Periodic Reporting 1st Cycle: Asia & Pacific (2003)
Between 1997 and 2003, the 39 States Parties (27 Asian & 12 Pacific) of the Asia and Pacific Region prepared National Periodic Reports, both reporting on the administrative and legal action taken at the national level in the application of the World Heritage Convention (Section I) and on the state of conservation of individual World Heritage properties inscribed on the List up to and including 1994 (Section II), for a total of 88 properties (55 cultural & 33 natural or mixed).
Periodic Reporting is intended to serve the following purposes
International Assistance
Some States Parties received International Assistance for the preparation of their National Periodic Reports. The Government of Japan generously granted US$ 334,800 under the UNESCO Japan-Funds-in-Trust programme to support seven Asian States Parties (China, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Vietnam) to enhance the monitoring of World Cultural Heritage properties covered under this Periodic Reporting exercise. The United Nations Foundation , through its programme ‘Monitoring and Managing for Success in Natural World Heritage Sites', also provided funding for Nepal and India, within the framework of the Asia-Pacific Periodic Reporting exercise.
Acknowledgements
The UNESCO World Heritage Centre would like to express its appreciation to all the Asia-Pacific States Parties and World Heritage site managers and the Advisory Bodies to the World Heritage Committee (ICOMOS, IUCN and ICCROM) whose active participation and support helped to make the Periodic Reporting exercise in the Asia Pacific Region a complete success.
We anticipate that the result of Periodic Reporting will provide an important reference tool to further develop regional cooperation for World Heritage conservation and for the exchange of information and experiences between States Parties concerning the implementation of the World Heritage Convention. For that purpose, all the national and site-specific Periodic Reports submitted by the Asia-Pacific countries, as well as the summaries of the Asia-Pacific Periodic Reports, are now available to the public.
Although a collaborative and collective effort in the true sense, we would like to acknowledge the important contributions of a number of individuals (in no particular order):
Francesco Bandarin, Director of the World Heritage Centre; Minja Yang, former Deputy-Director and Chief of Cultural Heritage Section; Natarajan Ishwaran, Director of Division of Ecological and Earth Sciences; Sarah Titchen, Junko Taniguchi, former Programme Specialists for the Asia-Pacific Region; Feng Jing, Programme Specialist of the Asia-Pacific Unit and Co-ordinator of the Asia-Pacific Periodic Reporting Exercise; the late Peter Laws and Aurélie Valtat, consultant editors for cultural heritage; Terence Hay-Edie, consultant editor for natural & mixed heritage.
From the UNESCO Field Offices: Richard Engelhardt, Regional Advisor for Culture in Asia-Pacific, UNESCO Bangkok; Qunli Han, Senior Programme Specialist, UNESCO Jakarta; Edmund Moukala, former Programme Specialist, UNESCO Beijing; Elsbeth Wingham, consultant, UNESCO Apia. Many colleagues at the World Heritage Centre provided their contributions and technical support to backstopping the Asia-Pacific States Parties in this Periodic Reporting process, including Art Pedersen, Vesna Vujicic-Lugassy, Lynne Patchett, Mark Hockings, Junko Okahashi, Salamat Ali Tabbasum, Hidetaka Kinami, Natsue Saito, Lise Sellem, Silvia Simmonds, Anna Ferchaud, Marc Faux, Caroline Simonds, Rebecca Kennedy and Eric Esquivel.
The Web-site was developed in part with financial contributions from the UNESCO/Japan Funds-in-Trust cooperation and the World Heritage Fund.
Background documents
Section I
Section I constitutes the State Party's report on the application of relevant articles of the World Heritage Convention, including those referring to the identification of properties of cultural and/or natural value; protection, conservation and presentation of the cultural and natural heritage; international cooperation and fund raising; and education, information and awareness-building.
Section II
Section II refers to the state of conservation of specific World Heritage properties located on the State Party's territory. The main objective of this section is to obtain an assessment of whether the World Heritage value for which a property was inscribed on the World Heritage List is maintained over time. In addition, States Parties are requested to provide updated information on management and administrative arrangements, on factors affecting the property and on existing monitoring mechanisms.
Follow-up Action Plans
Events
Numerous national, regional and international consultative meetings were organized to share information and to encourage active participation on the part of the States Parties, with support from the World Heritage Fund or other extra-budgetary funds.
Sub-regional and/or regional meetings
Sub-regional and/or regional meetings for cultural, natural and mixed heritage included: Tana Toraja (Indonesia) in April 2001; Gyeongju (Republic of Korea) in July 2001; Greater Blue Mountains (Australia) in March 2002; Almaty (Kazakhstan) in December 2002; Hanoi (Vietnam) in January 2003; Apia (Samoa) in February 2003; and Paris (France) in March 2003 ( click here to view the Final Report of the March 2003 Consultation Meeting).
National consultation meetings
National consultation meetings were held in Australia (March 2002), China (July 2002), India (November 2002), and Sri Lanka (November/December 2002).
Information meetings
Information meetings were organized for Asia-Pacific States Parties Permanent Delegations to UNESCO in October 2001, in June 2002 (Budapest ), and in January and June 2003.
Capacity workshop
A capacity workshop was held in Apia, Samoa in February 2003 as an opportunity to encourage the Pacific Island States Parties to prepare reports. Subsequently, the majority of these States Parties have provided summaries, although the majority only joined the Convention in recent years.
Summaries of Periodic Reports Submitted by States Parties
Summaries of Periodic Reports 2003 by state party, Section I
- Afghanistan
- Australia
- Bangladesh
- Cambodia
- China
- India
- Indonesia
- Iran (Islamic Republic of)
- Japan
- Kazakhstan
- Lao People's Democratic Republic
- Malaysia
- Mongolia
- New Zealand
- Pakistan
- Philippines
- Republic of Korea
- Solomon Islands
- Sri Lanka
- Thailand
- Turkmenistan
- Uzbekistan
- Viet Nam
Summaries of Periodic Reports 2003 by property, Section II
Australia
- Australian Fossil Mammal Sites (Riversleigh/ Naracote) (1994)
- Central Eastern Rainforest Reserves (Australia) (1986)
- Fraser Island (1992)
- Great Barrier Reef (1981)
- Kakadu National Park (1981)
- Lord Howe Island Group (1982)
- Shark Bay, Western Australia (1991)
- Tasmanian Wilderness (1982)
- Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park (1987)
- Wet Tropics of Queensland (1988)
- Willandra Lakes Region (1981)
Bangladesh
Cambodia
China
- Ancient Building Complex in the Wudang Mountains (1994)
- Historic Ensemble of the Potala Palace, Lhasa (1994)
- Huanglong Scenic and Historic Interest Area (1992)
- Imperial Palaces of the Ming and Qing Dynasties in Beijing and Shenyang (1987)
- Jiuzhaigou Valley Scenic and Historic Interest Area (1992)
- Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor (1987)
- Mogao Caves (1987)
- Mount Huangshan (1990)
- Mount Taishan (1987)
- Mountain Resort and its Outlying Temples, Chengde (1994)
- Peking Man Site at Zhoukoudian (1987)
- Temple and Cemetery of Confucius and the Kong Family Mansion in Qufu (1994)
- The Great Wall (1987)
- Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area (1992)
India
- Agra Fort (1983)
- Ajanta Caves (1983)
- Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi (1989)
- Churches and Convents of Goa (1986)
- Elephanta Caves (1987)
- Ellora Caves (1983)
- Fatehpur Sikri (1986)
- Great Living Chola Temples (1987)
- Group of Monuments at Hampi (1986)
- Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram (1984)
- Group of Monuments at Pattadakal (1987)
- Humayun's Tomb, Delhi (1993)
- Kaziranga National Park (1985)
- Keoladeo National Park (1985)
- Khajuraho Group of Monuments (1986)
- Manas Wildlife Sanctuary (1985)
- Nanda Devi National Park (1988)
- Qutb Minar and its Monuments, Delhi (1993)
- Sun Temple, Konarak (1984)
- Sundarbans National Park (1987)
- Taj Mahal (1983)
Indonesia
- Borobudur Temple Compounds (1991)
- Komodo National Park (1991)
- Prambanan Temple Compounds (1991)
- Ujung Kulon National Park (1991)
Iran (Islamic Republic of)
Japan
- Buddhist Monuments in the Horyu-ji Area (1993)
- Himeji-jo (1993)
- Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Uji and Otsu Cities) (1994)
- Shirakami-Sanchi (1993)
- Yakushima (1993)
Nepal
New Zealand
Pakistan
- Archaeological Ruins at Moenjodaro (1980)
- Buddhist Ruins of Takht-i-Bahi and Neighbouring City Remains at Sahr-i-Bahlol (1980)
- Fort and Shalamar Gardens in Lahore (1981)
- Historical Monuments of Thatta (1981)
- Taxila (1980)
Philippines
Sri Lanka
- Ancient City of Polonnaruwa (1982)
- Ancient City of Sigiriya (1982)
- Golden Temple of Dambulla (1991)
- Old Town of Galle and its Fortifications (1988)
- Sacred City of Anuradhapura (1982)
- Sacred City of Kandy (1988)
- Sinharaja Forest Reserve (1988)
Thailand
- Ban Chiang Archaeological Site (1992)
- Historic City of Ayutthaya and Associated Historic Towns (1991)
- Historic Town of Sukhotai and Associated Historic Towns (1991)
- Thungyai - Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuaries (1991)
Uzbekistan
Viet Nam
Original Periodic Reports Submitted by States Parties
Periodic Reports 2003 by State Party, Section I
- Afghanistan
- Australia
- Bangladesh
- China
- India
- Indonesia
- Iran (Islamic Republic of)
- Japan
- Kazakhstan
- Lao People's Democratic Republic
- Malaysia
- Mongolia
- Nepal
- New Zealand
- Pakistan
- Philippines
- Republic of Korea
- Sri Lanka
- Thailand
- Turkmenistan
- Uzbekistan
- Viet Nam
Periodic Reports 2003 by property, Section II
Australia
- Australian Fossil Mammal Sites (Riversleigh/ Naracote) (1994)
- Central Eastern Rainforest Reserves (Australia) (1986)
- Fraser Island (1992)
- Great Barrier Reef (1981)
- Kakadu National Park (1981)
- Lord Howe Island Group (1982)
- Shark Bay, Western Australia (1991)
- Tasmanian Wilderness (1982)
- Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park (1987)
- Wet Tropics of Queensland (1988)
- Willandra Lakes Region (1981)
Bangladesh
Cambodia
China
- Ancient Building Complex in the Wudang Mountains (1994)
- Historic Ensemble of the Potala Palace, Lhasa (1994)
- Huanglong Scenic and Historic Interest Area (1992)
- Imperial Palaces of the Ming and Qing Dynasties in Beijing (1987)
- Jiuzhaigou Valley Scenic and Historic Interest Area (1992)
- Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor (1987)
- Mogao Caves (1987)
- Mount Huangshan (1990)
- Mount Taishan (1987)
- Mountain Resort and its Outlying Temples, Chengde (1994)
- Peking Man Site at Zhoukoudian (1987)
- Temple and Cemetery of Confucius and the Kong Family Mansion in Qufu (1994)
- The Great Wall (1987)
- Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area (1992)
India
- Agra Fort (1983)
- Ajanta Caves (1983)
- Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi (1989)
- Churches and Convents of Goa (1986)
- Elephanta Caves (1987)
- Ellora Caves (1983)
- Fatehpur Sikri (1986)
- Great Living Chola Temples (1987)
- Group of Monuments at Hampi (1986)
- Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram (1984)
- Group of Monuments at Pattadakal (1987)
- Humayun's Tomb, Delhi (1993)
- Kaziranga National Park (1985)
- Keoladeo National Park (1985)
- Khajuraho Group of Monuments (1986)
- Manas Wildlife Sanctuary (1985)
- Nanda Devi National Park (1988)
- Qutb Minar and its Monuments, Delhi (1993)
- Sun Temple, Konarak (1984)
- Sundarbans National Park (1987)
- Taj Mahal (1983)
Indonesia
- Borobudur Temple Compounds (1991)
- Komodo National Park (1991)
- Prambanan Temple Compounds (1991)
- Ujung Kulon National Park (1991)
Iran (Islamic Republic of)
Japan
- Buddhist Monuments in the Horyu-ji Area (1993)
- Himeji-jo (1993)
- Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Uji and Otsu Cities) (1994)
- Shirakami-Sanchi (1993)
- Yakushima (1993)
Lao People's Democratic Republic
Nepal
New Zealand
Pakistan
- Archaeological Ruins at Moenjodaro (1980)
- Buddhist Ruins of Takht-i-Bahi and Neighbouring City Remains at Sahr-i-Bahlol (1980)
- Fort and Shalamar Gardens in Lahore (1981)
- Historical Monuments of Thatta (1981)
- Taxila (1980)
Philippines
Sri Lanka
- Ancient City of Polonnaruwa (1982)
- Ancient City of Sigiriya (1982)
- Golden Temple of Dambulla (1991)
- Old Town of Galle and its Fortifications (1988)
- Sacred City of Anuradhapura (1982)
- Sacred City of Kandy (1988)
- Sinharaja Forest Reserve (1988)
Thailand
- Ban Chiang Archaeological Site (1992)
- Historic City of Ayutthaya and Associated Historic Towns (1991)
- Historic Town of Sukhotai and Associated Historic Towns (1991)
- Thungyai - Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuaries (1991)
Uzbekistan
Viet Nam
Events (2)
- UNESCO Regional Meeting on the Second Cycle of Periodic Reporting for Asia 06-Dec-2011-10-Dec-2011
- Second meeting of the Coordinating Committee on the Serial World Heritage Nomination of the Silk Roads 03-May-2011-06-May-2011