WORLD HERITAGE CENTRE

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Periodic

Reporting

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In the Asia-

Pacific Region

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How to use

this CD-ROM?

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National and

Site Specific Reports

History of the Periodic Reporting Exercise in the Asia-Pacific Region

Actors of the Periodic Reporting Exercise

In December 2000 at its 24th session, the World Heritage Committee approved an action plan for the preparation of the Asia-Pacific Regional Periodic Report. A number of the 39 States Parties (27 Asian & 12 Pacific) and the UNESCO World Heritage Centre had already begun preparation of the Periodic Reports in 1997, and this preparation work was increased from 2001 onwards. Of the 39 States Parties, 16 States Parties with properties inscribed on the World Heritage List before or in 1994 were requested to prepare state of conservation reports for a total of 88 properties (55 cultural & 33 natural or mixed).

Upon the request of the World Heritage Centre, the majority of Asia-Pacific States Parties appointed National focal points for the preparation of their reports in 2001. To facilitate the work of the national authorities, a questionnaire was developed by the Centre, in consultation with the Advisory Bodies (ICOMOS, IUCN and ICCROM) based on the format adopted by the Committee, which includes two sections. Section I focuses on the legislative and administrative action taken by the States Parties in the application of the World Heritage Convention.  Section II reports in detail on the state of conservation of individual World Heritage properties inscribed on the List before or in 1994.

International Assistance from the World Heritage Fund was provided to support some States Parties in preparing 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.

Methodology of the first cycle of Periodic Reporting in the region

At an early stage in the preparation of the Regional Periodic Report, the World Heritage Centre and the States Parties adopted a consultative approach, not only to facilitate the process of preparing the Report, but also to ensure that the Final Report became a useful tool for the States Parties concerned, as well as the World Heritage Committee and UNESCO, in prioritizing actions based on identified sub-regional needs. The Advisory Bodies were invited to participate throughout the exercise by assisting with their experience and knowledge of World Heritage conservation.

One significant challenge in the preparation of the National Periodic Reports was to collect base-line information on specific properties inscribed on the World Heritage List.  Many of the properties inscribed on the pre-1994 List were nominated without clear demarcation of the core, buffer and/or transition zones. Other information which required reformulation or review for many properties inscribed on the pre-1994 List were the statements of significance, threats, legislation and management mechanisms.

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 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 were held in Australia (March 2002), China (July 2002), India (November 2002), and Sri Lanka (November/December 2002).

·     Information meetings were organized for Asia-Pacific States Parties Permanent Delegations to UNESCO in October 2001, January and June 2003.

No Pacific Island countries were invited to the regional consultation meetings and no National Periodic Reports were received from the ten Pacific Island States Parties by the deadline of 31 December 2002. The organization of a capacity-building workshop in Apia, Samoa in February 2003 was therefore used 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 and months.

As this was the first Periodic Reporting Exercise for the Asia-Pacific Region, the States Parties, UNESCO, the Advisory Bodies and all partners involved used it as an opportunity to strengthen co-operation for World Heritage conservation. Lessons have been learned which can be used in the next cycle of Periodic Reporting and for other regions.

Acknowledgements

The UNESCO World Heritage Centre thanks the States Parties of the Asia-Pacific Region, particularly the site managers for the open and sincere manner in which they made the World Heritage Centre understand the value of their heritage and the power of the Convention. Thank you for renewing our enthusiasm and our commitment to you.

The World Heritage Centre Team, on behalf of:

Francesco Bandarin, Director of the World Heritage Centre; Minja Yang, Deputy-Director and Chief of Cultural Heritage Section; Natarajan Ishwaran, Chief of Natural Heritage Section; Junko Taniguchi, Programme Specialist and Acting Chief of Asia Unit; Sarah Titchen, Chief, Policy and Statutory Unit, responsible for the Pacific; Feng Jing, Programme Specialist and Co-ordinator of the Asia-Pacific Periodic Reporting Exercise; 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, Programme Specialist, UNESCO Beijing; Elsbeth Wingham, consultant, UNESCO Apia. Many others at the World Heritage Centre have contributed to backstopping the Asia-Pacific States Parties in this periodic reporting process, including Salamat Ali Tabbasum, Natsue Saito, Fiona Gundacker, Lise Sellem, Silvia Simmonds, Anna Ferchaud, Mark Hockings, Art Pederson and Marc Faux.

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