Decision : 37 COM 10B
Progress report on the second cycle of the Periodic Reporting exercise for Europe and North America

The World Heritage Committee,

1.  Having examined Document WHC-13/37.COM/10B,

2.   Recalling Decision 36 COM 10B adopted at its 36th session (Saint Petersburg, 2012),

3.   Recalling furthermore that the second cycle of Periodic Reporting in Europe and North America takes place on a two-year basis (Group A: North America, Western, Nordic and Baltic Europe sub-regions for the first year 2012-2013, and Group B: Mediterranean, Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe for the second year 2013-2014), provided that a report on the Periodic Reporting exercise for North America will be presented at the 38th session of the World Heritage Committee in 2014, and an overall report on the Periodic Reporting exercise for Europe will be presented at the 39th session of the World Heritage Committee in 2015,

4.   Takes note of the activities implementing the second cycle of Periodic Reporting for Group A and preparing the launch of Periodic Reporting for Group B;

5.    Thanks the German authorities and the Georgian authorities for having hosted preparatory meetings in the framework of the Periodic Reporting exercise;

6.       Also thanks the Nordic World Heritage Foundation for its collaboration in the preparation of the second cycle of the Periodic Reporting;

7.    Reiterates its sincere appreciation to the Italian authorities, the Azerbaijani authorities and the Luxembourg authorities for their proposals to host future meetings in the framework of the Periodic Reporting exercise in 2013-2015;

8.       Welcomes the progress made with the initiative to prepare an integrated and targeted strategy addressing the priority needs in training and capacity-building for the preservation of World Heritage properties in Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe and commends the Steering Group for its commitment to carry forward this work;

9.     Also commends the States Parties which have submitted draft retrospective Statements of Outstanding Universal Value before the official launch of the Periodic Reporting exercise as requested in Decision 35 COM 10C.2 , and urges the States Parties to submit the pending retrospective Statements of Outstanding Universal Value as soon as possible;

10.     Reiterates its gratitude to the Andorran, Monegasque, Portuguese and Dutch authorities, as well as the Flemish authorities for their financial contributions to the implementation of the second cycle of the Periodic Reporting in Europe and North America, and encourages further support and collaboration in the future;

11.     Requests the World Heritage Centre to report back to the World Heritage Committee on progress made with Periodic Reporting at its 38th session in 2014.