34. Under item 10 of its agenda, the General Assembly was called upon to elect seven members to the World Heritage Committee, to replace the following seven members whose mandate would expire at the end of the twenty-eighth session of the General Conference: Colombia, Indonesia, Oman, Peru, Senegal, Syrian Arab Republic and Thailand. Following the withdrawal of its candidature by Nigeria, as well as that of Colombia which withdrew in favour of Ecuador, the list of twenty-eight States Parties having submitted their candidature was read to the General Assembly: Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Benin, Cambodia, Canada, Cuba, Ecuador, Ghana, Greece, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Lithuania, Mali, Malta, Morocco, Mauritania, Mozambique, Oman, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Thailand, Turkey, Uganda, Viet Nam and Zimbabwe.

35. On the decision of the President, the elections were held by secret ballot. Mr. Li Jiangang (China) and Ms. A.K. Endresen (Norway) were appointed tellers.


36. The results of the first ballot were as follows:

Number of States Parties eligible to vote                                                                                142

Number of States absent                                                                                                           28

Number of abstentions                                                                                                               0

Number of invalid ballot papers                                                                                                 0

Number of votes recorded                                                                                                      114

Number of votes constituting the majority required to be elected                                             58

Australia, having polled 68 votes, was declared elected by the President.

37. In accordance with the Rules of Procedure, the second ballot was to be limited to those States which had obtained the greatest number of votes, provided that the number of States did not exceed twice the number of seats remaining to be filled, which was six. The following States obtained the greatest number of votes: Canada, Morocco, Ecuador, India, Benin, Viet Nam, Cuba, Oman, Poland, Lithuania, Zimbabwe, Greece and Malta. These last two candidates having obtained the same number of votes, and in accordance with the Rules of Procedure, an eliminatory ballot between these two States was held.

38. The results of the eliminatory ballot were as follows:

Number of States Parties eligible to vote                                                                                142

Number of States absent                                                                                                           26

Number of abstentions                                                                                                               0

Number of invalid ballot papers

Number of votes recorded                                                                                                      114

Malta, having obtained the greatest number of votes (61) was maintained as candidate for the second ballot.

39. The results of the second ballot were as follows:

Number of States Parties eligible to vote                                                                                  142

Number of States absent                                                                                                            33

Number of abstentions                                                                                                                0

Number of invalid ballot papers                                                                                                  1

Number of votes recorded                                                                                                       108

Number of votes constituting the majority required to be elected                                              55

States which obtained the required majority of votes were:

Canada                       68

Morocco                     68

Ecuador                      56

Malta                          56

The President thus declared the above States elected.

40. Two seats remaining to be filled, the following States, having obtained the greatest number of votes, were maintained as candidates for the third ballot: Benin, Cuba, India and Viet Nam.

41. The results of the third ballot were as follows:

Number of States Parties eligible to vote                                                                                  142

Number of States absent                                                                                                            29

Number of abstentions                                                                                                                0

Number of invalid ballot papers                                                                                                  1

Number of votes recorded                                                                                                       112

Number of votes constituting the majority required to be elected                                              57

State having obtained the required majority:

Benin                          61

The President declared this State elected.

42. At the end of the third ballot, with one seat remaining to be filled, the following States having obtained the greatest number of votes were maintained as candidates for the fourth ballot: Cuba and Viet Nam.

Following Viet Nam's announcement to stand down in favour of Cuba, and applause and expressions of gratitude by the General Assembly, the President declared Cuba elected.