1.
St Kilda (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) (C/N 387ter)
Year of inscription on the World Heritage List 1986
Criteria (iii)(v)(vii)(ix)(x)
Year(s) of inscription on the List of World Heritage in Danger N/A
Previous Committee Decisions see page http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/387/documents/
International Assistance
Requests approved: 0
Total amount approved: USD 0
For details, see page http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/387/assistance/
UNESCO Extra-budgetary Funds
N/A
Previous monitoring missions
N/A
Factors affecting the property identified in previous reports
Illustrative material see page http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/387/
Information presented to the Bureau of the World Heritage Committee in 1998
The Centre transmitted the report “Threats to St. Kilda World Heritage Site from Proposed Oil
Exploration and Production in the Atlantic Frontier”, prepared by Greenpeace International, to IUCN
for review. This report has raised serious concerns on potential impacts to this site, particularly in the
event of a possible oil spill that may result from the use of the Floating Production, Storage and
Offloading Facilities (FPSOs). There are important threats associated with pollution derived from
byproducts of oil exploration and drilling activities. When IUCN undertook the mission to evaluate this
site in 1986, it recommended that protection be extended to include the adjoining marine environment.
IUCN has informed the Centre that the State Party is currently considering the establishment of a
special Area of Conservation for the seas of the St.Kilda archipelago under European Union’s Habitats
and Species Directive.
IUCN has welcomed this initiative and expressed the hope that it will lead to the eventual extension of
the World Heritage site to include the seas of the St. Kilda archipelago.
Action Required
Decision required: The Bureau may wish to adopt the following text and transmit it to the Committee
for noting:
“The Bureau invites the State Party to take all possible measures to protect St. Kilda from potential
adverse impacts of oil exploration and production in the Atlantic frontier and to consult with all
interested parties before proceeding with such activities. The Bureau welcomes the State Party’s
initiative to extend the boundaries of the site to include the seas of the St.Kilda archipelago.”
Conservation issues presented to the World Heritage Committee in 1998
The Centre transmitted the report entitled “Threats to St. Kilda World Heritage Site from Proposed Oil
Exploration and Production in the Atlantic Frontier”, prepared by Greenpeace International, to IUCN for
review. This report has raised serious concerns on potential impacts to this site, particularly in the event
of a possible oil spill that may result from the use of the Floating Production, Storage and Offloading
Facilities (FPSOs) There are important threats associated with pollution derived from by-products of oil
exploration and drilling activities. IUCN has informed the Centre that the State Party is currently
considering the establishment of a special Area of Conservation for the seas of the St. Kilda archipelago
under the European Union’s Habitats and Species Directive. IUCN has welcomed this initiative and
expressed the hope that it would lead to the eventual extension of the World Heritage site to include the
seas of the St. Kilda archipelago.
The Observer of the United Kingdom informed the Bureau that his Government is in the process of
preparing a detailed response on the issues raised. Any license is subject to a thorough review, which
is
co-ordinated
by
Scottish
Heritage.
The Bureau invited the State Party to take all possible measures to protect St. Kilda from potential
adverse impacts of oil exploration and production in the Atlantic frontier and to consult with all interested
parties before proceeding with such activities. The Bureau welcomed the State Party’s initiative to
extend the boundaries of the site to include the seas of the St. Kilda archipelago.
Analysis and Conclusions of the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies
N/A
Decision Adopted: 22 COM VII.27
VII.27 The Committee noted the decisions of the twenty-second extraordinary session of the Bureau as
reflected in the Report of the Bureau session (Working Document WHC-98/CONF.203/5) and included
in Annex IV on the following properties:
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Heard and McDonald Islands (Australia)
Shark Bay, Western Australia (Australia)
Wet Tropics of Queensland (Australia)
Belovezhskaya Pushcha/Bialowieza Forest (Belarus/Poland)
Iguacu National Park (Brazil)
Dja Faunal Reserve (Cameroon)
Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks (Canada)
Jiuzhaigou Valley Scenic and Historic Interest Area (China)
Huanglong Scenic and Historic Interest Area (China)
Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area (China)
Los Katios National Park (Colombia)
Morne Trois Pitons National Park (Dominica)
Nanda Devi National Park (India)
Whale Sanctuary of El Viscaino (Mexico)
Royal Chitwan National Park (Nepal)
Sagarmatha National Park (Nepal)
Arabian Oryx Sanctuary (Oman)
Huascaran National Park (Peru)
The Committee noted that the Bureau's decision reflected the suggestion to establish an informal
contact group on mining and World Heritage and that the IUCN "Draft Policy on Mining and Protected
Areas" will be circulated.
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Kamchatka Volcanoes (Russian Federation)
Virgin Komi Forests (Russian Federation)
Skocjan Caves (Slovenia)
Thung Yai-Huay Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuaries (Thailand)
St. Kilda (United Kingdom)
Ha Long Bay (Vietnam)
Durmitor National Park (Federal Republic of Yugoslavia)
The Committee noted the UN official name for the State Party: Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
 Mosi-oa-Tunya/Victoria Falls (Zambia/Zimbabwe)