World Heritage 34 COM Limited Distribution WHC-10/34.COM/10A Paris, 15 June 2010 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-fourth session Brasilia, Brazil 25 July – 3 August 2010 Item 10A of the Provisional Agenda: Report on the Second Cycle of Periodic Reporting in the Arab States SUMMARY This document presents a synthesis and analysis of the Second Cycle of Periodic Reporting in the Arab States submitted in accordance with Decision 32 COM 11.B. It provides information on the data provided by the Arab States Parties on the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention at the national level (Section I), as well as the data provided on the World Heritage properties (Section II). It also includes sub-regional action plans which were formulated by the Arab Focal Points at the final Regional meeting, intended to serve as a platform for the establishment of a Regional Programme for the forthcoming years. This document is presented as follows: Executive Summary Introduction Part I: Implementation of the World Heritage Convention by the States Parties: Results of Section I of the Periodic Reporting Questionnaire Part II: World Heritage properties: Results of Section II of the Periodic Reporting Questionnaire Part III: Recommendations for an Action Plan: issues arising from the final Regional meeting Part IV: Draft Decision for the World Heritage Committee Appendices: Sub regional action plans and common themes identified at the final Regional meeting for Periodic Reporting in the Arab States Draft Decision: 34 COM 10A, see Part IV Disclaimer The authors are responsible for the choice and the presentation of the facts contained in this report and for the opinions expressed therein, which are not necessarily those of UNESCO and do not commit the Organization. The designations employed and the presentation of material throughout this report do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of UNESCO concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................................ 3 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................ 6 1. First Cycle of Periodic Reporting .............................................................................................. 6 2. Second Cycle of Periodic Reporting ......................................................................................... 7 3. Organisation of the Periodic Reporting exercise in the Arab States ......................................... 8 4. Structure of the Report ........................................................................................................... 11 5. Overview of the World Heritage in the Arab States ................................................................ 13 PART I: IMPLEMENTATION BY STATES PARTIES, RESULTS OF SECTION I ....................... 18 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 18 2. Identification of the properties ( .............................................................................................. 19 3. Tentative List ......................................................................................................................... 20 4. Nominations ........................................................................................................................... 22 5. General Policy development .................................................................................................. 23 6. Status of Services for Protection, Conservation and Presentation .......................................... 25 7. Scientific and Technical Studies and Research ...................................................................... 27 8. Financial Status and Human Resources ................................................................................ 28 9. Training .................................................................................................................................. 30 10. International cooperation........................................................................................................ 31 11. Education, Information and Awareness Building .................................................................... 33 12. Conclusions and Recommended Actions ............................................................................... 35 Second cycle of Periodic Reporting in the Arab States WHC-10/34.COM/10A, p. 1 Final Report PART II: WORLD HERITAGE PROPERTIES, RESULTS OF SECTION II ................................... 36 1. World Heritage Property Data ................................................................................................ 36 2. Statement of Outstanding Value ............................................................................................ 38 3. Factors Affecting the Properties ............................................................................................. 39 4. Protection, Management and Monitoring of the Property ....................................................... 41 5. Summary and Conclusions .................................................................................................... 60 6. Conclusions of the Periodic Report ........................................................................................ 62 PART III: RECOMMENDATIONS FOR AN ACTION PLAN ......................................................... 65 Issues Arising from the Final Regional Meeting ............................................................................ 65 PART IV: DRAFT DECISION PROPOSED TO THE WORLD HERITAGE COMMITTEE ............. 68 APPENDICES: COMMON THEMES, PRIORITIES AND ACTION PLANS IDENTIFIED AT THE FINAL REGIONAL MEETING ...................................................................................................... 70 A. Common Themes of Section I identified ................................................................................... 71 B. Sub-Regional Action Plans ....................................................................................................... 73 C. Common priorities, actions and recommendations identified by the Working Groups ............... 79 Second cycle of Periodic Reporting in the Arab States WHC-10/34.COM/10A, p. 2 Final Report EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Since the adoption of the 1972 World Heritage Convention, the Arab States Parties have been active actors in its implementation. Indeed, all 18 Arab States have ratified the World Heritage Convention and have, with often limited resources, employed their efforts in the preservation and conservation of their heritage. Today, 64 properties (plus the Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls) are located in 15 Arab States Parties. The great majority of the Arab World Heritage properties are archaeological sites followed by historic cities. The challenges they face are multi-fold and ongoing and, over the years, the World Heritage Committee has examined and passed decisions on a multitude of state of conservation reports on the regions’ properties. Successful conservation and preservation measures and efforts led to the removal of three properties from the World Heritage List in Danger, yet today five World Heritage properties in the Arab region remain inscribed on the List in Danger. Since the First Cycle of Periodic Reporting in the Arab States (which examined properties inscribed before 1993), there have been several World Heritage successes in the region. There have been two new States Parties to the Convention, 16 States Parties with Tentative Lists, 31 Nomination Files have been submitted, and 22 properties have been inscribed on the World Heritage List. Despite these successes, however, the Arab States remain largely under-represented in terms of natural properties and transboundary nominations thereby not adequately reflecting the diversity of heritage in the Arab region on the World Heritage List. The aim of this report is to present the state of World Heritage in the Arab States, both in terms of its successes and the challenges faced, and to present the priorities which the Arab Focal Points for the Periodic Reporting exercise identified as needing to be at the very forefront of the activities undertaken over the next six years. This report, prepared under World Heritage reporting mechanisms introduced in 1998 in application of Article 29 of the World Heritage Convention, constitutes the second Periodic Report on the state of World Heritage in the Arab States. The information contained herein is based on data received in the reports submitted electronically on-line by the States Parties, regarding the overall application of the World Heritage Convention (Section I) and the state of conservation of the World Heritage properties (Section II). Furthermore, the data analysis contained in this report was prepared by an international expert in close coordination with the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies. It should be noted that the analysis presented in the report is divided into three sub-regions: (1) The Gulf sub-region (Bahrain, Kuwait,