The World Heritage Committee,
1. Having examined Documents WHC-05/29.COM/11C and WHC-05/29.COM/16,
2. Recalling its Decision 7 EXT.COM 5C, adopted at its 7th Extraordinary Session (UNESCO, 2004),
3. Bearing in mind that all three modules of the Africa Regional Programme represent means of building in the long-term the capabilities of natural and cultural heritage site managers and other professionals in Africa for the conservation and protection of World Heritage properties,
4. Recalling with satisfaction the synthesis Periodic Report published in the World Heritage Paper Series (number 3), which gives direction for future World Heritage activities in Africa,
5. Notes with satisfaction the work that has already been carried out by the AFRICA 2009 programme, (Module I), the Africa Nature Programme (Module II), and the National Strategies Programme (Module III), and recommends that capacity building for a better implementation of the World Heritage Convention continues to be intensified over the next phases of all three modules, taking into consideration the diversity of languages with a view to promoting a more effective delivery of regional programmes;
6. Thanks the financial partners of AFRICA 2009 - the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA); through the Swedish National Heritage Board; - the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD) - and the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Italy and Finland, as well as the financial partners of AFRICA Nature programme and the programme for National Strategies - in particular, the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Italy and The Netherlands - for their continued support of the programme, and urges them to continue such support in the future;
7. Also thanks the operational partners of AFRICA 2009: -ICCROM, the World Heritage Centre, CRATerre-EAG (Ecole d'Architecture de Grenoble), EPA (Ecole du patrimoine africain), and PMDA (Programme pour le Developpement des Musees Africains)-, as well as the partners of the World Heritage Centre for Africa Nature and National Strategies programmes - IUCN, UNESCO Field Offices, National Commissions for UNESCO, African Wildlife institutions and NGOs - for their sustained efforts in the implementation of the programme;
8. Approves the activities to be carried out in the biennium 2006-2007 in the framework of Module 1 of the Regional Programme for Africa, as described in document WHC-05/29.COM/11C, and takes note of the funding request of US$200,000 submitted by ICCROM in Annex 3 of document WHC-05/29.COM/16;
9. Further approves the activities to be carried out in the biennium 2006-2007 in the framework of Modules II & III of the Regional Programme for Africa, as described in document WHC-05/29.COM/11C, and takes note of the amount of US$50,000 submitted in document WHC-05/29.COM/16 (3);
10. Encourages all States Parties to the World Heritage Convention in Africa to continue to develop initiatives to promote dialogue at all levels with a view to:
a) foster national and regional understanding for the protection of World Heritage and b) sustain their support to the three modules of the Africa Regional Programme by hosting events, and providing professionals as participants, coordinators, and resource persons;
11. Requests the Director of the World Heritage Centre to prepare the Second Periodic Reporting Exercise for Africa, and to submit the results of such exercise for examination of the Committee at its 33rd session (2009).
(3) Subject to adoption of Document 16