- Having examined Documents WHC/17/21.GA/7 and WHC/17/21.GA/INF.7,
- Recalling Article 16 of the World Heritage Convention,
- Expressing its concern at the financial difficulties that the World Heritage Fund is facing and further recalling that the payment of assessed compulsory and voluntary contributions, as per Article 16 of the World Heritage Convention, is a legal obligation incumbent on all States Parties which have ratified the Convention,
- Decides to set the percentage for the calculation of the amount of the contributions to be paid to the World Heritage Fund by States Parties for the financial period 2018-2019 at 1% of their contributions to the regular budget of UNESCO;
- Emphasizing the urgency of securing adequate financial resources to achieve the objectives of the 1972 Convention to identify and conserve the world’s cultural and natural heritage of Outstanding Universal Value, in particular in light of the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development and the unprecedented threats such as climate change, natural disasters, and deliberate attacks on cultural heritage in territories affected by armed conflict and terrorism,
- Notes the status of compulsory and voluntary contributions to the World Heritage Fund as presented in Document WHC/17/21.GA/INF.7;
- Welcomes the recommendations made by the ad hoc working group in Documents WHC/16/40.COM/13A and WHC/17/41.COM/12A and the related Decisions on the sustainability of the World Heritage Fund (Decisions 40 COM 15 and 41 COM 14), particularly the roadmap for the sustainability of the World Heritage Fund that integrates a set of complementary short-, medium- and long-term actions to be implemented in a phased timeline;
- Reminds States Parties that they are bound to make compulsory contributions and as such reiterates the plea of the World Heritage Committee to States Parties to the Convention to pay their annual contributions by 31 January in order to facilitate the timely implementation of the activities financed by the World Heritage Fund;
- Urges States Parties concerned to settle all outstanding arrears;
- Invites States Parties to provide supplementary voluntary contributions to the subaccount for enhancing the human capacities of the Secretariat to achieve the target of at least USD 1,000,000 per year, in total, as recommended at the 19th session of the General Assembly of States Parties.
Resolution 21 GA 7
Determination of the Amount of the Contributions to the World Heritage Fund in Accordance with the Provisions of Article 16 of the World Heritage Convention
The General Assembly,
Documents
WHC/17/21.GA/11
Resolutions adopted by the General Assembly of States Parties to the World Heritage Convention at its 21st session (UNESCO, 2017)
Context of Resolution
WHC-17/21.GA/7WHC-17/21.GA/INF.7