Modelling and geographically representative monitoring of levels of mercury and mercury compounds in vulnerable populations and in environmental media, including biotic media such as fish, marine mammals, sea turtles and birds, as well as collaboration in the collection and exchange of relevant and appropriate samples;

State of conservation and factors affecting the nominated property This section shall include accurate information on the present state of conservation of the nominated property (including information on its physical condition of the property and conservation measures in place). It shall also include a description of the factors affecting the nominated property (including threats). Information provided in this section constitutes the baseline data which are necessary to monitor the state of conservation of the nominated property in the future.

Chapter V.A Objectives 199. States Parties are requested to submit reports to the UNESCO General Conference through the World Heritage Committee, on the legislative and administrative provisions they have adopted and other actions which they have taken for the application of the Convention , including the state of conservation of the World Heritage properties located on their territories. [Article 29 of the World Heritage Convention and Resolutions of the 11th session of the General Assembly of States Parties (1997) and the 29th session of the UNESCO General Conference.] 200. Periodic Reporting is a self-reporting process and should be led as far as possible by the States Parties in each region. The Secretariat coordinates and facilitates the Periodic Reporting Process at the global level. States Parties may request expert advice from the Advisory Bodies and the Secretariat, which may also (with agreement of the States Parties concerned) commission further expert advice. [Decision 41 COM 11] 201. Periodic Reporting serves four main purposes: a) to provide an assessment of the application of the World Heritage Convention by the State Party; b) to provide an assessment as to whether the Outstanding Universal Value of the properties inscribed on the World Heritage List is being maintained over time; c) to provide up-dated information about the World Heritage properties to record the changing circumstances and state of conservation of the properties; d) to provide a mechanism for regional cooperation and exchange of information and experiences between States Parties concerning the implementation of the Convention and World Heritage conservation. 202. Periodic Reporting is important for more effective long term conservation of the properties inscribed, as well as to strengthen the credibility of the Decision 41 COM 11 implementation of the Convention . It is also an important tool for assessing the implementation by States Parties and World Heritage properties of policies adopted by the World Heritage Committee and the General Assembly. [Decision 41 COM 11] Chapter V.B Procedure and format 203. Every six years, States Parties submit periodic reports for examination by the World Heritage Committee. During the six-year Periodic Reporting cycle, States Parties report region by region in the following order: [Decision 22 COM VI.7] [Decision 41 COM 11] Arab States Africa Asia and the Pacific Latin America and the Caribbean Europe and North America 204. The sixth year of each cycle is a period for reflection and evaluation. This pause allows the Periodic Reporting mechanism to be assessed and revised as appropriate before a new cycle is initiated. The World Heritage Committee may also decide to use the reflection to initiate the development and publication of a Global World Heritage Report. [Decision 41 COM 11] 205. At appropriate intervals, and whenever deemed necessary, the World Heritage Committee adopts and revises Monitoring Indicators and an Analytical Framework for Periodic Reporting. 205bis. The Periodic Reporting process is used as an opportunity for regional exchange and cooperation and to enhance active coordination and synchronization between States Parties, particularly in the case of transboundary and transnational properties. [Decision 41 COM 11] 206. The Periodic Reporting questionnaire is an online tool to be completed by the respective National Focal Points and Site Managers of the World Heritage properties, as appropriate. [The format of this questionnaire was reviewed further to the second cycle of Periodic Reporting and was adopted by the World Heritage Committee at its 41st session (Krakow, 2017).] [Decision 41 COM 10A] a) Section I refers to the legislative and administrative provisions which the State Party has adopted and other actions which it has taken for the application of the Convention , together with details of the experience acquired in this field. This particularly concerns the general obligations defined in specific articles of the Convention . b) Section II refers to the state of conservation of specific World Heritage properties located on the territory of the State Party concerned. This Section should be completed for each World Heritage property. 206bis. The Periodic Reporting format may be reviewed following each cycle of Periodic Reporting. An outline of the format is contained in Annex 7 to the Operational Guidelines . [Decision 41 COM 11] 207. In order to facilitate management and analysis of information, States Parties are requested to submit reports, in English or French, using the online tool provided on the website of the World Heritage Centre. The online tool of the full questionnaire can be accessed here: https://whc.unesco.org/en/periodicreporting/ [Decision 41 COM 11] Chapter V.C Evaluation and follow up 208. The Secretariat and the Advisory Bodies facilitate the States Parties to consolidate national reports into Regional State of the World Heritage reports, which are available in electronic format at https://whc.unesco.org/en/publications and in paper version (World Heritage Paper series). [Decision 41 COM 11] 209. The World Heritage Committee carefully reviews issues raised in Periodic Reports and advises the States Parties of the regions concerned on matters arising from them. 210. States Parties, working in partnership with the Secretariat and the Advisory Bodies, develop long-term regional follow-up programmes structured according to the Committee's Strategic Objectives and submit them for examination. These programmes are adopted as follow-up to Periodic Reports and regularly reviewed by the Committee based on the needs of States Parties identified in Periodic Reports. They should accurately reflect the needs of World Heritage in the region and facilitate the granting of International Assistance. [Decision 36 COM 13.I] [Decision 41 COM 11]

Each Party shall take all appropriate measures to regulate or prohibit intentional or accidental introduction of non-indigenous or genetically altered species to the wild that may cause harmful impacts to the natural flora, fauna or other features of the Wider Caribbean Region .