WORLD HERITAGE COMMITTEE TO ANNOUNCE NEW SITES ON THE WORLD HERITAGE LIST NEXT WEEK IN AUSTRALIA

Paris, November 22 (No.2000-123) - UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee will hold its 24th annual session in Cairns, Australia, from November 27 to December 2, during which it will inscribe new cultural and natural sites on the World Heritage List and review the List of World Heritage in Danger.

The Committee will this year examine 71 sites proposed by 43 countries. Two countries, Azerbaijan and Malaysia, are putting forward sites for the first time. The new sites are expected to be announced on November 30, while any changes to the List of World Heritage in Danger are due to be announced on November 28. The Committee session is preceded on November 23-28 by a World Heritage Youth Forum, the eighth event of its kind but the first to be held in the Pacific region.

The intergovernmental World Heritage Committee includes 21 States Parties elected for a term of six years by the General Assembly of the States Parties to the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (1972). The Committee is responsible for the implementation of the Convention and determines the inclusion of sites on the World Heritage List on the recommendation of two advisory bodies: the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), for cultural sites, and the World Conservation Union (IUCN), for natural sites. The International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM) for its part is mandated to provide expert advice on monument restoration and organises training sessions for specialists.

The Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage presently protects 630 sites of “outstanding universal value,” - 480 cultural sites, 128 natural sites and 22 mixed sites - in 118 countries. With 161 States Parties, the Convention is one of the international instruments which brings together the largest number of states. It is the only international instrument for the protection of both cultural and natural sites and it encourages co-operation among nations for the safeguard of their common heritage.

By adhering to the Convention, states commit to ensure the preservation of those sites which they themselves have nominated and which have been included on the World Heritage List. The World Heritage Committee examines reports on the state of conservation of listed sites and requires the States Parties to take corrective measures when they are not managed properly. States concerned must also adopt legislative and regulatory measures to protect these sites.

The World Heritage Committee allocates subsidies provided by the World Heritage Fund. It can provide emergency financing to make possible repairs to man-made or naturally incurred damages. The Committee moreover facilitates technical co-operation - expert intervention and material assistance - and personnel training. The World Heritage Fund has an annual budget of over US$4 million provided through obligatory and voluntary contributions from States Parties.

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