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World Heritage 32 COM Distribution Limited WHC-08/32.COM/9 Paris, 22 May 2008 Original: English/French UNITED NATIONS EDUCATIONAL, SCIENTIFIC AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATION CONVENTION CONCERNING THE PROTECTION OF THE WORLD CULTURAL AND NATURAL HERITAGE WORLD HERITAGE COMMITTEE Thirty second Session Quebec City, Canada 2 – 10 July 2008 Item 9 of the Provisional Agenda: Discussion on outstanding universal value SUMMARY This document provides an overview introduction and presents the first compendium prepared by ICOMOS and IUCN on outstanding universal value and the inscription of proposed properties by criteria on the World Heritage List as requested by Decisions 30 COM 9.6 and 31 COM 9.7, adopted by the World Heritage Committee respectively at its 30th (Vilnius, 2006) and 31st (Christchurch, 2007) sessions. Draft Decision: 32 COM 9, see Point II I. Overview introduction 1. Following a request of the World Heritage Committee at its 28th session (Suzhou, 2004) to “convene a special meeting of experts of all regions on the concept of outstanding universal value […]” (Decision 28 COM 13.1), the World Heritage Centre in cooperation with the Russian Federation organized a special meeting of experts on the concept of outstanding universal value, which took place in Kazan, Republic of Tatarstan (Russian Federation) from 6 to 9 April 2005. 2. The conclusions and the main recommendations of the expert meeting, all arising from a concern with maintaining rigor in the application of outstanding universal value, were presented to and discussed by the World Heritage Committee at its 29th session (Durban, 2005). A thorough debate took place and acknowledged that the recommendations of the meeting included useful practical measures that needed to be implemented. 3. However, most of the interventions agreed that the Expert meeting had not fully addressed the concerns of the Committee regarding the different ways in which the concept of outstanding universal value had been assessed by ICOMOS and IUCN and also emphasized that even the Committee decisions had not always been consistent in assessing the proposed outstanding universal value of a property nominated for inscription on the World Heritage List. The Committee therefore decided to further explore the concept of outstanding universal value (Decision 29 COM 9.7). 4. At its 30th session (Vilnius, 2006), the World Heritage Committee requested “to undertake a careful review of past Committee decisions, and create two compendiums of relevant material and decisions, compiled into the form of guidance manuals, from which precedents on how to interpret and apply discussions of outstanding universal value” can be clearly shown (Decision 30 COM 9.6). 5. In particular, the first compendium shall “cover outstanding universal value and the inscription of proposed properties by criteria onto the World Heritage List”, while the second compendium “shall cover outstanding universal value with regard to debates about seeking to inscribe, or remove, properties from the World Heritage List in Danger” (Decision 30 COM 9.7). 6. A draft of the first compendium was presented to the World Heritage Committee at its 31st session (Christchurch, 2007) which, in taking note of the progress reports by ICOMOS and IUCN, requested the Advisory Bodies to “harmonize their reports to include detailed analyses of criteria, lists of sites inscribed under each criterion, landmark cases as well as reflections on authenticity, integrity and management practices” (Decision 31 COM 9.4). 7. The Committee also requested ICOMOS to “give consideration in the final report to archaeological sites and their threshold for inscription on the World Heritage List” (Decision 31 COM 9.6) and further requested “ICOMOS and IUCN, in consultation with the World Heritage Centre, to finalize the first compendium for consideration by the Committee at its 32nd session (2008)” (Decision 31 COM 9.7). 8. The first compendium by ICOMOS and IUCN on outstanding universal value and the inscription of proposed properties by criteria on the World Heritage List is presented herewith. Discussion on outstanding universal value WHC-08/32.COM/9, p. 2 II. Draft Decision Draft Decision: 32 COM 9 The World Heritage Committee, 1. Having examined Document WHC-08/32.COM/9, 2. Recalling Decision 31 COM 9 adopted at its 31st session (Christchurch, 2007), which requested to harmonize their reports and finalize the first compendium on outstanding universal value and the inscription of proposed properties by criteria on the World Heritage List, 3. Welcomes and approves the first compendium prepared by ICOMOS and IUCN; 4. Requests ICOMOS and IUCN, in consultation with the World Heritage Centre, to finalize the second compendium, that shall cover outstanding universal value with regard to debates about seeking to inscribe, or remove, properties from the World Heritage List in Danger, for consideration by the Committee at its 33rd session in 2009. Discussion on outstanding universal value WHC-08/32.COM/9, p. 3 Outstanding Universal Value: Compendium on Standards for the Inscription of Cultural Properties to the World Heritage List ICOMOS May 2008 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................3 2. THE APPLICATION OF THE RELEVANT CRITERIA FOR SUCCESSFUL NOMINATIONS ...............................................................................................................4 Principles and regulations of the World Heritage Convention and its Operational Guidelines..................... 4 Applying Outstanding Universal Value to cultural properties.......................................................................... 6 Trends in the application of the cultural criteria for WH properties............................................................. 17 3. WHAT WAS THE THRESHOLD FOR SUCCESSFUL INSCRIPTION? .......................23 Potential Implications for the World Heritage Committee.............................................................................. 26 4. HOW DID COMMITTEE DECISIONS RELATE TO THE DECISIONS OF THE ADVISORY BODIES?...................................................................................................27 Potential Implications for the World Heritage Committee.............................................................................. 27 5. HOW REFERENCES TO VALUES OF MINORITIES, INDIGENOUS AND/OR LOCAL PEOPLE WERE MADE OR OBVIOUSLY OMITTED IN COMMITTEE DECISIONS....28 Potential Implications for the World Heritage Committee.............................................................................. 29 6. INFLUENCE OF THE GLOBAL STRATEGY................................................................30 Potential Implications for the World Heritage Committee.............................................................................. 31 7. CONCLUSION...............................................................................................................32 ANNEXES .........................................................................................................................33 1. TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR THIS COMPENDIUM ............................................................................... 33 2. LIST OF PROPERTIES INSCRIBED UNDER THE DIFFERENT WORLD HERITAGE CULTURAL CRITERIA...........................................................................................................................................................34 2 Outstanding Universal Value: Compendium on Standards for the Inscription of Cultural Properties on the World Heritage List ICOMOS, May 2008 1. INTRODUCTION The main purpose of this report is to respond to the task set by the World Heritage Committee, to undertake a “careful review of past Committee decisions, and create two compendia of relevant material and decisions, compiled into the form of guidance manuals, from which precedents on how to interpret and apply discussions of outstanding universal value, in terms of nominations to both the World Heritage List, and the List of World Heritage in Danger, can be clearly shown”. This is the first of the two compendia by ICOMOS, and is complemented by a more detailed analysis of the use of the World Heritage criteria, published separately. The analyses are based on the earlier reports already presented to the Committee in the sessions of 2004 and 2007. The present compendium refers to the general principles established in the Operational Guidelines, and covers the trends in the application of the criteria to cultural and mixed properties. The year 2008 marks the 30th anniversary of the first inscription of properties. The past three decades have been characterized by an important learning process. Over this period, the requirements for inscription have undergone a continuous evolution. At the beginning, there was a search to define the types of properties that could meet the expectations of the List, and how these properties should be justified. Gradually, through various initiatives such as the Global Study in the 1980s, and the subsequent Global Strategy, as well as the Periodic Reporting process, the requirements of protection and management have been clarified. In fact, from the initial concern to identify suitable properties, the emphasis has now shifted towards the management and care of sites already inscribed on the List. The feature common to all World Heritage properties is that they respond to the requirement of outstanding universal value
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