The World Heritage Committee,
1. Having examined Document WHC-13/37.COM/10C,
2. Recalling Decision 36 COM 10A, adopted at its 36th session (Saint Petersburg, 2012),
3. Welcomes the progress made in the follow-up of the second cycle of Periodic Reporting in the Africa Region;
4. Thanks the Government of South Africa and the UNESCO Category 2 Centre, the African World Heritage Fund (AWHF) for financing and organizing the 40 th anniversary conference on World Heritage and Sustainable Development; and for contributing to the implementation of integrated capacity-building activities for the follow-up to the second cycle of Periodic Reporting;
5. Also thanks the Governments of Norway, Flanders (Belgium), Spain and UNDP for their financial contribution to workshops carried-out in the framework of the implementation of the 2012-2017 Action Plan for Africa and its Regional Capacity Building Programme;
6. Further thanks the Government of Switzerland for generously supporting the publication of the first publication on World Heritage sites in Africa: “African World Heritage: A Remarkable Diversity”;
7. Calls upon States Parties to financially and technically support the implementation of the Regional Action Plan (2012-2017) through follow-up activities with the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies;
8. Reiterates its request to State Parties to submit their national plans and budgets, which should be drawn up in accordance with the Management and Conservation Plans of the properties, in order to protect their Outstanding Universal Value;
9. Further reminds States Parties which have not already done so to submit their Retrospective Statements of Outstanding Universal Value by 1 February 2014 at the latest, as well as clarifications on boundaries by 1 December 2013 at the latest;
10. Encourages States Parties to intensify their contributions to the AWHF while working closely with the Fund to improve the implementation of the World Heritage Convention in the Africa region;
11. Requests the World Heritage Centre, in collaboration with the Advisory Bodies, and with the support of States Parties to continue its efforts to coordinate and implement the Regional Capacity Building Programme as per the Action Plan 2012-2017;
12. Also requests the State Parties in consultation with the World Heritage Centre and Advisory Bodies, to pay special attention to the management of properties inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger due to armed conflict;
13. Further requests the World Heritage Centre to present a progress report on the implementation of the Action Plan for the Africa region at its 38th session in 2014.
