The Rights-based Approaches (RBA) and World Heritage initiative developed by the ICOMOS and IUCN partnership represents an important step towards addressing local communities' participation and stakeholders' benefit sharing in World Heritage sites. ➤ Other specific inputs of the regional programme included testing of a support programme related to local honey producers in Socotra Archipelago and sustainable tourism development in Wadi Rum Protected Area. ■ Many sites (particularly larger sites) are subject to multiple interventions from a wide range of government agencies and other entities. There is a need to mainstream conservation across all institutions that are involved in the management of the sites and to agree on a strong mandate for formal management authorities. Key responses from IUCN and ARC-WH since 2011 ➤ The regional programme adopts a regional approach in promoting inter-institutional coordination and collaboration on World Heritage. In particular, this includes promoting the National World Heritage Committees concept. ➤ Specific bilateral efforts are being given to support improved governance for Wadi Rum and Socotra. ■ A considerable body of experience concerning most aspects of management has been accumulated in the Arab States, offering an opportunity for mutual learning and exchange of best practice experience between management authorities at the regional level. Key responses from IUCN and ARC-WH since 2011 ➤ The regional capacity-building programme on World Heritage is a primary strategic direction of the regional programme. More than ten co-learning, participative training and knowledge development activities and events have been organized so far. ➤ One key initiative is related to the establishment of the Regional Network for World Heritage experts and practitioners. Key stakeholders took part in the two missions including the site management team from ASEZA, the Department of Antiquities (DOA) team from the Ministry of Tourism, the IUCN Regional WH Programme and ARC-WH team, and the UNESCO Amman office team. Key issues and challenges facing the satisfactory implementation of the World Heritage Convention requirements by the management authority and the State Party as identified by the partners are as follows: Political, these include: ■ The instability of the political conditions in the country and the region with priority given to maintaining civic peace and avoidance of local conflicts especially when it comes to the enhancement of the site-related law enforcement related to tourism management and other human activities;

This Tabe’a III report addresses the status and trends in the implementation of the World Heritage Convention in the Arab region during the period from 2015 to 2019. This review was conducted in the context of emerging global trends and priorities associated with the World Heritage Convention, as well as other related global natural heritage platforms and programmes. Tabe’a III documents progress made in the conservation of natural and mixed World Heritage sites in the Arab region, as well as providing an update on the state of conservation of natural sites. Additionally, special themes address key priorities which have emerged from heritage protection, conservation challenges and opportunities arising in the region. Finally, there is a summary update on the Arab States’ lists of possible candidate sites, known as Tentative Lists, with notes on their development since Tabe’a II.

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