Periodic Reporting
Every six years, the States Parties are invited to submit to the World Heritage Committee a periodic report on the application of the World Heritage Convention, including the state of conservation of the World Heritage properties located on its territories.
Why Periodic Reporting?
The Periodic Reporting on the application of the World Heritage Convention is intended to serve four main purposes
How it works?
The World Heritage Committee has a regional approach to Periodic Reporting as a means to promote regional collaboration and to be able to respond to the specific characteristics of each region.
For each of them, regional periodic reporting strategies are developed to ensure full participation of States Parties, competent institutions and regional expertise. The Committee examines these regional periodic reports according to a pre-established schedule, which is based on a six-year cycle.
Cycle II
2008-2015
Questionnaires
Access to the Periodic Reporting Questionnaires
Cycle II 2008-2015
Results
Year of examination by Committee of Regional State of the World Heritage Report |
Region | Number of States Parties | Reporting on World Heritage properties inscribed up to and including | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Year | n° | |||
2010 | Arab States | |||
2011 | Africa | |||
2012 | Asia and Pacific | |||
2013 | Latin America and the Caribbean | |||
2014 | Europe and North America | |||
2015 |
Cycle I
2000-2006
Results
Year of examination by Committee of Regional State of the World Heritage Report |
Region | Number of States Parties (as per December 1998) |
Reporting on World Heritage properties inscribed up to and including | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Year | n° | |||
2000 | Arab States | 16 | 1992 | 46 |
2001 | Africa | 31 | 1993 | 40 |
2003 | Asia and Pacific | 39 | 1994 | 88 |
2004 | Latin America and the Caribbean | 29 | 1995 | 62 |
2005 | Europe and North America | 50 | 1998 | 297 |
2006 |
Who is responsible for what?
While the General Assembly of States Parties to the World Heritage Convention and the World Heritage Committee have a standard-setting role, the management and monitoring of World Heritage properties remain the responsibility of the States Parties. The States Parties themselves are also responsible for the preparation of the Periodic Reports.
The World Heritage Committee and its Secretariat (the UNESCO World Heritage Centre) support the States Parties in these tasks and facilitate the implementation of the regional Periodic Reporting strategies. States Parties may request expert advice from the Secretariat and/or the Advisory Bodies (ICOMOS, ICCROM and IUCN). The Secretariat may also commission expert advice with the agreement of the States Parties.
The World Heritage Committee examines and responds to the States Parties' periodic reports. It then includes its findings in its report to the General Conference of UNESCO.
Periodic Reporting Process
World Heritage Committee establishes a 6 year
periodic reporting cycle
Implementation of regional strategies
to provide for:
Participatory process;
Involvement of States Parties, competent institutions and regional expertise;
Assistance to States Parties in preparing reports;
Exchange of experiences among States Parties;
Analysis of reports in regional context;
Preparation of Regional State of the World Heritage Report.
Submission of
Regional State of the World Heritage Report
Regional State of the World Heritage Report
examined by the World Heritage Committee
World Heritage Comittee responds to
the Regional State of the World Heritage Report
(formulates recommendations to States Parties, draws conclusions for its own policy and decision making)
World Heritage Committee response
included in its report to the General Conference of UNESCO
What are the expected outcomes?
The information provided during the Periodic Reporting exercise will contribute to:
- assessing the state of conservation of World Heritage properties;
- determining whether the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of all World Heritage properties has been maintained over time;
- helping to solve outstanding problems and issues through an informed decision-making process;
- sharing experiences, good practices, knowledge and lessons learnt between States Parties, Site Managers and other World Heritage practitioners;
- encouraging cooperation and establishment of networks between partners;
- providing a decision-making tool for States Parties, national institutions, the World Heritage Committee and the World Heritage Centre;
- raising awareness about the World Heritage Convention: in particular the importance of OUV and the concepts of authenticity/integrity.
From the information collected through the Periodic Reporting exercise, a final report will be prepared in consultation with National Focal Points, for presentation to the World Heritage Committee. The final report will form the baseline for the development of targeted Action Plans at national and regional levels which will respond to the needs, challenges, threats, strengths and opportunities identified and presented as a result of the Periodic Reporting exercise.
World Heritage Centre Regional pages
Reference documents
- Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention
- Article 29 of The World Heritage Convention
Activities (14)
- LAC Action Plan
- Periodic Reporting 1st Cycle: Africa
- Periodic Reporting 1st Cycle: Arab States
- Periodic Reporting 1st Cycle: Asia & Pacific (2003)
- Periodic Reporting 1st Cycle: Europe and North America
- Periodic Reporting 1st Cycle: Latin America and the Caribbean (2004)
- Periodic Reporting 2nd Cycle : Latin America and the Caribbean (2013)
- Periodic Reporting 2nd Cycle: Africa (2011)
- Periodic Reporting 2nd Cycle: Arab States (2010)
- Periodic Reporting 2nd Cycle: Asia & Pacific (2012)
- Periodic Reporting 2nd Cycle: Europe and North America region (2012-2015)
- Reflection Period after the Second Cycle of Periodic Reporting (2015-2017)
- Reflection year after the First Cycle of Periodic Reporting
- Support for the Second Cycle of the Periodic Reporting for Africa
News (2)
- Official Launch of the Helsinki Action Plan Monitoring Survey Monday, 17 October 2016
- Second Cycle of Periodic Reporting in Europe Thursday, 11 June 2015
Events (13)
- Periodic Reporting in Europe and North America: Follow-up activities to the Helsinki Action Plan 15-Jul-2016-15-Jul-2016
- Towards an Action Plan for World Heritage in Latin America and the Caribbean 2014-2024 23-Apr-2014-25-Apr-2014
- Final Meeting of the Second Cycle of the Periodic Reporting Exercise for Latin America and the Caribbean, 3-5 December 2012, Santiago, Chile 02-Dec-2012-05-Dec-2012
- Workshop on management for World Heritage site managers in South-Eastern Europe in the framework of the preparation of the Second Cycle of Periodic Reporting for Europe and North America 12-May-2012-15-May-2012
- Sub-Regional Meeting for Central America, Second Cycle of the Periodic Reporting Exercise for Latin America and the Caribbean, Zacatecas, Mexico 12-Mar-2012-14-Mar-2012
- Reflection year on World Heritage Periodic Reporting, Fourth Meeting 24-Jan-2007
- Second Meeting of the Working Group on the simplification of the periodic reporting questionnaire and the setting up of indicators 22-Jan-2007-23-Jan-2007
- Third Periodic Reporting reflection meeting 09-Nov-2006-10-Nov-2006
- Reflection Year on World Heritage Periodic Reporting, Third Meeting 09-Nov-2006-10-Nov-2006
- First meeting of the working group on the simplification of the Periodic Reporting questionnaire and the setting-up of indicators 06-Nov-2006-07-Nov-2006