sell the land for logging operations.
The Bureau requested the Centre to send a letter to the New Zealand authorities transmitting the above ...
The Bureau was informed that a fire broke out at the site on 22 February 1994 in the buffer zone area and rapidly swept through the site. A report by the Forest Fire Control and Rescue Division of the Royal Forest Department in Bangkok indicated that fire fighting was difficult, particularly in the mountain area of the Sanctuary. It furthermore stated that the fire was completely extinguished by 15 March 1994 and damage assessment revealed that 10,924 ha were burnt. The report noted that fire is a normal and frequent occurrence at the site but generally it is not damaging. The Bureau took ...