http://www.rtl.be/info/regions/liege/spa-candidate-au-patrimoine-mondial-de-l-unesco- devant-aix-les-bains-evian-ou-san-pellegrino-819174.aspx

16 spas (11 accepted + 5 rejected) + Aix-les-Bains, Bagnères-de-Luchon, Evian and San Pellegrino = 20
Anyone know the other 25 spas to get the total number of 45?

I don't know where this French article got the figure of 45 from. This rather nicely presented Czech paper (in English) of 2011 lists 89 "top" European spas from which the selection process operated, eventually leading to the 11. It also indicates the criteria used. The Czech Republic of course has been the "lead" on this.
see article

Thanks a lot !

Nagasaki cut 2 churches to strengthen the nomination after ICOMOS recommendation

http://www.asahi.com/articles/ASJ5R3GJRJ5RTOLB001.html

Since we now have the nominations for 2017, what may turn up in 2018?

- The Sacred Complex of Babylon (31)
- Bagan Archaeological Area and Monuments (1)
- The Birth of Religion and Rise of Civilization: Gobeklitepe Neolithic Site (52)
- Funeral and Memorial Sites of World War I (Western Front) (50)
- Tr'ondëk-Klondike (48)
- Plain of Jars (21)
- Ring of Cenotes of Chicxulub Crater, Yucatan (33)
- Silk Roads Penjikent-Samarkand-Poykent Corridor (10)

I'd be pleased if half of these outstanding nominations submitted complete dossiers.

Still not in the tentative list but Japanese authorities already set target to submit natural site of "Amami-Ryukyu" for 2018 WHC

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/kyushu/news/20160601-OYS1T50061.html

Thailand : Plan to resubmit Phu Phrabat HP for 2018 WHC

According to the news after Phu Phrabat HP become a WHS (or fail again), then the government will nominate Phimai

http://www.prachachat.net/news_detail.php?newsid=1462260640

http://www.chinanews.com/gn/2016/06-07/7897076.shtml

This article says that China will be submitting its application for the Maritime Silk Road to Unesco in September this year for inscription hopefully in 2018.

Potential Nominations for 2018 (highly preliminary)
- Natural and Cultural Heritage of the Ohrid Region [extension] (Albania)
- Hall in Tyrol – The Mint (Austria)
- Grossglockner High Alpine Road (Austria)
- Frontiers of the Roman Empire - Danube Limes [extension] (Austria, Germany)
- Saviour Transfiguration Church and St. Sophia Cathedral in the town of Polatsk (Belarus)
- Funeral and Memorial Sites of World War I (Western Front) (Belgium, France)
- Sites of Ancient Metallurgy - iron production (Burkina Faso)
- Tr'ondëk-Klondike (Canada)
- Parc national de Zakouma (Chad)
- City Walls of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (China)
- Maritime Silk Road (China)
- ShuDao (China)
- Sultanats Historiques des Comores (Comores)
- Cienaga de Zapata (Cuba)
- Dirre Sheikh Hussein (Ethiopia)
- Nimes, Antiquity to the Present (France)
- Volcanic and Forested Areas of Martinique (France)
- Cross-border space Maritime-Mercantour (France, Italy)
- Victorian and Art Deco Ensemble of Mumbai (India)
- Delhi's Imperial Capital Cities (India)
- Bahá'í House of Worship at New Delhi (India)
- Age of Trade: Old Town of Jakarta (Indonesia)
- The Sacred Complex of Babylon (Iraq)
- Wadi Al-Salam Cemetery in Najaf (Iraq)
- Arasbaran Biosphere Reserve (Iran)
- Ivrea, industrial city of the 20th century (Italy)
- Churches and Christian Sites in Nagasaki (Japan)
- Abraj Al-Kuwait (Kuwait)
- Plain of Jars (Laos)
- Coral Stone Mosques (Maldives)
- Kamablon (Mali)
- Ring of Cenotes of Chicxulub Crater, Yucatan (Mexico)
- Bagan Archaeological Area and Monuments (Myanmar)
- Koloniën van Weldadigheid (agricultural pauper colony) (Netherlands, Belgium)
- Ancient Kano City Walls and Associated Sites (Nigeria)
- Ancient City of Qalhat (Oman)
- Yapese Regional Sites (Palau, Micronesia)
- Historic Center of the City of Trujillo (Peru)
- Natural Park of Southwest Alentejo and Costa Vicentina (Portugal)
- Mafra Palace, Convent and Royal Hunting Grounds (Portugal)
- Traditional Buddhist Mountain Temples of Korea (Republic of Korea)
- Monuments of Ancient Pskov (Russia)
- Memorial sites of genocide: Nyamata, Murambi and Bisesero Gisozi (Rwanda)
- Al-Ahsa Oasis Cultural Heritage Landscape (Saudi Arabia)
- The Emergence of Modern Humans (South Africa)
- Madinat al-Zahra (Spain)
- Jaén Cathedral [extension] (Spain)
- Silk Roads Penjikent-Samarkand-Poykent Corridor (Tajikistan, Uzbekistan)
- Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan, Nakhon Si Thammarat (Thailand)
- Phu Phrabat Historical Park (Thailand)
- Ile de Djerba (Tunisia)
- The Birth of Religion and Rise of Civilization: Gobeklitepe Neolithic Site (Turkey)
- Ed-Dur Site (UAE)
- Heart of Sharjah (UAE)
- The Work of the Engineer Eladio Dieste (Uruguay)
- The Complex of Yen Tu Monuments and Landscape (Vietnam)

What to make of this? How can we begin narrowing this massive list down? Which nominations are very unlikely to submit dossiers by Feb 2017? The count here is 56, its fairly certain about 20 nominations from this list will not be ready for 2018. Who knows, there are always nominations we miss altogether. Let the narrowing begin.

(Thanks Els)

I think this is the 2017 nomination of "Complexe W – Arly – Pendjari Benin Burkina Faso ", isn't it?

I would love to see 8 or more African nominations. I hope most if not all make the completeness check next Spring.

Which nominations will be prioritized and make the cut?

Plain of Jars (Laos)

The best confirmation of a date we've had, seemingly close to a submission.

http://www.ttrweekly.com/site/2016/06/plain-of-jars-needs-a-map/

2018 will still see two nominations permitted per state party.
Austria for example could submit all three: Hall in Tyrol (C), Grossglockner High Alpine Road (CL), Limes extension (German lead).
Iraq, Thailand and UAE could play the same trick, although it is highly unlikely Iraq would have two nominations ready.
France could even have four nominations (one with Belgian lead, one with Italian lead and two of its own).

Do you think this site could be justified as a cultural landscape? I saw no indication in the tentative site description. In regards to the Limes extension, is there any indication Germany is taking the lead?

Yes, France does seem to have 2018 planned for one last big year, though I would not be surprised if 1 or 2 of these nominations were delayed. India and China will definitely have to decide which cultural nomination(s) to put forward, but it won't be 3! I also think its one or the other in regards to Iraq, hopefully Babylon. UAE is probably Sharjah, but its certainly not clear at this point. Thailand seems pretty safe with Phu Phrabat Historical Park since it was withdrawn this year, and depending on how Kaeng Krachan Forest Complex (KKFC) fairs, it could even have 2 referred nominations in 2018.