Expert Drafting Group on the Reform of the World Heritage Nomination Process
The World Heritage Centre (WHC) invited the Arab Regional Centre for World Heritage (ARC-WH) to participate in the ‘Expert Drafting Group on the Reform of the World Heritage Nomination Process’ in Paris, France, from 6 to 9 November 2019. ARC-WH provided input and considerations based on the Centre’s experience in the implementation of the World Heritage Convention in the Arab Region and also shared its extensive knowledge of the related procedures and provisions of the Operational Guidelines.
The operationalization of the reform was initially proposed by the Ad-hoc working groups—established for the very purpose of review—and by the International Experts Meeting held in Tunisia in early 2019. Reform was therefore endorsed by the 43rd session of the World Heritage Committee in Baku, Azerbaijan, and its operationalization requested by its decision 43COM12. The Expert Drafting Group proposed several amendments to the Operational Guideline text.
The “Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention” is an integral tool and provides information and methodologies of the inscription of properties and sites on the World Heritage List. The Guidelines also include the facilitation of international financial assistance from the World Heritage Fund. It was created to facilitate the implementation of the World Heritage Convention by reflecting the decisions of the World Heritage Committee and the evolution of the World Heritage Concept.
