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View of the International
Convention Centre where the 29th Session of the World Heritage
Committee is meeting. |
(Durban, South Africa – July 11, 2005)
The first Working Session of the 29th Session of the World Heritage
Committee opened this morning with an agenda focusing on the Africa Position
Paper. This is the first time the Committee is meeting in sub-Saharan Africa and
this year’s particular focus on issues relating to heritage protection in the
African continent represents an opportunity for State Parties to work towards
developing mechanisms that can realistically be implemented in that region.
Over forty State Parties have submitted
nominations for examination by the Committee in the hope of gaining its approval
for inscription or extensions to existing sites. In addition to China’s proposal
for Macao to be listed, the agenda of around fifty items for discussion includes
a string of bids by African countries such as Egypt, Gabon, Ethiopia, Nigeria,
United Republic of Tanzania and South Africa, plus proposals from a range of
countries across the globe, including Spain, the United Kingdom, Germany,
France, Italy, Thailand and Japan.
Apart
from discussing nominations, the Committee is responsible for considering the
List of World Heritage Sites in Danger, a mechanism aimed at encouraging State
Parties to observe the requirements inherent to World Heritage listing and to
provide assistance to sites under threat. Around thirty sites feature on this
list, threatened by the effects of conflict and other man-made and natural
causes. Currently, Africa is disproportionately represented on the list due, in
particular, to socio-economic challenges. Of the 63 World Heritage sites in
Africa—8% of the total World Heritage List—seventeen are included on the List of
World Heritage Sites in Danger, around half of the overall number. Therefore the
World Heritage Committee is making the introduction of protection measures for
immediate implementation a top priority for action, alongside measures to
improve the state of conservation. Support and resources could include the
establishment of an African World Heritage Fund, proposed to come into operation
2006, discussed in detail during today’s session.
