212. The Committee seeks to develop capacity building within the States Parties in conformity with its Strategic Objectives and the World Heritage Capacity Building Strategy adopted by the Committee. [Budapest Declaration on World Heritage (2002)] [Decision 43 COM 11A] The World Heritage Capacity Building Strategy 213. Recognizing the high level of skills and multidisciplinary approach necessary for the protection, conservation, and presentation of the World Heritage, the Committee has adopted the World Heritage Capacity Building Strategy. The definition of capacity building identifies three broad areas where capacities reside and for which audiences for capacity building need targeting: practitioners, institutions, and communities and networks. The World Heritage Capacity Building Strategy provides a framework of action, and orients actors at the international, regional, or national levels to create regional and national capacity building strategies in addition to individual capacity building activities. The actions can be taken up by the many actors who currently provide or could provide capacity building activities for the benefit of World Heritage. The primary goal of the Capacity Building Strategy is to ensure that necessary skills are developed by a wide range of actors for better implementation of the Convention . In order to avoid overlap and effectively implement the Strategy, the Committee will ensure links to other initiatives such as the Global Strategy for a Representative, Balanced and Credible World Heritage List and Periodic Reporting. The Committee will annually review relevant capacity building issues, assess capacity building needs, review annual reports on capacity building initiatives, and make recommendations for future capacity building initiatives. [World Heritage Capacity Building Strategy adopted by the World Heritage Committee at its 35th session (UNESCO, 2011) (see Document WHC11/35.COM/9B).] [Decision 43 COM 11A] National capacity building strategies and regional co-operation 214. States Parties are encouraged to ensure that there is a gender-balanced representation of their professionals and specialists at all levels and that they are adequately trained. To this end, States Parties are encouraged to develop national capacity building strategies and include regional cooperation for training as part of their strategies. Development of such regional and national strategies can be assisted by the Advisory Bodies and the various UNESCO Category 2 Centres related to World Heritage, taking into consideration the World Heritage Capacity Building Strategy. [Decision 43 COM 11A] 214bis. States Parties are encouraged to develop educational and capacity building programmes that harness the reciprocal benefits of the Convention for heritage and society. The programmes may be based on innovation and local entrepreneurship, and aimed in particular at medium/small/micro scale levels, to promote sustainable and inclusive economic benefits for local communities and indigenous peoples and to identify and promote opportunities for public and private investment in sustainable development projects, including those that promote use of local materials and resources and foster local cultural and creative industries and safeguarding intangible heritage associated with World Heritage properties. [Decision 43 COM 11A] Research 215. The Committee develops and coordinates international cooperation in the area of research needed for the effective implementation of the Convention . States Parties are also encouraged to make resources available to undertake research, since knowledge and understanding are fundamental to the identification, management, and monitoring of World Heritage properties. States Parties are encouraged to support scientific studies and research methodologies, including traditional and indigenous knowledge held by local communities and indigenous peoples, with all necessary consent. Such studies and research are aimed at demonstrating the contribution that the conservation and management of World Heritage properties, their buffer zones and wider setting make to sustainable development, such as in conflict prevention and resolution, including, where relevant, by drawing on traditional ways of dispute resolution that may exist within communities. [Decision 43 COM 11A] International Assistance 216. Training and Research Assistance may be requested by States Parties from the World Heritage Fund (see Chapter VII).

Awareness-raising 217. States Parties are encouraged to raise awareness of the need to preserve World Heritage in their own countries. In particular, they should ensure that World Heritage status is adequately marked and promoted on-site. 218. The Secretariat provides assistance to States Parties in developing activities aimed at raising public awareness of the Convention and informing the public of the dangers threatening World Heritage. The Secretariat advises States Parties regarding the preparation and implementation of on-site promotional and educational projects to be funded through International Assistance. The Advisory Bodies and appropriate State agencies may also be solicited to provide advice on such projects. Education 219. The World Heritage Committee encourages and supports the development of educational materials, activities and programmes. International Assistance 220. States Parties are encouraged to develop quality educational activities related to World Heritage through a variety of learning environments tailored to each audience with, wherever possible, the participation of schools, universities, museums and other local and national educational authorities. [Article 27(1) of the World Heritage Convention] [Decision 43 COM 11A] 221. The Secretariat, in cooperation with the UNESCO Education Sector and other partners, produces and publishes a World Heritage Educational Resource Kit, “World Heritage in Young Hands”, for use in secondary schools around the world. The Kit is adaptable for use at other educational levels. [“World Heritage in Young Hands” is available at ucation/ https://whc.unesco.org/en/whed ucation/ ] 222. International Assistance may be requested by States Parties from the World Heritage Fund for the purpose of developing and implementing awarenessraising and educational activities or programmes (see Chapter VII).

1. Parties shall cooperate to provide, within their respective capabilities, timely and appropriate capacity-building and technical assistance to developing country Parties, in particular Parties that are least developed countries or small island developing States, and Parties with economies in transition, to assist them in implementing their obligations under this Convention. 2. Capacity-building and technical assistance pursuant to paragraph 1 and Article 13 may be delivered through regional, subregional and national arrangements, including existing regional and subregional centres, through other multilateral and bilateral means, and through partnerships, including partnerships involving the private sector. Cooperation and coordination with other multilateral environmental agreements in the field of chemicals and wastes should be sought to increase the effectiveness of technical assistance and its delivery. 3. Developed country Parties and other Parties within their capabilities shall promote and facilitate, supported by the private sector and other relevant stakeholders as appropriate, development, transfer and diffusion of, and access to, up-to-date environmentally sound alternative technologies to developing country Parties, in particular the least developed countries and small island developing States, and Parties with economies in transition, to strengthen their capacity to effectively implement this Convention. 4. The Conference of the Parties shall, by its second meeting and thereafter on a regular basis, and taking into account submissions and reports from Parties including those as provided for in Article 21 and information provided by other stakeholders: (a) Consider information on existing initiatives and progress made in relation to alternative technologies; (b) Consider the needs of Parties, particularly developing country Parties, for alternative technologies; and (c) Identify challenges experienced by Parties, particularly developing country Parties, in technology transfer. 5. The Conference of the Parties shall make recommendations on how capacity-building, technical assistance and technology transfer could be further enhanced under this Article.

1. The Contracting Parties undertake to cooperate, directly and, when appropriate, through the competent international and regional organisations, in scientific research, monitoring and the exchange of data and other scientific information relating to the purposes of this Convention. 2. To this end, the Contracting Parties undertake to develop and co-ordinate their research and monitoring programmes relating to the Convention area and to ensure, in co-operation with the competent international and regional organisations, the necessary links between their research centres and institutes with a view to producing compatible results. With the aim of further protecting the Convention area , the Contracting Parties shall endeavour to participate in international arrangements for pollution research and monitoring. 3. The Contracting Parties undertake to cooperate, directly and, when appropriate, through the competent international and regional organisations, in the provision to other Contracting Parties of technical and other assistance in fields relating to pollution and sound environmental management of the Convention area , taking into account the special needs of the smaller island developing countries and territories.

Each Contracting Party shall, in accordance with its national laws and regulations, promote public access to relevant information and documentation concerning pollution of the Convention area from land-based sources and activities and the opportunity for public participation in decision-making processes concerning the implementation of this Protocol.

The Parties shall exchange, directly or through the Organization , scientific and technical information concerning current and planned research and monitoring programmes and the results thereof. They shall, to the fullest extent possible, co-ordinate their research and monitoring programmes, and endeavour to standardize procedures for collecting, reporting, archiving and analyzing relevant scientific and technical information.