They never overruled a recommendation for inscription though...(except maybe for geopolitical reasons). So the fight with ICOMOS and IUCN is merely postponed.

Japanese's media reported that the 21 members of WHC are in dilemma between a virtual teleconference this year or postponement to next year. The main problem is China! Chinese government insist to host a physical meeting with grand opening ceremony in China this year! Since postponement to next year, China will lost its presidency of the meeting which they don't want.

https://www.jiji.com/sp/article?k=2020101000385&g=pol

So we may see one of the strangest WHC meeting with grand opening ceremony and WHC members are sitting in 2 places, in the meeting hall in Fuzhou and in virtual room! Or special resolution that give China another year of presidency!!

If they do a World Heritage Conference "bubble" and avoid excursions it can be probably be done in a fairly safe manner (with all safety protocols observed). The risk factors are the representatives tend toward being older and much of the world is beginning/going through a "2nd Wave". I suppose we will see what they decide!

Let me rephrase: I think this is how it should be. Deviations from expert feedback should be the exception. It hasn't been of late with plenty of low quality sites inscribed.


Feels like a really wrong message to send to one travel only for the photo up. Both on the Covid as well as the CO2 side of things.

Postpone to June 2021

Many Japanese media report that WHC decided to postpone the meeting as well as decision on new WHS to June next year! The formal decision will be made during the meeting in early November.

Thanks for the update, Durian! Any hints whether 2020 and 2021 nominations will then be combined in 1 session, or whether everything just will move up by 1 year?

elsslots

Unfortunately no. All the report are very short, for Japanese, they seem to concern only that they have to wait further till April next year to know the IUCN's decision on their Okinawa island proposal.