So the fun will start in a few minutes, with this year's broadcast of the WHC meeting.

The livestream in English can be followed here: http://whc.unesco.org/en/sessions/39com/
Hopefully it has a better bandwith than last year.

The announcement of the new WHS is planned for Friday - Sunday. Unfortunately I have to work all Friday, so I would be grateful if others can watch and add comments to this topic. This also counts for sessions earlier in the week, about the In Danger sites for example.

I browsed through the side events, and this one sounds interesting:

World Heritage and Aerospace History
"The German Commission for UNESCO, the German Aerospace Centre and UNESCO organise a Side Event on "World Heritage and Aerospace History". So far, there are no sites representative of the history of aviation and/or astronautics on the World Heritage list, but there have been several preliminary discussions and first ideas. Sites of aerospace history symbolize new dimensions for humanity, in understanding the globe as a joint home of humanity, in technological aspiration, in overcoming traditional limitations of mankind, and in intercultural dialogue. Its innovations have been made in a transnational process and involve leaving the Earth's surface. But there are also serious challenges. The side event will present an overview of the current debates."

Fantastic video to open the meeting, and a short message by Prime Minister Merkel and Irina Bokova. The topic of the rampant destruction of heritage sites, particularly in Iraq and Syria, is certainly being highlighted. The disaster in Nepal is being used for a call to action. Germany has pledged its commitment to world heritage with the 5 C's - credibility, effective conservation, capacity building, communication and community building. Furthermore, Germany highlighted the tremendous destruction of heritage caused by Germany during WWII.

Beethoven, ballet, and choir performances transition many speeches.

When do you think will we have the first inscriptions of 2015?

As Els said above -scheduled for Fri - Sun. But past experience shows that the Agenda timetable doesn't get followed- if I remember rightly last year they started late (still on Friday or was it Saturday?) and had to extend the meeting to Monday.
It depends I guess on
a. How obstreperous/ loquacious/ divided the WHC is.
b. How problematical the agenda items prove to be
b. How tough the Chairperson is.
Should be clearer as the week progresses?

According to the WHC website, 36 sites are up for decision. Obviously Romania and Austria have withdrawn their nominations. And it seems that there are no re-submissions of previously deferred/referred sites (or are they listed under a different topic?).
http://whc.unesco.org/en/news/1302

By the way, the venue of the committee meeting is quite interesting: it was the home of the German Bundestag until they moved to Berlin in 1999.

Finally! I really hope this becomes something that feeds through into nominations. Just bring on the working groups on heritage of spectator sports and oil and I will be very happy.

And thanks Hubert for sending me of on a wikipedia rabbit hole lead to the Hauptstadtfrage.

Like last year, I seem to have planned a weekend away during the interesting bits, so I will be relying on you lot to keep me informed :)

Several sites previously deferred or referred:
Maymand - referred
Blue and John Crow Mts - deferred
Sanganeb - deferred
Ephesus - deferred

State of Conservation reports of sites In Danger are now discussed. I just missed the start of the discussion on Medieval Monuments in Kosovo. Anyone heard what it was about? The discussion is adjourned via an amendment of Germany.

Colombia's Los Katíos National Park removed from List of Heritage in Danger - See more at: http://en.unesco.org/news/colombia-s-katios-national-park-removed-list-heritage-dange r#sthash.ZSYh4rE1.tM0tHURd.dpuf

Hatra is now officially in danger. http://whc.unesco.org/en/news/1309

Sanaa and Shibam also in Danger

http://whc.unesco.org/en/35/

Discussion of new nominations will start now!

Unfortunately I have to go to work in 20 minutes, so I hope others will be able to follow today's meeting via livestream.

name change for Holasovice

withdrawn: Targu Jiu & Mint of Hall

postponed: Iraqi Marshlands & Imperial Capital Cities Delhi

Nominations are being discussed now. 9:55AM German time. First up, South Africa Cape Floral Region Protected Areas (Extension)

Order:
Natural
Mixed
Cultural

This first nomination should in all honesty take all of 5 minutes, but since its the first, all 21 committee members seem inclined to "commend" and "congratulate" South Africa. Hopefully, this is representative of this site being the first for the day! An additional 5-10 minutes on an apparent typo!

Inscribed. . .