In the framework of the implementation of the Second Cycle of the Periodic Reporting in Europe and North America, the World Heritage National Focal Points for Periodic Reporting from the Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe countries met in Baku, Azerbaijan, from 29 to 31 October 2013.

The workshop included a practical training session on the use of the Periodic Reporting questionnaires, illustrating the online tools to the World Heritage Focal Points in Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe.

For countries with cultural and natural World Heritage properties, the participation of both the Focal Point for cultural World Heritage as well as the Focal Point for natural World Heritage was recommended.

National Focal Points will be expected, after this meeting, to organize national workshops and act as trainers in further seminars with national authorities and site managers, in order to facilitate the completion of the Periodic Reporting online questionnaires.  The national Focal Points for Periodic Reporting should be in charge of the overall coordination of the reporting, including the collaboration with site managers and other relevant national and local authorities, throughout the whole process of the Periodic Reporting exercise.

The workshop also provided an opportunity for the next consultation round on the initiative to elaborate a capacity-building strategy for the Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe based on the “ Blueprint for the Capacity-Building Strategy for Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe ” finalized by the Steering Group in May 2013. For background documents please refer to: http://whc.unesco.org/en/events/1054/ .

This workshop was generously hosted by Azerbaijan and organized in collaboration with the World Heritage Centre. See the invitation for more information.