Decision : 39 COM 10B.5
General reflection on Periodic Reporting

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined document WHC-15/39.COM/10B,
2. Recalling Decisions 34 COM 10A, 35 COM 10A, 36 COM 10A, 37 COM 10A and 38 COM 5F adopted respectively at its 34th (Brasilia, 2010), 35th (UNESCO, 2011), 36th (Saint Petersburg, 2012), 37th (Phnom Penh, 2013) and 38th (Doha, 2014) sessions,
3. Congratulates the States Parties to the World Heritage Convention for having actively participated and completed the Second Cycle of the Periodic Reporting Exercise and takes note of their efforts to ensure relevant follow-up at the regional, national and site levels;
4. Notes with appreciation that the outcomes of the Second Cycle relate fully to the main purposes of the Periodic Reporting exercise as defined by Paragraph 201 of the Operational Guidelines;
5. Also notes that valuable feedback has been received from States Parties and other World Heritage stakeholders with regard to the process, format, relevance, use and analysis of data derived from the Periodic Reporting;
6. Further notes that the existing results reporting framework, which includes the Periodic Reports, should be strengthened through the development of comprehensive indicators and benchmarks to improve follow-up on progress made by State Parties with the implementation of both the 1972 Convention and the 1972 Recommendation concerning the Protection, at National Level, of the Cultural and Natural Heritage, further to Recommendation 1 of the Evaluation of UNESCO’s Standard-Setting Work of the Culture Sector, 1972 Convention, acknowledged by Decision 38 COM 5F.2 of the Committee, according to which the matter will be addressed during the Reflection Period on Periodic Reporting;
7. Decides to suspend the third cycle of Periodic Reporting and launch a two-year Periodic Reporting Reflection Period from 2015-2017;
8. Requests the World Heritage Centre to bring this matter to the attention of the General Assembly of the States Parties to the Convention, at its 20th session (Paris, 2015), in an information document and also requests that the comments of the States Parties be sought on the matters of reviewing the process, format, relevance, use and analysis of data and efficiency of the Periodic Reporting exercise as well as synergies with other UNESCO culture conventions, preferably by means of a questionnaire;
9. Calls upon States Parties and other World Heritage stakeholders to provide extra-budgetary resources to ensure a proper reflection, including through hosting at least two Periodic Reporting reflection meetings with the participation of selected representatives of States Parties from all regions, Advisory Bodies, the World Heritage Centre, UNESCO Field offices, UNESCO Institute for Statistics, category 2 centres as well as experts that have been involved in the second cycle of Periodic Reporting;
10. Further decides that a small expert working group will be entrusted with drafting an updated format of the questionnaire and proposals for improving the process, relevance, analysis and use of data, further to feedback of States Parties and outcomes of Reflection meetings, in accordance with Terms of Reference which will be included in the progress report to be presented to the World Heritage Committee at the 40th session in 2016;
11. Requests furthermore the World Heritage Centre to present for examination by the World Heritage Committee an updated format of the questionnaire and proposals for improving the process, relevance, analysis and use of data, as well as a proposal of a revised version of Chapter V of the Operational Guidelines (Periodic Reporting on the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention) and Annex 7 (Format for the Periodic Reporting of the application of the World Heritage Convention), at its 41st session in 2017.