World Heritage 23BUR

Distribution limited WHC-99/CONF.204/15 , 16 September 1999 Original: English/French

UNITED NATIONS EDUCATIONAL, SCIENTIFIC AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATION

CONVENTION CONCERNING THE PROTECTION OF THE WORLD CULTURAL AND NATURAL HERITAGE

BUREAU OF THE WORLD HERITAGE COMMITTEE

Twenty-third session Paris, UNESCO Headquarters, Room X 5 - 10 July 1999

REPORT OF THE RAPPORTEUR Table of Contents

Page Annexes Page

I. Opening Session 1 I. List of Participants 59

II. Adoption of the Agenda and Timetable 1 II. Speech of the Assistant Director-General 75 of Natural Sciences for UNESCO III. Report of the Secretariat on the activities 1 undertaken since the twenty-second session of the Committee III. Statement by Australia on the Great 77 Barrier Reef

IV. State of Conservation of properties 3 inscribed on the List of World Heritage IV. Statement by Mexico on El Viscaino 79 in Danger and on the World Heritage Sanctuary List

V. Statement by Venezuela on Canaima 81 V. Information on Tentative Lists and 37 National Park Examination of Nominations of Cultural and Natural Properties to the List of World Heritage in Danger and the VI.1 - VI.5 Kakadu National Park, Australia World Heritage List

VI.1 Statement by the Australian Minister for 83 VI. Follow-up to the work of the 49 the Environment and Heritage, Senator Consultative Body of the World Heritage the Hon. Robert Hill Committee

VI.2 Joint ICCROM, ICOMOS and IUCN 85 VII. International Assistance 51 Statement

VIII. Revision of the Operational Guidelines 54 VI.3 Statement read by the Representative of 87 for the Implementation of the World ICOMOS Heritage Convention

VI.4 Statement read by the Representative of 88 IX. Approval of the Committee’s Report on 55 ICCROM its activities for 1998-99 to be submitted to the 30th session of the General Conference of UNESCO VI.5 Report from the leader of the independent 89 scientific panel established by ICSU, Professor Brian Wilkinson X. Preparation of the Twelfth General 56 Assembly of States Parties VII Draft Resolution adopted by the twenty- 91 third session of the Bureau of the World XI. Date, Place and Provisional Agenda of 57 Heritage Committee the twenty-third extrordinary session of the Bureau (Marrakesh, Morocco, 26-27 November 1999) VIII Provisional Agenda of the Bureau of the 93 World Heritage Committee (Marrakesh, Morocco, 26-27 November 1999) XII. Provisional Agenda of the twenty-third 57 session of the World Heritage Committee (Marrakesh, Morocco, 29 November-4 IX Provisional Agenda of the World Heritage 94 December 1999) Committee (Marrakesh, Morocco, 29 November-4 December 1999) XIII. Other Business 57 I. OPENING SESSION III. REPORT OF THE SECRETARIAT ON THE ACTIVITIES UNDERTAKEN SINCE THE I.1 The twenty-third ordinary session of the Bureau of the TWENTY-SECOND SESSION OF THE World Heritage Committee was held in Paris, , from 5 to COMMITTEE 10 July 1999. It was attended by the following members of the Bureau: Benin, Cuba, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Morocco, and the III.1 The Chairperson then invited Mr Mounir Bouchenaki, Republic of Korea. Director of the World Heritage Centre, to present the Secretariat’s Report on activities undertaken since the last session I.2 The following States Parties to the Convention, who of the World Heritage Committee. are not members of the Bureau, were represented as observers: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, III.2 In his capacity as Secretary of the Committee, the Colombia, Costa Rica, Democratic Republic of Congo, Czech Director of the Centre reported on activities carried out by the Republic, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Finland, Secretariat over the last six months. In giving his presentation, France, Germany, Greece, Honduras, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Mr Bouchenaki referred to Information Document Kazakhstan, , Mexico, Nepal,