Decision 36 COM 10D

Follow-up of the Second Cycle of the Periodic Reporting exercise for Africa Region

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Documents WHC-12/36.COM/10D and WHC-12/ 36.COM/INF.10D,
2. Recalling Decision 35 COM 10A, adopted at its 35th session (UNESCO, 2011),
3. Welcomes the progress made in the follow-up of the second cycle of Periodic Reporting in the Africa Region;
4. Takes note that important discussions have been carried out in the African region relating to development activities and resource extraction in and around World Heritage properties in Africa;
5. Recommends States Parties from other regions to join States Parties in Africa in discussing and reflecting on the same subject with a view to coming up with a common approach at a later meeting of the Committee;
6. Thanks the State Party of South Africa for its offer to host the special 40th anniversary conference on World Heritage and sustainable development;
7. Welcomes the publication initiative on World Heritage in the Africa Region and thanks the State Party of Switzerland for its financial support and encourages its effective implementation;
8. Endorses the Regional Action Plan 2012-2017, and its Regional Capacity Building Programme, prepared by the States Parties and also thanks the Director-General of UNESCO for her support to the preparatory phase;
9. Further thanks the States Parties of Belgium (in particular the Government of Flanders), Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, South Africa, and Switzerland, as well as IUCN, the African World Heritage Fund and the Nordic World Heritage Foundation for their committed support to the implementation of the Action Plan 2012-2017 and in particular the follow-up programmes of the second Periodic Reporting for the Africa Region;
10. Calls upon States Parties to support the implementation of the Action Plan 2012-2017 and also encourages them to intensify their contributions to the African World Heritage Fund while working closely with the Fund to improve on the implementation of the World Heritage Convention in the region;
11. Requests the States Parties of the Africa region to participate in the implementation of the 2012-2017 Action Plan, namely by producing national plans and budgets before the end of October 2012. These national plans should be drawn up in accordance with the Management and Conservation Plans of the properties, in order to protect their Outstanding Universal Value;
12. Also 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;
13. Further requests the World Heritage Centre to pay special attention to the management of properties inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger, ensuring the application of the Reinforced monitoring mechanism and the mobilization of adequate resources;
14. Requests furthermore the World Heritage Centre to publish the synthesis report of the second cycle of Periodic Reporting, for wider dissemination and to keep it informed of the progress achieved in the implementation of the Action Plan at its 37th session in 2013.