World Heritage 23 COM Distribution limited WHC-99/CONF.209/19 Paris, 15 November 1999 Original: English/French UNITED NATIONS EDUCATIONAL SCIENTIFIC AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATION CONVENTION CONCERNING THE PROTECTION OF THE WORLD CULTURAL AND NATURAL HERITAGE WORLD HERITAGE COMMITTEE Twenty-third session Marrakesh, Morroco 29 November – 4 December 1999 Item 15 of the Provisional Agenda: Requests for International Assistance Background: In accordance with paragraphs 94-121 of the Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention, the Committee examines international assistance requests which are recommended by the Bureau at its 23rd extraordinary session. All requests for international assistance which were received by the Secretariat before 8 November 1999 for funding under the year 2000 budget are presented in the Bureau’s Working Document WHC-99/CONF.208/6, attached hereafter. Complementary information received after the preparation of this document and the recommendations of the Bureau will be presented to the Committee during its session. Action required: The Committee is requested to: 1. Urge States Parties to respect the deadline for submission of international assistance requests, as indicated in the Operational Guidelines, to ensure that the Secretariat, Advisory Bodies and Committee have adequate time to evaluate the requests; 2. Encourage States Parties, to the extent possible, to plan activities well in advance and in close co-operation with the Advisory Bodies and the Secretariat, in order to plan projects which have a «catalytic effect» and are likely to generate contributions from other sources than the World Heritage Fund, per Operational Guidelines paragraph 113; 3. Take note of the ever increasing number and amounts of the international assistance requests submitted by States Parties as presented in working document WHC-99/CONF.208/6; 4. Examine and take decisions concerning international assistance requests taking into account the recommendation of the Bureau, at its 23rd extraordinary session (26-27 November 1999), as indicated in the Report of the 23rd extraordinary session of the Bureau [working document WHC-99/CONF.209/6], and bearing in mind the budget ceilings decided upon by the Committee for international assistance during Agenda Item 14 [working document WHC-99/CONF.209/17]; 5. Take note of the decisions concerning international assistance requests which have been made by the Bureau during the 23rd session of the Committee (2 December 1999); 6. Take note of the decisions to be taken by the Chairperson concerning international assistance requests; The Committee is invited to consult Information Document WHC-99/CONF.209/INF.10 which provides information on all international assistance granted to States Parties in previous years. In taking decisions, the Committee is reminded of its decisions that half of the training budget and one third of the technical co-operation budget would be reserved for natural heritage activities. INDEX (i) Summary of Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention (paragraphs 94-121) concerning requests for international assistance. (ii) Summary of requests submitted by States Parties received by the Secretariat before 8 November 1999 for funding under the year 2000, to be examined by the Bureau, Committee, or Chairperson. 1. Requests for natural heritage 2. Requests for mixed heritage 3. Requests for cultural heritage Extract from Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention for prioritization in the granting of international assistance (paragraphs 113- 114), and on international assistance for World Heritage sites in Danger (paragraph 91): C. Order of priorities for the granting of international assistance: 113. Without prejudicing the provisions of the Convention, which shall always prevail, the Committee agreed on the following order of priorities with respect to the type of activities to be assisted under the Convention: - emergency measures to save property included, or nominated for inclusion, in the World Heritage List (see paragraph 96); - preparatory assistance for drawing up tentative lists of cultural and/or natural properties suitable for inclusion in the World Heritage List as well as nominations of types of properties under- represented on the list and requests for technical co- operation; - projects which are likely to have a multiplier effect ("seed money") because they: • stimulate general interest in conservation; • contribute to the advancement of scientific research; • contribute to the training of specialized personnel; • generate contributions from other sources. 114. The Committee also agreed that the following factors would in principle govern its decisions in granting assistance under the Convention: (i) the urgency of the work and of the protective measures to be taken; (ii) the legislative, administrative and financial commitment of the recipient State to protect and preserve the property; (iii) the cost of the project; (iv) the interest for, and exemplary value of, the project in respect of scientific research and the development of cost/effective conservation techniques; (v) the educational value both for the training of local experts and for the general public; (vi) the cultural and ecological benefits accruing from the project, and (vii) the social and economic consequences. 91. The Committee shall allocate a specific, significant portion of the World Heritage Fund to financing of possible assistance to World Heritage properties inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger. (i) Summary of guidelines concerning requests for international assistance in paragraphs 94-121 of the Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention. type of assistance prepara- emergenc training technical promo- tory y co- tional operation maximum status of maximum advice of status of maximum advice of status of maximum advice of status of maximum status of allocation payment allocation the payment allocation the payment allocation the payment of allocation payment of (US$) of dues to (US$) advisory of dues to (US$) advisory of dues to (US$) advisory dues to the (US$) dues to the the Fund bodies the Fund bodies** the Fund bodies Fund Fund decision by committee n/a applicable above as appro- n/a above as appro- n/a above as appro- applicable n/a applicable 75,000 priate 30,000 priate** 30,000 priate bureau 30,000 applicable 75,000 as appro- n/a 30,000 as appro- n/a 30,000 as appro- applicable n/a applicable priate priate** priate chair- 20,000 applicable 50,000 as appro- n/a 20,000 as appro- n/a 20,000 as appro- 10,000 applicable person* priate priate** priate Director n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 5,000 applicable WHC * The Chairperson is not authorized to approved requests submitted from his/her Government. ** The Committee has identified ICCROM as its Advisory Body for training activities for cultural heritage, Merida 1996. Therefore, requests for training in cultural heritage is systematically refered to ICCROM for professional review and evaluation by the regional desks of the Centre. n/a = not applicable (ii) Number of Number Numbe Number of Number of Number of Region UNESCO of Non r of LDC/LIC World World Member States States States Heritage Heritage States Parties Parties Parties * sites sites in Danger Africa 45 12 33 26 (45%) 46 ( 8%) 10 Arab 18 2 16 3 ( 5%) 51 ( 8%) 2 Asia 27 1 26 17 (29%) 106 (18%) 2 Pacific 16 11 5 1 ( 1%) 17 ( 3%) 0 Latin America 33 4 29 4 ( 7%) 74 (13%) 3 & Caribbean Europe & 50 1 49 7 (12%) 288 (50%) 6 N.America Total 189 31 158 58 (100%) 582 (100%) 23 * LDC = Least Developed Country LIC = Low Income Country SUMMARY of requests to be considered by the World Heritage Committee, Bureau and Chairperson during the 23rd session of the Committee and the 23rd extraordinary session of the Bureau (26 November - 4 December 1999), and amount recommended for approval. The amount indicated beside the title of the activity is the amount recommended for approval. The symbol «♦» means that approval of funds is not yet recommended. 1. NATURAL HERITAGE Total: US$ 295,200 AFRICA Subtotal: US$ 214,500 45 UNESCO Member States, 33 States Parties to Convention, 26 LDC/LIC States Parites, 46 World Heritage sites (29 N, 16 C, 1 M), 10 World Heritage sites in Danger (8 N, 2 C) (a) Preparatory Assistance Subtotal: ♦ I. KENYA Preparation of nomination for «Great Rift Valley Lakes System» ♦ (b) Emergency Assistance Subtotal: US$75,000 I. NIGER Emergency rehabilitation plan for Air & Tenere Natural Reserves US$ 75,000 (c) Training Assistance Subtotal: US$ 50,000 I. TANZANIA Three fellowships for African specialists in protected area / wildlife management for the academic year 200-2001 US$ 30,000 II. GABON Workshop on implementation of the World Heritage Convention, preparation of Tentative List & Nomination of natural properties US$ 20,000 (d) Technical Co-operation Subtotal: US$ 89,500 I. TANZANIA Workshop for strengthening research and monitoring capacity for natural world heritage sites in Tanzania US$ 30,000 II. COTE D’IVORE Strengthening protection of Comoe National Park US$ 59,500 ARAB Subtotal: US$ 15,000 18 UNESCO Member States, 16 States Parties to Convention, 3 LDC/LIC States Parites, 51 World Heritage sites (3 N, 47 C, 1 M), 2 World Heritage sites in Danger ( 1 N, 1 C) (a) Preparatory Assistance Subtotal: US$ 15,000 I. MOROCCO Nomination of Atlas Mountain Nature Reserve US$ 15,000 ASIA Subtotal: US$ 45,700 27 UNESCO