Decision 28 COM 15B.97

28 COM 15B.97

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Takes note with appreciation of the recent report submitted by the State Party on the current state of conservation of the property (Decision 27 COM 7B.78);

2. Recalls that the Plaza de Santa Teresa was included in the original nomination as a main square linking the city walls and the extra-muros church of St Pedro;

3. Further recalls that the State Party did not inform the World Heritage Centre on time on the construction plans in order to allow an early assessment on the way these plans would eventually affect the universal value of the property;

4. Notes that the project to refurbish the square and demolish the existing buildings was labeled as a “singular project” under the existing law of heritage protection. The respect of the aesthetic criteria established for the whole protected monumental area and of the requirements concerning the type of construction materials to be used is not compulsory under this law ;

5. Regrets that this kind of “singular project” affecting a World Heritage property can be adopted without informing the World Heritage Centre and without taking into account the outstanding universal value of the property;

6. Urges the State Party to elaborate an integrated management plan for the World Heritage property as a whole, which should be developed and endorsed by a wide range of stakeholders;

7. Requests that World Heritage Centre and ICOMOS undertake a mission, in cooperation with the State Party, to assess the way the refurbishment of the square and the new construction may affect the universal value of the World Heritage property and further requests the State Party to provide to the World Heritage Centre by 1 February 2005 a report on the state of conservation of the property in order that the World Heritage Committee can examine the state of conservation of the property at its 29th session in 2005.