II.1 The Chairperson presented the documents related to the adoption of the agenda and the timetable, (Working Documents WHC-97/CONF.208/1,WHC-97/CONF.208/2.Rev and WHC-97/CONF.208/3). The Agenda and timetable were adopted without any changes.
IV.1 In the absence of the Rapporteur of the twenty-first session of the Bureau, Mr. Lambert Messan (Niger), the Chairperson invited the Committee to take note of the report (WHC-97/CONF.204/11).
IV.2 The Rapporteur of the Committee presented his report on the twenty-first extraordinary session of the Bureau of the World Heritage Committee, held on 28 and 29 November 1997 in Naples which has been prepared in three parts according to the agenda items. The Committee took note of the report.
21 COM V
Report on the Work of the Committee's Consultative Body on the Overall Management and Financial Review of the Administration of the World Heritage Convention
V.6 The Committee decided to prolong the work of the Consultative Body, to be chaired by the President of the World Heritage Committee, Professor F. Francioni (Italy). The Delegate of Australia stated that the Director of the Centre should also be closely involved in the work of the Consultative Body. It was decided that the Consultative Body would report initially to the twenty-second session of the Bureau and then to the twenty-second session of the Committee. The Committee asked that the Consultative Body analyse the Management Review Report, further study the use of the emblem and ...
VII.56 During the examination of the state of conservation, delegates raised the question of delisting properties from the World Heritage List. The Committee noted that while the procedure for the eventual deletion was outlined in paragraphs 46 to 56 of the Operational Guidelines, more detailed criteria would be required to evaluate if a property has lost all the values for which it was inscribed.
VII.58 The Delegate of Japan expressed his great concern about the safety of the cultural properties in Afghanistan. With regard to threats to the cultural heritage of Afghanistan, the Committee unanimously adopted the following resolution submitted by Italy:
The World Heritage Committee, convened in Naples from 1 to 6 December 1997 at its twenty-first session,
Concerned at news reports about threats to the cultural and natural heritage of Afghanistan, particularly the Buddhist statues in Bamyan,
Stressing the need to consider this heritage, for its inestimable value, not only as part ...
VI.1 The Committee took note of the resolution adopted by the twenty-ninth General Conference of UNESCO on the periodic reporting by the States Parties on the legislative and administrative provisions and other actions which they have taken for the application of the Convention, including the state of conservation of the World Heritage properties located on its territories. The Committee noted, in particular, points 14, 15 and 16 of the resolution in which the General Conference:
Invites the States Parties to the World Heritage Convention to submit in accordance with Article 29 of the ...
21 COM VII.A.1-8
State of Conservation of Properties Inscribed on the World Heritage List: Methodology and Procedures for Periodic Reporting
A. Methodology and Procedures for Periodic Reporting
VII.1 The Committee considered the manner in which to implement the decision of the General Conference on the basis of some initial reflections that were presented by the Secretariat in Working Document WHC-97/CONF.208/7.
VII.2 While recognizing the need for the States Parties to report on the legislative and administrative provisions which they have taken for the application of the Convention, the Committee stressed the importance of periodic reporting as a mechanism for exchange of information and experiences between States Parties. ...
VII.16 Simen National Park (Ethiopia)
The Committee recalled that at its last session (Merida, 1996), it included this site in the List of World Heritage in Danger, on the basis of the findings of a technical mission to the site and IUCN reports, and approved a sum of US$ 30,000 for a meeting with stakeholders and donors, scheduled to be held in April 1997. The Bureau, at its twenty-first session in June 1997, learnt that the Regional Authorities in Bahr Dar, where Simen National Park is located, had disagreed with the Committee's decision to declare Simen as a World Heritage site in ...
Sites: Simien National Park
VII.17 Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve (Guinea/Côte d'Ivoire)
The Committee recalled that at the time of its last session (Merida, 1996), UNESCO's Office of International Standards and Legal Affairs Office was considering a proposal for setting up an "International Foundation for Mount Nimba". The Bureau, at its twenty-first session in June, 1997, was informed that such a foundation cannot be created by UNESCO but could be set up under the national legislation of a suitable State Party, following the example of the Foundation established for the Banc d'Arguin, (Mauritania) in ...
VII.18 Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve (Honduras)
The Committee, at its last session (Merida, 1996), included this site in the List of World Heritage in Danger, and requested the State Party to implement the eleven-point corrective action plan that had been endorsed by the Minister for the Environment of Honduras. The Sub-Secretary for the Environment of Honduras, via letter of 12 September 1997, has provided a description of the proposed use of the US$ 30,000 approved by the Bureau in 1996. These funds will form a component of the larger GTZ-KFW (Germany) project, which in its first year ...
VII.19 Manas Wildlife Sanctuary (India)
The Committee took note of the site visit to Manas, jointly undertaken by the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MOEF) of India and the World Heritage Centre, between 20 and 23 January 1997 and of the report on the state of conservation submitted to the Bureau at its twenty-first session in June 1997. MOEF and the State Government of Assam had elaborated a 2-3 year rehabilitation plan, at a total cost of US$ 2,135,000, of which US$ 235,000 was requested as emergency assistance from the World Heritage Fund. The Bureau at its twentyfirst session ...
Sites: Manas Wildlife Sanctuary
VII.20 Air-and-Ténéré Reserve (Niger)
The Committee recalled that the Delegate of Niger, at the twenty-first session of the Bureau, was of the view that the state of conservation of the site had considerably improved and the site may be removed from the List of World Heritage in Danger and that a monitoring mission to the site was foreseen for autumn 1997. The Centre informed the Committee that this mission did not take place due to time constraints. IUCN informed the Committee that a number of activities are underway to resume the IUCN/Danish/Swiss Cooperation project at this site.
In ...
VII.21 Ichkeul National Park (Tunisia)
The Committee recalled that at its last session (Merida, 1996), it found that the construction of two dams had limited freshwater flow, dramatically increased the salinity of the lake and marshes and led to sharp reductions of migratory bird populations. In 1996, the Committee decided to declare Ichkeul as a World Heritage site in Danger and requested the Tunisian authorities to provide a programme of corrective measures to reverse the degradation of the site and alerted them to the possibility of the deletion of Ichkeul from the World Heritage ...
Sites: Ichkeul National Park
VII.22 Everglades National Park (United States of America)
The Committee recalled that at its last session (Merida, 1996), it noted significant progress made with regard to acquisition of land, refinement of ecological indicators, and generous Federal and State allocations of financial and human resources, but decided to retain this site in the List of World Heritage in Danger due to continued prevalence of threats. In response to the Committee's call to the State Party to share knowledge and experience gained through the restorative effort, the Park authorities convened an ...
Sites: Everglades National Park
VII.23 Yellowstone National Park (United States of America)
The Committee recalled that at its last session (Merida, 1996), it commended the initiative of the President of the State Party to remove the potential mining threat to Yellowstone National Park, by offering a mutually agreed upon trade of land valued at US$ 65 million, and requested the State Party to outline, before 15 September 1997, the steps and schedule for threat mitigation which could be followed. Since then a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Proposed Cooke City Mineral Withdrawal was issued and ...
Sites: Yellowstone National Park
21 COM VII.B.9-10
Reports on the State of Conservation on Properties Inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger
VII.9 The Committee examined reports on the state of conservation of twenty properties inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger as submitted in Working Document WHC-97/CONF.208/8A and complemented with information provided by the Secretariat and the advisory bodies during the session.
VII.10 The observations and recommendations of the Bureau at its twenty-first session (see WHC-97/CONF.208/4) were transmitted to the respective States Parties. The Committee took note of the integrated report provided by IUCN and the World Heritage Centre contained in Working Document ...
VII.11 Srebarna Nature Reserve (Bulgaria)
The Committee recalled that at its nineteenth session (Berlin, 1995) it requested the Bulgarian authorities to submit a threat-mitigation status report in 1998. The Committee requested the State Party to submit, before 1 September 1998, a status report on measures taken to mitigate threats to the site.
The Committee requested IUCN to review that report and to recommend measures to the consideration of the Committee at its next session. The Committee decided to retain Srebarna in the List of World Heritage in ...
Sites: Srebarna Nature Reserve
VII.12 Plitvice Lakes National Park (Croatia)
The Committee recalled that at its last session (Merida, 1996), it decided to retain this site on the List of World Heritage in Danger due to damage to the Park infrastructure and possible negative impacts due to over-visitation. The Bureau, at its twenty-first ordinary session held in June 1997, commended the Park authorities for having increased the total area of the Park to include the entire underground basin supplying the Park's lakes and streams. The Park had admitted and managed 270,000 visitors, using educational guided tours. The ...
Sites: Plitvice Lakes National Park
VII.13 Virunga National Park (Democratic Republic of the Congo)
IUCN provided a detailed report, including a map showing locations of major areas of armed conflict, refugee camps and rebel activity in relation to Virunga and three other World Heritage sites in the eastern parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The situation in and around Virunga is unstable with militia groups threatening human population and wildlife. Aerial census of wildlife has not been undertaken since 1995; there are frequent reports of deforestation, poaching and illegal gold mining in the Park. Many ...
Sites: Virunga National Park
VII.14 Garamba National Park (Democratic Republic of the Congo)
Since the Committee included this property in the List of World Heritage in Danger, at its last session in December 1996, the eastern regions of the country where this site is located have become further destabilised. Infrastructure of the Park has been damaged and wildlife poached. The uncertainty surrounding the new policy as regards nature conservation puts all World Heritage sites in the Democratic Republic of the Congo under threat.
The Committee decided to retain Garamba in the List of World Heritage in Danger and ...
Sites: Garamba National Park