Decision 40 COM 7B.29

Archaeological Site of Carthage (Tunisia) (C 37)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/16/40.COM/7B.Add,
2. Recalling Decision 38 COM 7B.6, adopted at its 38th session (Doha, 2014),
3. Congratulates the State Party for the efforts undertaken in the protection and conservation of the property, including the acquisition of archaeological land and the evacuation of the Punic port of abusive craft, despite a difficult political, security and financial situation, and encourages the pursuit of its efforts regarding this issue;
4. Requests the State Party to provide the World Heritage Centre with a summary report on the results of the archaeological excavations and the possible plans concerning their conservation and enhancement;
5. Strongly urges the State Party to resolve the land issues relating to the declassification/reclassification of certain archaeological zones within the property that prevent the conservation and the sustainable management of the property, considering the environmental and social impact of the adopted solutions;
6. Also reiterates its invitation to the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre a proposal for the modification of the boundaries according to the procedure indicated in Paragraphs 163-165 of the Operational Guidelines and recommends that the said proposal concerns the establishment of a buffer zone, as well as a modification to the boundaries of the property inscribed aiming to align them with the national boundaries, as requested by the joint 2012 World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring mission;
7. Invites the State Party to provide information on the criteria employed to define the buffer zone, and the governing regulations and measures for the protection and integrity of the property and the provisions taken for its management;
8. Further reiterates its request to the State Party to :
   1. Adopt and implement the Protection and Presentation Plan (PPMV) for the property,
   2. Prepare an Enhancement Plan and a Tourism Management Plan preventing the uncontrolled proliferation of commercial concerns within the property, in particular at the UNESCO Square and in the vicinity of the Anthonin Baths,
   3. Conceive and implement an Archaeological and Conservation Strategy for the property,
   4. Coordinate management and conservation tools for the property as well as the roles of the different actors concerned;
9. Also requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 December 2017, an updated report on the state of conservation of the property and the implementation of the above, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 42nd session in 2018.