The WHC Meeting will start today. Please use this topic for comments and updates about what is discussed.

I've been searching the web for some "hidden" documents regarding the decisions, and so far have come up with this. Ít includes the State of Conservation Reports by ICOMOS and IUCN.
They recommended the Tropical Rainforest of Sumatra, Everglades, Rainforestst of the Atsinana , Pitons Mgt Area, Tombs of Buganda Kings, Baghrati and Gelati and Istanbul for inclusion in the Danger-list. Istanbul is even threatened by removal in 2011.

According to this timetable, the new nominations will be discussed from Friday July 30 til Saturday July 31

There does seem to have been remarkably little "information escape" this year! By this time last year we already had a plethora both of pre-emptive "withdrawals" and congratulatory news items. I wonder if there has been a policy change about not releasing Advisory Body evaluations in advance - but we do know of a few examples where the AB conclusions have been said to be positive. However this might be on the basis of a "nod and a wink" indication to the nominating party. I can't believe that mere exhortations to maintain confidentiality would have much success.
If there has been a change I presume the documents will be released before the discussions -in which case we might well get a little rush of "withdrawals"!

It looks as if Al-Diriyyah is likely to get a de/referral unless Saudi can successfully play the "only Arab nomination in 2010" card - I hope so!! See my review
http://www.worldheritagesite.org/sites/t5086.html
I could imagine potential issues over conservation of much of the site and the nature of the restoration - both seemed problematic when I was there in 2002. But that was before Saudi had decided to go for WHS nomination and I wouldn't have thought that they would be short of money to cover all aspects in the best available way!

"The International Council on Monuments and Sites is now studying the third Saudi site, the historic Jeddah, which will be discussed during the next World Heritage Committee meeting in July 2011 in Bahrain. The Council had earlier expressed technical reservations about Al Diriiya, but the Saudi permanent representative is continuing his efforts to have Al Diriiya 
included."
(From Khaleej Times)
This all seems directed at preparing readers for a delay.

Mt. Vernon will no longer be considered for inscription.

The original announcement of sites up for inscription this year was 41. It has now dropped to 39. One of the sites that is no longer listed is Mt. Vernon (United States). The other is Augustowski Canal – a work of man and nature (Belarus / Poland).

http://whc.unesco.org/en/news/634

From the information I've got so far from my friend seem to be that this year most of the nominations have been refered, so big lobbying will surly happen.

From the info, there following sites will be inscribed: Amsterdam, Albi, Ardabil & Tabriz, Dengfeng, Reunion, Putorana, Hawaii and Sarazm!!

The World Heritage Committee holding its 34th session chaired by João Luiz da Silva Ferreira, the Minister of Culture of Brazil, has inscribed the Tombs of Buganda Kings at Kasubi (Uganda) on the List of World Heritage in Danger. The Committee also decided to remove the Galapagos Islands (Ecuador) from this List.

Sorry Els, had a bit of a shock there.

Just to clarify that is the Galapagos Islands being removed from the List of World Heritage in Danger, not from the actual WH list itself.

So good news rather than shocking news, for anyone else who is as simple as me.

News from Brasilia can also be followed at twitter

World Heritage Committee inscribes Bagrati Cathedral and Gelati Monastery (Georgia) on List of World Heritage in Danger

"The Committee expressed its serious concern about irreversible interventions carried out on the site as part of a major reconstruction project. The Committee believes this project will undermine the integrity and authenticity of the site and should be immediately halted."

I have not heard of any country making threats to withdraw from the World Heritage Committee before? (I assume there were other cases?) The site of the Temple of Preah Vihear has been judged to be within the Cambodia border numerous times. Also it is Khymer architecture, not Thai. Nationalists in Thailand are argueing that because of a potential buffer zone, the site should be listed as a transnational WHS? If this is not done, apparently their position is we will no longer support UNESCO.

http://www1.voanews.com/english/news/asia/Thailand-Threatens-to-Pull-Out-of-UN-World- Heritage-Committee-Over-Border-Dispute-99549969.html

In my opinion, Preah Vihear case is a classic example of people who know WHS and people who do not. Most of the news I read are all about the temple, but the real hot issue is the buffer zone which included the dispute area of both countries - Thailand and Cambodia.

When I studied international realtionship, ICJ's Preah Vihear case is an exemple of estoppel of silence in border dispute, I think Thailand learns the lesson and that's why they threat to withdraw WHC as a loud protest.

However, if we look at Jerusalem, we should understand that being a WHS is not about border or soverign claim, but really on protection of cultural heritage. Preah Vihear Temple is belong to Cambodia, the area of buffer zone maybe belong to Thailand, and for for sure Preah Vihear is belong to the whole humankind, but if being WHS will cause conflict and war, I think WHC have to think carefully before made any decision.

The Everglades are back in Danger again!

First two new sites inscribed. Sri Lanka has not had a site inscribed for 19 years, the United States for 15 years. The Brasilia and Unesco website has been updated.

Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, in Hawaii (United States)

Central Highlands of Sri Lanka (Sri Lanka)

http://twitter.com/34whc

http://whc.unesco.org/en/news/640

From the State Department concerning America's new world heritage site.

http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2010/07/145479.htm