The World Heritage Committee,
1. Having examined Document WHC-13/37.COM/7B,
2. Recalling Decision 36 COM 7B.90 , adopted at its 36th session (Saint-Petersburg, 2012),
3. Notes that a moratorium on all high-rise and non-conforming buildings is under consideration by Kiev City Council and supported by the Ministry of Culture and reiterates its request to the State Party to implement such a moratorium and to take all necessary measures, including the development of appropriate regulations to ensure that there are no adverse impacts to the Outstanding Universal Value of the property from future developments;
4. Also notes the decision by the State Party to undertake an independent expert assessment of the overall monastic Dnieper river landscape, including studies on visual perspectives, as a basis for planning and impact assessment, and requests the State Party to complete and submit these assessments to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2014 ;
5. Expresses its regret that the building on Klovsky descent has been completed despite the requests made at its 35th and 36th sessions, notes with concern that proposals are being considered to clad in glass the 150m building rather than modify its height and also reiterates its request to the State Party to reduce its adverse effect by demolishing constructed levels to an appropriate scale;
6. Further notes the continuing progress in the development of an urban development Master Plan for Kiev, and urges the State Party to finalise its approval process and to begin implementation as soon as possible;
7. Notes furthermore the progress made in defining a protected historic urban area and related conservation master plan for central Kiev and urges the State Party to continue with the development of strengthened protective and planning mechanisms, including special Area Plans for the property, its buffer zone and its setting, with particular attention on the preservation of the urban fabric at the buffer zone;
8. Welcomes the placement of the World Heritage property under the direct control of a single State authority in order to create a unified system of management, but regrets that no unified management plan has been fully developed yet, and also urges the State Party to address this issue as a matter of urgency and to submit the management plan to the World Heritage Centre for review prior to approval;
9. Also welcomes the State Party’s proposal to create a special national council in order to enhance collaboration between all stakeholders concerned and the work carried out for the development of a Strategy for the implementation of the 1972 World Heritage Convention ;
10. Takes note of the results of the April 2013 reactive monitoring mission to the property and further urges the State Party to implement its recommendations with particular attention to the following:
a) Finalise the approval process for the Law on cultural heritage to harmonise the legal frameworks at the local and national level and to strengthen the role of the heritage authorities,
b) Finalise the development of regulatory measures for the integrated buffer zone that was recently created to improve the protection of the conditions of integrity of the property,
c) Develop detailed regulatory measures for the buffer zone in accordance to the specificities of each sector and in response to the analysis of the characteristics of the urban fabric,
d) Continue with the development of the conservation and rehabilitation for the Grottes Varègues and ensure the systematic monitoring of the geological and hydrological factors to inform the decision-making process;
11. Urges furthermore the State Party, in line with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines , to make available detailed information on major restorations projects or new constructions, which may affect the attributes that maintain the Outstanding Universal Value of the property before making any decisions that, would be difficult to reverse;
12. Reminds the State Party, in line with Paragraph 110 of the Operational Guidelines and in conformity with the ICOMOS Guidelines on Heritage Impact Assessments for World Heritage cultural properties, that impact assessments for proposed interventions are essential for all World Heritage properties;
13. Further requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2014 , an updated report on the state of conservation of the property and the implementation of the above, for consideration by the World Heritage Committee at its 38th session in 2014.