Decision 43 COM 7B.106

Forts and Castles, Volta, Greater Accra, Central and Western Regions (Ghana) (C 34)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/19/43.COM/7B.Add,
2. Recalling Decision CONF 203 VII.35, adopted its 22nd session (Kyoto, 1998),
3. Requests the State Party to ensure that the proposed Management Plan considers the current lack of effective site management for the majority of the property’s components, as well as identified threats;
4. Reiterates its request to the State Party to progress, as a matter of urgency, with the delineation of a buffer zone for each component and protection regimes;
5. Welcomes the State Party’s invitation of a joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS/ICCROM Advisory mission to assess restoration works and development projects at St. George's Castle at Elmina and Fort Amsterdam, and also requests the State Party to halt all projects until the recommendations of the mission have been addressed;
6. Takes note of the recommendations of the 2019 Advisory mission and invites the State Party to start implementing them with no delay;
7. Further requests the State Party to invite a joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS/ICCROM Reactive Monitoring mission to the property in early 2020 to assess the state of conservation of all the components of the property and the potential threats they are facing, the implementation of the recommendations of the Advisory mission, and progress in the delineation and protection of buffer zones and preparation of the Management Plan;
8. Finally 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.