The World Heritage Committee,
1. Having examined Document WHC-08/32.COM/7A.Add.2,
2. Recalling Decision 31 COM 7A.15, adopted at its 31st session (Christchurch, 2007),
3. Commends the State Party for its continued efforts for the conservation and rehabilitation of the property, and particularly for the development of improved mechanisms for community involvement in the rehabilitation and the maintenance of the property;
4. Acknowledges receipt of a Statement of significance and a Statement of authenticity/ integrity, but regrets that these are not in conformity with the Statement of Outstanding Universal Value, including the conditions of authenticity and integrity, as outlined in the Operational Guidelines;
5. Notes with concern that the report does not provide detailed and explicit information on the progress made on delineating boundaries for the two components of the property and their buffer zones; requests the State Party to undertake this exercise as a matter of urgency and encourages the State Party to submit, if necessary a request for International Assistance for this purpose;
6. Notes with concern the challenges faced by the property from climate change, leading to among others beach erosion;
7. Notes the danger posed to heritage by these challenges and their overwhelming nature;
8. Requests partners to continue to assist the State Party financially and technically to address these challenges;
9. Reiterates its request to the State party to use the management plan as the main vehicle for managing the site and for ensuring co-ordination of all activities affecting the property;
10. 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) at least 70% rehabilitation of the heritage monuments;
b) surveyed and demarcated boundaries as well as the extension of the property to include Kilwa Kivinje and Sanje ya Kati;
c) established proper land-use plan;
d) demonstrate progress in the implementation of the management and the conservation plan;
e) fully established on-site administrative structures;
f) halted sea-wave action;
11. Adopts the following timeframe for the implementation of the above-mentioned corrective measures:
a) changes within two years:
i) delineate the boundaries for the two components of the property and their buffer zones to be submitted for consideration by the World Heritage Committee at its 35th session in 2011;
b) changes within three years: i) implementation of the management plan should be advanced, and there should be signs of added rehabilitation of architectural heritage;
ii) management structures should be well established in each serial site with an operational office and staff;
iii) establishment of a proper land-use plan to protect sites integrity and resolve future land conflicts;
c) changes within five years: i) recovery of most of the architectural heritage for conservation should have been completed (though full recovery will take much longer and will require sustained effort for over a decade);
12. Invites the State Party to consider an extension of the property to include Kilwa Kivinje and Sanje ya Kati and recommends that the State Party submit this extension with the delineation of the boundaries for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 35th session in 2011;
13. Also requests the State Party to invite a joint World Heritage Centre / ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring mission to assist the State Party in developing the previously requested Statement of Outstanding Universal Value, including the conditions of integrity and authenticity, and in exploring how to ensure that the site's management plan can function as the key, central co-ordinating mechanism in managing the property, and finally to assess the progress made in improving the state of conservation of the property;
14. Further requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2009, a report on the state of conservation of the property, including the progress in implementing the corrective measures, and the re-evaluation of the timeframe for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 33rd session in 2009;
15. Decides to retain the Ruins of Kilwa Kisiwani and Ruins of Songo Mnara (United Republic of Tanzania) on the List of World Heritage in Danger