Decision 43 COM 7A.30

Palestine: Land of Olives and Vines – Cultural Landscape of Southern Jerusalem, Battir (Palestine) (C 1492)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/19/43.COM/7A.Add,
2. Recalling Decision 42 COM 7A.29 adopted at its 42nd session (Manama, 2018),
3. Acknowledges the efforts made by the State Party to improve the state of conservation of the property;
4. Congratulates the State Party for its progress towards finalizing the Management and Conservation Plan (MCP), and encourages the State Party to take a participatory approach to its implementation, whereby the municipality, local inhabitants, and stakeholders are fully involved and committed;
5. Notes with satisfaction that the State Party’s new Decree Law on Tangible Cultural Heritage includes a requirement for the preparation of Heritage Impact Assessments (HIA) and/or Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) to evaluate effectively the impact of potential developments on the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of its World Heritage properties;
6. Welcomes the efforts being made by the State Party to implement the corrective measures to achieve the Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger (DSOCR), and urges the State Party to continue seeking, on a priority basis, the required funds to undertake the development of a sufficient sewage system and the adequate restoration of the irrigation system;
7. Requests the State Party to inform the World Heritage Centre of any proposed plans for major restoration or new construction projects that may affect the OUV of the property, in accordance with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines, before making any decisions that would be difficult to reverse;
8. Also requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 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 44th session in 2020;
9. Decides to retain Palestine: Land of Olives and Vines – Cultural Landscape of Southern Jerusalem, Battir (Palestine) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.