World Heritage Committee (WHC)

HISTORY AND PRESENT STATUS

The Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, better known as the World Heritage Convention (WHC), was adopted by UNESCO on 16 November 1972. It provides a permanent legal, administrative and financial framework for international cooperation in safeguarding the cultural and natural heritage of mankind. As at May 2003, 176 Member States were Parties to the World Heritage Committee. As at July 2003, 730 properties in 125 countries were inscribed on the World Heritage List.

Ratification of the WHC gives South Africa the opportunity to nominate its sites to be listed as World Heritage Sites. This will help to stimulate international tourism interest in the area and ensure international support for their protection.

OTHER DEPARTMENTS AND COOPERATING ORGANIZATIONS

Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism

GENERAL COMMENTS

South Africa officially submitted its Tentative List of sites and three Nomination Files for World Heritage status applications, on 30 June 1998 to the World Heritage Centre, at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris. To date four sites have been listed as World Heritage Sites, namely: Robben Island (natural and cultural site); St Lucia Wetlands (natural site); Sterkfontein Valley Caves, lately known as the Cradle of Humankind (cultural site) and the uKhahlamba/Drakensberg Park (natural and cultural site).

Preparation of the applications was coordinated by the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, which is the line function Department responsible for the implementation of the Convention on the Protection of Cultural and Natural Heritage in South Africa. The choice of the sites was made following a national workshop in which all nine provinces participated, in order to ensure a consultative dialogue. The decision on whether the above-mentioned sites are accorded World Heritage status will be take place after a through evaluation, by the World Heritage Committee in December 1999. This is the first time that South Africa's outstanding natural and cultural heritage sites will be considered for inscription on the World Heritage List.

During the meeting of the WH Bureau (5 - 10 July 1999) it was recommended that the Committee inscribe the three sites on the World Heritage List. At the twenty third session of the World Heritage Committee which will take place in Marrakech, Morocco from 29 November to 4 December 1999, the Bureau recommendations on the South African sites will be considered.