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Decision 31 COM 7A.20
Minaret and Archaeological Remains of Jam (Afghanistan) (C 211 rev)

 

The World Heritage Committee,

1.       Having examined Document WHC-07/31.COM/7A,

2.       Recalling its Decision 30 COM 7A.22, adopted at its 30th session (Vilnius, 2006),

3.       Notes the efforts made by the State Party and the international community for the safeguarding of this property and the important progress achieved in the consolidation of the Minaret of Jam in 2006;

4.       Reiterates its strong encouragement to the State Party to construct a footbridge and a ford across the Hari River, in order to facilitate villagers' access from the Bedam Valley to the Jam Valley, as well as allowing a limited number of vehicles to cross the river, as set out in the recommendations of the UNESCO mission in February 2004;

5.       Adopts the following as the desired state of conservation for the property in view of its future removal from the List of World Heritage in Danger:

a)      Increased capacity of the staff of the Afghan Ministry of Culture and Information in charge of the preservation of the property ensured;

b)      Precisely identified World Heritage property and clearly marked boundaries and buffer zones;

c)      Long-term stability and conservation of the Minaret of Jam ensured;

d)      Site security ensured;

e)      A comprehensive management system including a long-term conservation policy developed and implemented.

6.       Encourages the State Party to implement the following corrective measures for:

a)      Development of adequate capacity of the staff of the Afghan Ministry of Culture and Information in charge of the preservation of the property by developing and implementing an adequate training programme in conservation and management;

b)      Precise identification of the World Heritage property and clearly marked boundaries and buffer zones by:

(i)      Undertaking topographic and archaeological surface surveys and re-defining core and buffer zones, as well as identifying zones affected by illicit excavations;

(ii)      Marking of the core zone as "World Heritage protected area";

(iii)     Officially revising the boundaries of the World Heritage property according to the results of the relevant surveys in order to complement the already identified Outstanding Universal Value.

c)      Long-term consolidation and conservation of the Minaret of Jam and the archaeological remains by:

(i)      Completing the documentation and recording of the Minaret and the archaeological remains;

(ii)      Undertaking soil investigation in the vicinity of the monument in order to obtain information on the cause of the inclination of the Minaret and to define the long-term consolidation measures;

(iii)     Regular and systematic monitoring of the Minaret's inclination;

(iv)     Establishing a full inventory of decoration including digitalisation and reference system for all eight sides of the base of the Minaret;

(v)     Implementing emergency restoration of the surface decoration of the Minaret.

(d)     Ensured site security by:

(i)      Exerting strict control of illicit excavations and protecting the site against looting, notably through hiring of adequate number of trained site guards;

(ii)      Implementing measures enforcing the 2004 Preservation Law for Cultural and Historical Monuments ensured.

(e)     Development and implementation of management system by undertaking appropriate training for the staff of the Ministry of Information and Culture in charge of the property;

7.       Invites the international community, in co-operation with the World Heritage Centre, to continue its technical and financial support, in particular to achieve the above indicated desired state of conservation;

8.       Requests the State Party, in consultation with the World Heritage Centre and ICOMOS, to develop a draft Statement of Outstanding Universal Value including the conditions of integrity and authenticity, for examination by the Committee at its 32nd session in 2008;

9.       Also requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre by 1 February 2008 a progress report on the implementation of corrective measures, for examination by the Committee at its 32nd session in 2008; and

10.     Decides to retain the Minaret and Archaeological Remains of Jam (Afghanistan) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.

Decision Code
31 COM 7A.20
Themes
Conservation
States Parties 1
Year
2007
State of conservation reports
2007 Minaret and Archaeological Remains of Jam
Documents
WHC-07/31.COM/24
Decisions adopted at the 31st Session of the World Heritage Committee (Christchurch, 2007)
Context of Decision
WHC-07/31.COM/7A.Add.2
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