ICOMOS finished 11 days field trip to Okinoshima

The ICOMOS expert comes from New Caledonia and from news report questions on preservation and after registration management are the main topics.

http://mainichi.jp/articles/20160912/k00/00m/040/034000c

Official website of the Ice Age Art nomination lauched by the Landesdenkmalpflege Baden Württemberg:
http://www.iceageart.de/index.php?id=2020&L=2

with a link to a 162-page brochure in German and English
http://www.iceageart.de/fileadmin/media/IceAgeArt/Service_Downloads/Broschuere_Hoehle n_Eiszeitkunst.pdf

The Venetian Works of Defense (Italy, Croatia, Montenegro)

"Icomos noted two critical issues"

http://www.larena.it/territori/garda-baldo/peschiera/frenata-dell-unescoper-la-fortez za-veneziana-1.5500006

Hanyangdoseong, the Seoul City Wall (Korea) Not Inscribe

Korea will withdraw the nomination.

Reason for Not Inscribe: "comparative study with other city walls in the World Heritage List did not fully reveal the excellence of Hanyangdoseong. It was evaluated that it did not meet the Overall Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) as a whole." - CHA

http://www.ecotiger.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=20000

Well that's too bad. I was hoping this one would get through ICOMOS.

If Seoul City Wall re-applies it will happen after 2019. I suppose having Hwaseong Fortress (1995) and Namhansanseong (2014) inscribed didn't bode well for an additional Korean fortress/city wall.

Current (Official) Nomination Plan
2018 - Traditional Buddhist Mountain Temples
2019 - Seowon Confucian Academies + Southwest Coast Tidal Flats

English Article
http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20170321000908

http://www.hankookilbo.com/v/9b45fb444b9345268aa9bb794017f8d9

You also have the fortifications in China (Beijing). I would agree that the not inscribe decision is the right one. The city wall is still a nice place to visit even without WHS status. And Seoul offers enough other WHS.

I suppose this means we'll start hearing about other ICOMOS and IUCN recommendations soon?

winterkjm
Time for the betting market. My bets and opinions are...

Disclaimer:
* Paperwork issues may be a concern, especially for developing nations. I did not make the effort to check each and every one of those.
* Really uneducated guesses by me.

Historic city of Ahmadabad (India)
Unesco Decision: Defer. Seems this place needs some cleaning up before it should be inscribed.
My Opinion: An Indian city in good shape would be a welcome addition.

Archaeological Site of Aphrodisias (Turkey)
Unesco Decision: Inscribe. Turkey well connected.
My Opinion: From Solivagants description I am hard pressed to see the OUV, especially considering all the classical sites already inscribed in Turkey.

Arab Eclecticism - Foundation and evolution of an Architectural School in the city of As-Salt (1860-1925) (Jordan)
Unesco Decision: Refer. Inscribe. Arabs have some catching up to do.
My Opinion: The recent review didn't sound too promising.

The Historic Perimeter of Asmara and its Modernist Architecture (Eritrea)
Unesco Decision: Inscribe (not sure if paperwork okay).
My Opinion: Italian colonialism in that part of the world... Inscribe.

Bhitarkanika Conservation Area (India)
Unesco Decision: Inscribe
My Opinion: Inscribe. Mangroves are great.

Caves with the oldest Ice Age art (Germany)
Unesco Decision: Inscribe
My Opinion: Not sold on these caves. Don't see they bring much to the list.

Le complexe Parcs nationaux Arly-W (Burkina Faso, Benin)
Unesco Decision: Inscribe.
My Opinion: Inscribe. Paperwork seems fine and Africa deserves more sites.

Burial Ensembles of Dilmun and Tylos (Bahrain)
Unesco Decision: Defer
My Opinion: Seems they have conservation issues.

Kulangsu (China)
Unesco Decision: Inscribe
My Opinion: Inscribe. 19-20th century China should be added.

The !Xam Khomani Heartland (South Africa)
Unesco Decision: Inscribe.
My Opinion: Inscribe. South Africa deserves more sites.

Khor Dubai (UAE)
Unesco Decision: Inscribe. Dubai has/had money.
My Opinion: Conservation issues seem to apply given Clydes feedback.

Kujataa – a subarctic farming landscape in Greenland (Denmark)
Unesco Decision: Inscribe.
My Opinion: Inscribe. Greenland is just that interesting.

England's Lake District (UK)
Unesco Decision: Inscribe.
My Opinion: Not sure why this site should have OUV. Being a nice place in the UK doesn't seem sufficient. Seeing nobody felt the urge to write a review speaks volume.

Daurian Steppes (Daursky State Biosphere Reserve) (Russia, Mongolia)
Unesco Decision: Defer.
My Opinion: Generally okay, but nomination seems lacking.

Mole National Park (Ghana)
Unesco Decision: Defer
My Opinion: Documentation looks poor. Generally ok for inscription.

The Naumburg Cathedral and the landscape of the rivers Saale and Unstrut an important dominion in the High Middle Ages (Germany)
Unesco Decision: Defer (again).
My Opinion: Reject. Still a nice church, but not that special.

Okinoshima Island and Related Sites in Munakata Region (Japan)
Unesco Decision: Inscribe
My Opinion: Inscribe. Japan deserves more sites.

Orheiul Vechi Archaeological Landscape (Moldova)
Unesco Decision: Defer.
My Opinion: Moldova deserves their own churches, but reviews seem rather meagre.

Parque Nacional Los Alerces (PNLA) (Argentina)
Unesco Decision: Inscribe.
My Opinion: Inscribe!!! I wrote a review stating that :D

Primeval Beech Forests (extension)
Unesco Decision: Extend
My Opinion: I don't think those huge sites make sense, but well.

Qinghai Hoh Xil (China)
Unesco Decision: Inscribe
My Opinion: Inscribe

Ruin of M'banza Kongo (Angola)
Unesco Decision: Inscribe
My Opinion: Inscribe

Groupe de Sambor Prei Kuk (Cambodia)
Unesco Decision: Inscribe
My Opinion: Inscribe

Seoul City Wall (Republic of Korea)
Unesco Decision: Reject
My Opinion: Reject. Not special. Still a nice walk.

Sheki, the Khan's Palace (Azerbaijan)
Unesco Decision: Inscribe
My Opinion: Inscribe. Els Review seems good.

Parco Nazionale della Sila - Sila, gran bosco d'Italia (Italy)
Unesco Decision: Defer.
My Opinion: Reject. No OUV

Strasbourg [extension, France]
Unesco Decision: Extend
My Opinion: Extend

The ensemble of former city building of Sviyazhsk (Russia)
Unesco Decision: Inscribe
My Opinion: Inscribe. Russias list should grow.

Talayotic Culture of Minorca (Spain)
Unesco Decision: Inscribe. Prehistoric parts.
My Opinion: Reject. It seems like Spain is trying to have a site on each island. The text is very long, which shouldn't be needed if the justification was easy.

Le site sacré de Tapu-tapu-âtea /Te Pô, vallée de Ô-po-ä (France)
Unesco Decision: Inscribe
My Opinion: Inscribe. Polynesia deserves more sites.

Tarnowskie Gory Lead-Silver Mine and its Underground Water Management System (Poland)
Unesco Decision: Defer.
My Opinion: Don't inscribe. Nothing special.

Tehuacan-Cuicatlan Biosphere Reserve (Mexico)
Unesco Decision: Refer.
My Opinion: Refer. They already have a nearby site with founding of agriculture. So a bit hard pressed to see the reason for a 2nd.

Valongo Wharf Archaeological Site (Brazil)
Unesco Decision: Defer
My Opinion: Defer. By Ians account the site needs some polishing.

Venetian Works of Defence (Montenegro, Croatia, Italy)
Unesco Decision: Defer.
My Opinion: Duplicate entries. No point.

The Historical Structure of Yazd (Iran)
Unesco Decision: Inscribe.
My Opinion: Inscribe.

Just on the Lake District I'm actually a little more positive on this one. Hopefully you'll note not from a nationalist point of view, I don't really care if the UK gets more WHS or not. I think the Lake District is actually one of the best sites in England and probably the very epitome of a cultural landscape (see its role in actually defining this concept). Though here I will note being raised in Britain perhaps make me think of this a the default beautiful countryside, in the same way that an Italian may look at the Val d'Orcia or a Chinese person at the pinnacles of a karst landscape.

The lack of reviews may stem from a few reasons; it isn't particularly near any large cities (by U.K. Standards anyway) a lot of its typical visitors will be more interested in outdoor pursuits so probably aren't the core users of this website, and of the more active local reviewers Solivagant doesn't normally review UK sites and I'm just pretty lazy at getting my backlog of reviews sorted.

meltwaterfalls

Definitely also more positive on the Lake District. It is extremely beautiful and that beauty is, as you stated, defined by the intertwining of mankind and nature. It also has significant sites tied to the Romantic poets, early tourism, agriculture, geology, forestry, and diverse fauna. It is a unique place and without a doubt it has OUV as a cultural landscape.

pikkle
meltwaterfalls

Guys, I made a very uneducated guess. Point was for everyone to submit theirs :D Just take my list and mark yes/no ;)

My view:

Historic city of Ahmadabad (India) - yes

Archaeological Site of Aphrodisias (Turkey) - no, Turkey can offer much more interesting sites.

Arab Eclecticism - Foundation and evolution of an Architectural School in the city of As-Salt (1860-1925) (Jordan) - no

The Historic Perimeter of Asmara and its Modernist Architecture (Eritrea) - yes

Bhitarkanika Conservation Area (India) - yes

Caves with the oldest Ice Age art (Germany) - no

Le complexe Parcs nationaux Arly-W (Burkina Faso, Benin) - yes

Burial Ensembles of Dilmun and Tylos (Bahrain) - yes (assumed conservation is to improve)

Kulangsu (China) - yes

The !Xam Khomani Heartland (South Africa) - yes

Khor Dubai (UAE) - no

Kujataa – a subarctic farming landscape in Greenland (Denmark) - yes

England's Lake District (UK) - no, maybe a bit harsh, but I believe this CL is more of national importance than of OUV.

Daurian Steppes (Daursky State Biosphere Reserve) (Russia, Mongolia) - yes

Mole National Park (Ghana) - yes

The Naumburg Cathedral and the landscape of the rivers Saale and Unstrut an important dominion in the High Middle Ages (Germany) - no

Okinoshima Island and Related Sites in Munakata Region (Japan) - yes

Orheiul Vechi Archaeological Landscape (Moldova) - no

Parque Nacional Los Alerces (PNLA) (Argentina) - yes

Primeval Beech Forests (extension) - only partially yes: I would only approve the extension to well preserved primeval beech forests and not planted ones like the one in Belgium.

Qinghai Hoh Xil (China) - yes

Ruin of M'banza Kongo (Angola) - yes

Groupe de Sambor Prei Kuk (Cambodia) - yes

Seoul City Wall (Republic of Korea) - already out

Sheki, the Khan's Palace (Azerbaijan) - yes

Parco Nazionale della Sila - Sila, gran bosco d'Italia (Italy) - yes

Strasbourg [extension, France] - yes

The ensemble of former city building of Sviyazhsk (Russia) - yes

Talayotic Culture of Minorca (Spain) - no

Le site sacré de Tapu-tapu-âtea /Te Pô, vallée de Ô-po-ä (France) - yes

Tarnowskie Gory Lead-Silver Mine and its Underground Water Management System (Poland) - no

Tehuacan-Cuicatlan Biosphere Reserve (Mexico) - yes (assumed conservation will be adequate)

Valongo Wharf Archaeological Site (Brazil) - yes

Venetian Works of Defence (Montenegro, Croatia, Italy) - no

The Historical Structure of Yazd (Iran) - yes

To sum up, no to most European sites, yes to most sites outside Europe.
Unfortunatly, I am sure this will not be the case.

And my "bet":
Historic city of Ahmadabad (India) - yes
Archaeological Site of Aphrodisias (Turkey) - yes
Arab Eclecticism - Foundation and evolution of an Architectural School in the city of As-Salt (1860-1925) (Jordan) - yes
The Historic Perimeter of Asmara and its Modernist Architecture (Eritrea) - yes
Bhitarkanika Conservation Area (India) - yes
Caves with the oldest Ice Age art (Germany) - yes
Le complexe Parcs nationaux Arly-W (Burkina Faso, Benin) - def/ref
Burial Ensembles of Dilmun and Tylos (Bahrain) - def/ref
Kulangsu (China) - yes
The !Xam Khomani Heartland (South Africa) - def/ref
Khor Dubai (UAE) - def/ref
Kujataa – a subarctic farming landscape in Greenland (Denmark) - yes
England's Lake District (UK) - yes
Daurian Steppes (Daursky State Biosphere Reserve) (Russia, Mongolia) - yes
Mole National Park (Ghana) - def/ref
The Naumburg Cathedral and the landscape of the rivers Saale and Unstrut an important dominion in the High Middle Ages (Germany) - def/ref
Okinoshima Island and Related Sites in Munakata Region (Japan) - yes
Orheiul Vechi Archaeological Landscape (Moldova) - def/ref
Parque Nacional Los Alerces (PNLA) (Argentina) - yes
Primeval Beech Forests (extension) - yes
Qinghai Hoh Xil (China) - yes
Ruin of M'banza Kongo (Angola) - yes
Groupe de Sambor Prei Kuk (Cambodia) - def/ref
Seoul City Wall (Republic of Korea) - ----
Sheki, the Khan's Palace (Azerbaijan) - def/ref
Parco Nazionale della Sila - Sila, gran bosco d'Italia (Italy) - def/ref
Strasbourg [extension, France] - yes
The ensemble of former city building of Sviyazhsk (Russia) - def/ref
Talayotic Culture of Minorca (Spain) - def/ref
Le site sacré de Tapu-tapu-âtea /Te Pô, vallée de Ô-po-ä (France) - yes
Tarnowskie Gory Lead-Silver Mine and its Underground Water Management System (Poland) - yes (I'm Polish...)
Tehuacan-Cuicatlan Biosphere Reserve (Mexico) - def/ref
Valongo Wharf Archaeological Site (Brazil) - def/ref
Venetian Works of Defence (Montenegro, Croatia, Italy) - def/ref
The Historical Structure of Yazd (Iran) - yes

Sure, but what would you consider unique about it? The boat ride? On top... Historically, this was a Prussian mine...