United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Organisation des Nations Unies pour l'éducation, la science et la culture 7, place de Fontenoy 75352 Paris 07 SP Tel. : + 33 (0) 1.45.68.15.71 Fax : + 33 (0) 1.45.68.55.70 Ref: CL/WHC/14/02 27 November 2002 To: Permanent Delegations, Observer Missions and National Commissions of States Parties to the UNESCO World Heritage Convention in Europe and North America Madam/Sir, Subject: Periodic Reporting on the application of the World Heritage Convention and on the state of conservation of World Heritage properties in Europe and North America I have the honor to draw your attention to Article 29 of the 1972 UNESCO World Heritage Convention which requests that “The States Parties to this Convention shall, in the reports which they submit to the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (…), give information on the legislative and administrative provisions which they have adopted and other action which they have taken for the application of this Convention, together with details of the experience acquired in this field”. The twenty-ninth General Conference of UNESCO in 1997, requested the World Heritage Committee to define the periodicity, form, nature and extent of the periodic reporting on the application of the World Heritage Convention and on the state of conservation of World Heritage properties and to examine and respond to these reports. The World Heritage Committee, at its twenty-second session in December 1998, decided to invite States Parties to the World Heritage Convention to submit the periodic reports every six years in accordance with the Format for periodic reports as adopted by the Committee. The Committee also decided that it would examine the reports from Europe and North America at its ordinary session in 2005 and 2006. 1 The Committee clearly noted that it is the prime responsibility of the States Parties to prepare the above-mentioned reports and to put in place on-site monitoring arrangements as an integral component of day-to-day conservation and management of the World Heritage sites. The UNESCO World Heritage Centre, as Secretariat to the World Heritage Committee, is pleased to assist the States Parties in the preparation of the reports and will synthesize the national periodic reports from a regional perspective for submission to the World Heritage Committee. In view of Europe’s and North America's rich cultural and natural heritage and the high number of countries and sites to be reviewed, the Committee, at its twenty-fifth session in Helsinki, Finland (December 2001), agreed to a phased approach for Section I in 2005 and Section II in 2006. The Committee also encouraged cooperation with the Council of Europe's HEREIN system. To facilitate the World Heritage Centre to transmit the technical document and background papers to all the management authorities of World Heritage sites in your country, we would be grateful if your government would appoint one national coordinator for the reporting on all cultural World Heritage properties, and a second coordinator for all natural properties. I would appreciate your providing me with names, addresses, telephone and fax numbers and e-mail addresses of the two national coordinators by 31 December 2002. In order to assist the national coordinators with information collection and preparation of national reports the Secretariat will organize workshops. The first joint UNESCO-Council of Europe workshop will be organized from 3 to 7 May 2003 in Nicosia, Cyprus. As soon as the names and addresses of the coordinators have been communicated by the State Party to the World Heritage Centre, invitations to the 1st workshop will be sent to them. The objective of these workshops is to facilitate the preparation of draft reports by the States Parties. The workshops will focus on introduction, training and presentation of the HEREIN interface/tool1 and exchange information necessary for the finalization of the periodic reports of the region. The States Parties are requested to prepare their national reports during 2003/04. If in the process of the preparation of the report additional assistance is required, this can be provided upon request (in priority for Eastern European countries). During this process, we encourage your government to make full use of the expertise of the Advisory Bodies (IUCN, ICOMOS, ICCROM), UNESCO Field Offices, competent institutions and expertise available within the region2. Please find enclosed for your information and review the documentation for the periodic reporting on the application of the World Heritage Convention, a list of sites in Europe and North America inscribed on the World Heritage List before 1998, for which a state of conservation report should be prepared. Should your government require any additional information for the preparation of the national state of conservation report, please do not hesitate to contact the members of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre responsible for Europe and North America (see Annex 4). 1 See attached brochure on HEREIN and for more information consult the web-page: www.european-heritage.net 2 For countries not participating in the HEREIN/UNESCO cooperation, the Nordic World Heritage Foundation in co- operation with UNEP/GRID-Arendal have developed an IT- tool based on the format for periodic reporting and on the explanatory notes. This IT-tool can be made available on CD. 2 I thank you in advance for your kind co-operation in supporting the World Heritage Centre in the preparation of the European and North American Regional Synthesis Report on the state of conservation of World Heritage properties which should be completed and submitted according to the timetable and which will depend on the timely submission of the national reports. Please accept, Madam/Sir, the assurances of my highest consideration. Francesco Bandarin Director UNESCO World Heritage Centre cc: ICOMOS, ICCROM, IUCN National Commissions for UNESCO UNESCO Field Offices in Moscow and Venice Nordic World Heritage Foundation Council of Europe HEREIN correspondents Enclosures Annex 1 Summary note Annex 2 Periodic Reporting Format and Explanatory Notes Annex 3 List of Properties inscribed on the World Heritage List before 1998 Annex 4 List of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre Staff responsible for World Cultural & Natural Heritage in Europe and North America Annex 5 List of UNESCO Offices in the Region Annex 6 Brochure on the European Heritage Network (HEREIN) 3 Annex 1 Summary note •= States Parties to the World Heritage Convention to submit the periodic reports every six years •= Reports from Europe and North America will be examined at the ordinary session of the World Heritage Committee in 2005 and 2006. •= States Parties to prepare the above-mentioned reports and to put in place on-site monitoring arrangements as an integral component of day-to-day conservation and management of the World Heritage sites. •= Section I: implementation of World Heritage Convention at national level, including information concerning legislative and administrative provisions established at national levels, activities to promote understanding and awareness of World Heritage properties, the values of these properties, their conservation needs, and how heritage conservation is being integrated within the overall development planning programs at national and local levels, etc •= Section II: Reports on the state of conservation of World Heritage sites: Regular monitoring programmes, specific conservation problems and issues facing World Heritage properties, etc. ACTION: 1. Appoint one national coordinator for the reporting on all cultural World Heritage properties; 2. Appoint one national coordinator for all natural World Heritage properties; 3. Provide names, addresses, telephone and fax numbers and e-mail addresses of the coordinators by 31 December 2002; 4. Attend the meeting of States Parties from Europe and North America on World Heritage Periodic Reporting (UNESCO Headquarters, Room IV, 22 January 2002, 14:30-16:30); 5. National coordinators to attend the 1st workshop from 3 to 7 May 2003 in Nicosia, Cyprus. 4 Annex 2 Format for periodic reporting on the application of the World Heritage Convention 5 Annex 3 List of World Heritage properties in Europe and North America inscribed before 1998 and subject to Periodic Reporting State Party World Heritage Property Date(s) Inscribed CRITERIA List in Danger Albania Butrint 1992 1999 C (iii) 1997- Armenia Monasteries of Haghpat and Sanahin 1996 2000 C (ii) (iv) Austria Palace and Gardens of Schönbrunn 1996 C (i) (iv) Historic Centre of the City of Salzburg 1996 C (ii) (iv) (vi) Hallstatt-Dachstein Salzkammergut 1997 C (iii) (iv) Cultural Landscape Belarus/Poland Belovezhskaya Pushcha / Bialowieza 1979 1992 N (iii) Forest Bulgaria Rock-hewn Churches of Ivanovo 1979 C (ii) (iii) Boyana Church 1979 C (ii) (iii) Madara Rider 1979 C (i) (iii) Thracian Tomb of Kazanlak 1979 C (i) (iii) (iv) Rila Monastery 1983 C (vi) Ancient City of Nessebar 1983 C (iii) (iv) Srebarna Nature Reserve 1983 N (iv) 1992- Pirin National Park 1983 N (i) (ii) (iii) Thracian Tomb of Sveshtari 1985 C (i) (iii) Canada Nahanni National Park 1978 N (ii) (iii) L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic 1978 C (vi) Site Dinosaur Provincial Park 1979 N (i) (iii) SGaang Gwaii (Anthony Island) 1981 C (iii) Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump 1981 C (vi) Wood Buffalo National Park 1983 N (ii) (iii) (iv) Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks 1984 N (i) (ii) (iii)