Decision 40 COM 7B.77

Pitons Management Area (Saint Lucia) (N 1161

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/16/40.COM/7B,
2. Recalling Decision 38 COM 7B.85, adopted at its 38th session (Doha, 2014),
3. Welcoming the efforts of the State Party and external supporters to address threats to the property stemming from alien invasive plants, including by investing in communication and public awareness-raising, encourages the State Party to continue and increase these efforts;
4. Also welcoming the endorsement of the Limits of Acceptable Change (LAC) study by the Cabinet of Ministers, notes that the process of integrating the recommendations of the LAC study into the Physical Planning and Development Act has commenced, and requests the State Party to complete the integration of these recommendations into the national legislative and institutional framework as a matter of priority, to ensure compliance with the recommendations can be enforced;
5. Also notes the confirmation by the State Party that a dialogue with the developers of the Freedom Bay and Sugar Beach development projects is currently taking place which is aimed at ensuring that the developments conform with the recommendations of the LAC study;
6. Reiterates its consideration that, should any development exceeding the limits of acceptable change, or otherwise having a negative impact on Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property, be allowed to proceed, the integrity of the property would clearly be compromised, leading to consideration of the inscription of the property on the List of World Heritage in Danger, in accordance with Paragraph 180 of the Operational Guidelines;
7. Also encourages the State Party to fully reflect the conclusions of the LAC study in the planned revision of the Management Plan, and also requests the State Party to provide an electronic and three printed copies of the revised Management Plan for review by the World Heritage Centre and IUCN;
8. Further notes the State Party’ stated intention to undertake boundary demarcation of policy areas within the property (zones with different levels of restrictions on development) and to seek the assistance of the World Heritage Centre in identifying funds for this exercise, and further requests the State Party to provide to the World Heritage Centre more details on the planned activities and their objectives, as well as the challenges to demarcation noted by the State Party, which are due to private land tenure within the property;
9. Notes furthermore the preliminary conclusions that the geothermal potential of Saint Lucia appears to have no significant overlap with the property, and requests furthermore the State Party to inform the Committee of any geothermal developments which may directly or indirectly impact on the OUV of the property;
10. Requests moreover 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.