The World Heritage Committee,
1. Having examined Document WHC-06/30.COM/7B,
2. Recalling Decision 29 COM 7B.41, adopted at its 29th session (Durban, 2005),
3. Commends the State Party on its commitment for the protection and conservation of the World Heritage Property;
4. Notes that several unforeseen constraints led to delays in the elaboration and finalization of the management and conservation plans for the property;
5. Recommends that the State Party concentrate its efforts on the implementation of priority measures, in close consultation with ICOMOS and the World Heritage Centre. These priority measures include:
a) Clearly identify the boundaries of the area(s) to be protected and fenced if necessary, even temporarily;
b) Address the security issues, notably by prohibiting access of visitors to potential dangerous areas and carrying out the necessary works to cover the trenches and archaeological soundings;
c) Isolate and preserve the most endangered and damaged archaeological and architectural components by establishing a temporary restricted plan of visit paths;
d) Preserve the mosaics with adequate temporary and protective materials (special geo-textile layers and draining sand layers);
e) Consolidate the most endangered architectural elements using temporary but secure structures;
f) Stop restoration works and reconstruction of collapsed elements;
g) Resolve, when possible, using simple and temporary solutions, the humidity problems, notably for the mosaic floor of the sheltered St. Stephen Church;
h) Define the future management structure and financial system, which will be adopted in the management plan for the site.
6. Requests the State Party to engage, possibly with the support of the World Heritage Centre, in discussions in order to make sure that the European Commission funded project be redesigned so as to integrate the above mentioned priority measures and adapt its work-plan and schedule accordingly;
7. Also requests the State Party to organize the second monitoring mission, to be carried out by ICOMOS and the World Heritage Centre, by 30 November 2006;
8. Further requests the State Party to submit, by 1 February 2007, a progress report on the recommendations made in points 5 and 6 above as well as on the elaboration of the draft of the management and conservation plans, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 31st session in 2007.