Report for the 43nd Session of the World Heritage Committee(Baku, 30 June‐10 July 2019)
1. General informationName of the Centre: UNESCO Category 2 Centre for World Natural Heritage Managementand Training for the Asia and Pacific Region at Wildlife Institute of India



Address:
Wildlife Institute of India Campus, Chandrabani, Dehradun – 248001.
Uttarakhand, India

Telephone:

Name and contact information of the Acting Director/Head:Designated Focal Point(s) (name, title and contact information):+91 135 2640910
Dr. Vinod B. Mathur

Dr. Vinod B. Mathur
Director, Wildlife Institute of India
Chandrabani, Dehradun – 248001.
Uttarakhand, India
Email: dwii@wii.gov.in, vbm@wii.gov.in
Tel: +91 135 2640910
Fax: +91 135 2640117
Website of the Centre (if available):

http://wii.gov.in/unesco_category2_centre

2. Institutional and operational structure of the Centre (Governing Board, Staffing, Operational
funding and premises)
From the outcome of the second cycle of Periodic Reporting (2012) conducted by the UNESCOWorld Heritage Centre on the state of conservation of World Heritage properties in Asia and thePacific, a Centre of Excellence on Natural World Heritage for Asia and the Pacific region at theWildlife Institute of India (WII), was proposed as a Category 2 Centre under the auspices of UNESCO.
The Indian Cabinet of Ministers, chaired by Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Mr. Narendra Modi
formally approved the proposal for signing the Agreement for establishment of the UNESCO C2C atWildlife Institute of India on 5th August, 2015. The Agreement was signed between the Director
General, UNESCO and Director General of Forest, Government of India on 2nd September, 2015. The
21 member Governing Body of the Wildlife Institute of India chaired by the Secretary, Ministry ofEnvironment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) is also the Governing Body of UNESCO C2C atWII.
The operational activities of the C2C are handled by a 15 member dedicated team of skilled
professionals. The C2C team includes Director, Scientists, Technical Officers, Assistant TechnicalOfficers and World Heritage Assistants. Administrative staff includes Administrative officer, Finance
Officer and IT Officer.

The C2C is supported with financial resources primarily from the Ministry of Environment,
Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Government of India to achieve its mandate and also raises
additional funding from other institutional donors for specific activities. The Centre now operates
from its own exclusive building within the WII campus, which was inaugurated in March, 2018.

3. Updates on the management of the Centre – particularly on meetings of the Governing Board andkey decisions adopted
The Centre has been envisaged as an integral part of Wildlife Institute of India and is governedby the Institute's Governing Body with Secretary (Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate
Change), Govt. of India as its Chairperson and Director, WII as its Member Secretary. The Governing
Body also includes the Director of Heritage Division and World Heritage Centre, UNESCO Paris asrepresentative of the UNESCO Director General.
The Annual Progress Reports are submitted to and reviewed by the Ministry of Environment,
Forest & Climate Change, Government of India. The Centre has successfully accomplished annual
work programmes for the years 2014‐15, 2015‐16 and 2016‐17, 2017‐18 and 2018‐19. The Centre’s
Annual Progress Report (2018‐19) and Annual Work Plan (2019‐20) have been approved at the 69th
Governing Body of WII held in New Delhi on 28 March, 2019. The Annual Reports are available at
http://wii.gov.in/unesco_category2_centre.

4. Main programs and activities implemented since April 2018 and planned for the current year
Reference to WHCBS1

NbTitle of the activity

1

Proposal for nomination of tentative listing of Kailash Sacred
Landscape as a World Heritage Site

2.3, 2.6

2Proposal for nomination of Garo Hills Conservation Area as a World
Heritage Site

2.2, 2.6

3

Proposal for nomination of tentative listing of Satpura‐Kanha‐Pench‐

2.3, 2.6

Bandhargarh‐Sanjay protected areas and Bedaghat (Jabalpur)
41

Training Programme on Monitoring of Outstanding Universal Values of
Natural World Heritage Sites in The Great Himalayan National Park
Conservation Area (28‐30 June, 2018)

3.3, 4.3

5WHCBS i.e. World Heritage Capacity Building Strategy (http://whc.unesco.org/archive/2011/whc11‐35com‐
9B6e.pdf).

7

Capacity Building cum Planning workshop on Ecotourism and Visitor‐
use Management in Protected Areas at WII, Dehradun (08‐10 August,2018)8

Ecosystem Services Partnership(ESP)‐Asia Conference at WII,
Dehradun (09‐12 October, 2018)

7.2

9Training Programme on Dossier Preparation for Natural World
Heritage, Mixed and Cultural Landscapes Nomination of World
Heritage Sites at WII, Dehradun (23 October, 2018)

2.2, 3.4

10Symposium on Culture‐Nature Journey: Beyond Borders in Asia andthe Pacific at WII, Dehradun (24‐26 October, 2018

1.4, 7.2, 8.1

11Training Programme on Monitoring of Outstanding Universal
Values of Natural World Heritage Site at Nanda Devi and Valleyof Flowers National Park (27‐ 29 November, 2018)
Training Programme on Monitoring of Outstanding Universal
Values of Natural World Heritage Sites (Serial sites of Western
Ghats WHS) in Karnataka (14‐15 December, 2018)
Foundation Training Course on Wildlife Management forFrontline Staff of Great Himalayan National Park Conservation
Area (GHNPCA) at WII, Dehradun and GHNP, Himachal Pradesh(February, 2019)

3.3, 4.3

1213

3.7, 7.2

3.3, 4.3

3.3, 3.4, 4.3

14

Training Programme on Monitoring of Outstanding Universal
Values of Natural World Heritage Sites at Kaziranga National Park
(25‐26 February, 2019)

3.3, .43

15

UNESCO Sub‐regional Conferenceon World Heritage Global
Strategy in the context of South Asia, Kolkata, West Bengal (21‐22 February, 2019)

1.6, 2.2, 2.3, 10.7

16Adaptive Management for Protected Areas under World Heritage
Leadership Programme in Australia (2‐5 November, 2018)

1.3, 3.3, 3.4, 4.3

17Heritage Management Conference – community partnerships andculture‐nature integration – at Ahmedabad University (14‐16December, 2018)

7.2, 8.1

18

Visiting Fellow Programme

19Internship20State of Conservation Report 2018 for World Heritage Properties inIndia

4.9

21

Reflection meeting on reforming the World Heritage Nomination
Process, Tunisia (January, 2019)2

5.2
1.1, 5.2, 7.2

22

Celebration of World HeritageDay, (18th April,2018)

1.1, 7.2

23

Session at Green Hub Festival on ‘Aliens in World Heritage Sites:
A Key concern in maintaining Outstanding Universal Values’,
Assam (13‐14May, 2018)24

Natural Heritage Bulletin

8.2

25

Rapid assessment of Hispid Hare in Manas World Heritage Site, Assam,
India (February, 2019)

4.7

3.7, 4.3, 7.2