WORLD HERITAGE EMBLEM WORKING GROUP MEETING

UNCLAS PARIS FR 000734

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE STEPHEN MORRIS AND JONATHAN PUTNAM

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SCUL UNESCO
SUBJECT: WORLD HERITAGE EMBLEM WORKING GROUP MEETING


1. Summary: A brief pre-Seville meeting to continue to review the
use of the World Heritage emblem ended with no decisions taken,
other than the need to request the WH Committee to authorize funding
(US$30,000) for a study on good practices and trade marking the
logo. The key decision, according to WH Director, Francesco
Bandarin, to link and harmonize the UNESCO logo with that of WH,
remains undecided. End summary.


2. The second meeting of the Working Group charged with reviewing
issues concerning the use of the World Heritage logo met on 18 May

2009. World Heritage Committee chairman, Spain's ambassador, Maria
San Segundo, led the one hour meeting. After approving the agenda,
San Segundo asked WH Director Bandarin to recap the situation.
Bandarin said that the main question that the Working Group must
decide, is whether or not to link and harmonize the WH logo with the
UNESCO logo. Such a decision, he said, will have repercussions at
the national, state, local, and site levels regarding its use.
Bandarin reminded the small group that the WH Convention is
sovereign, and has the right to determine how its emblem should be
used.


3. While no one voiced any major problems with the idea of linking
to UNESCO's logo, the U.S. did note that it is important that there
be some flexibility in the rules, to permit independent display of
logos (Note: as in the U.S. case, where we were a WH member for 19
years, but not a member state of UNESCO. End note). Bahrain asked
that a comparison be done to see how other Conventions dealt with
the use of their logos.


4. The other point that was raised was the lack of information
regard the cost and legal steps involved in trade marking the WH
logo. The U.S. noted that there is also a cost in policing the
logo's use, which might potentially be significant.


5. After reviewing the draft operational guidelines proposed by the
WH Center, Israel raised the problem of graphic format of the logo,
in the cases of Hebrew and Arabic, or Japanese and Chinese
characters. The other point their expert raised was concerning
linking multiple (three or more) logos, which could easily occur if
local and site partners wish to have their emblems included.
Another expert suggested that if the operational guidelines were too
complex, they would ultimately be ignored. Bandarin said that once
operational guidelines were agreed to, they would have to be
approved by the WH Committee, rather than by the WH General
Assembly. Brazil's expert, Antonio Ricarte, said that we might wish
to "ventilate" the issue at the WH Committee meeting, as he thought
we might want to "re-assess" the need for the operational guidelines
to go the General Assembly.


6. The other point that came up was authorization of the logo's
use. Several experts urged that we keep the need to maintain high
interest and flexibility at the local level (site partners and
managers),in determining who can permit the logo to be used. The
same request for flexibility also came from the International Union
for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN),one of the
WH's Advisory Bodies, which also wishes to use the logo from time to
time.


7. Joanna Sullivan of the WH Center said that US$30,000 should be
sufficient for a preliminary study of good practices, and should
also be enough to provide some basic information on the issues
around trade marking.


8. The meeting ended with Mr. Bandarin urging the Working Group to
move forward, as he said "we are ready for a political decision" on
this matter. Chairman San Segundo noted that we had agreed on some
elements (though she didn't specify which),and suggested that we
pass along our thoughts and concerns, as it was clear that the
Working Group would have to continue its work. Bandarin said that
the operational guidelines that had been circulated would be
transformed into an "info" document for the Seville WH Committee
meeting.
ENGELKEN