Decision 43 COM 7B.85

Archaeological Areas of Pompei, Herculaneum and Torre Annunziata (Italy) (C 829)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/19/43.COM/7B,
2. Recalling Decision 41 COM 7B.47, adopted at its 41st session (Krakow, 2017),
3. Commends the efforts of the State Party to enhance the system of conservation and management, which led to the stabilization and improved state of conservation of the structures and decorative surfaces of the property, and welcomes the improvements made to the monitoring and knowledge management system of the property, and the efforts of the State Party to upgrade access and infrastructure for visitors;
4. Encourages the State Party to consider documenting its management system, or to update the Management Plan with:
   1. The system of attributes that convey the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) and other values of the property, tying these into management objectives and actions,
   2. The established organizational and management structure of the property and its buffer zone,
   3. The roles and responsibility of the different actors related to the management of the property, including the participation of all relevant stakeholders,
   4. The upgraded monitoring and intervention/maintenance system;
5. Also encourages the State Party to ensure that adequate human and financial resources are secured for the long term conservation and visitor management of the property;
6. Also welcomes the further progress reported on the hydrogeological stabilization works and mitigation measures for hydrogeological risks, and requests the State Party to send a report, upon the completion of the works to the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies;
7. Also requests further information on the conservation status of the archaeological heritage, in particular on the 13 buildings that were noted as being in danger during the 2013 Reactive Monitoring mission, as well as on the plans to ensure the conservation and maintenance of the new archaeological remains that are being excavated as part of the Great Pompeii Project;
8. Noting its efforts to resolve the pending administrative dispute issue at Porta Nola, further requests the State Party to provide the design plans for the major storage building, as soon as possible, for review by the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies;
9. Notes the summary of plans for the visitor centre at Torre Annunziata, but requests furthermore the State Party to provide complete, design documents to the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies for review and to interrupt the works while these are under consideration; moreover, stresses the necessity for planned projects to be submitted to the World Heritage Centre in due time for review by the Advisory Bodies, in conformity with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines;
10. Reminds the State Party, following Decision 38 COM 8B.51, to resubmit the proposal of the new buffer zone to the World Heritage Centre, in accordance with Paragraphs 163-165 of the Operational Guidelines, as soon as possible and as a matter of urgency;
11. Finally requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 December 2020, 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 45th session in 2021.