ZGROMADZENIE OGÓLNE PAŃSTW STRON KONWENCJI ŚWIATOWEGO DZIEDZICTWA UNESCO Paryż, 23-28 października 2009 r.

A General Assembly of the States Parties to the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage took place at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris on 23-28 October. Its participants meet every two years at a UNESCO General Assembly to make decisions concerning the dues for the World Heritage Fund and to elect new members of the World Heritage Committee. The General Assembly passed a resolution introducing changes into the Committee voting system. This year’ s election was held in accordance with the newly accepted principles. The Committee is now composed of 12 new countries: the United Arab Emirates, the Russian Federation, Switzerland, France, Cambodia, the Republic of South Africa, Thailand, Estonia, Ethiopia, Iraq, Mali and Mexico. For the duration of a mandate, which lasts for a maximum of six years, the Committee members, cooperating with advisory organisations and the World Heritage Centre, monitor the state of sites on the World Heritage List and decide about new entries. The General Assembly also discussed the future of the UNESCO World Heritage Convention in connection with its coming 40th anniversary and the challenges stemming from its global character. It is worth stressing that for the first time in the history of the Convention the debate about its future involved all the states which had signed it and which wish to have impact upon its progress.