Decision 44 COM 7B.56

Diyarbakır Fortress and Hevsel Gardens Cultural Landscape (Turkey) (C 1488)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/21/44.COM/7B.Add,
2. Recalling Decision 43 COM 7B.90, adopted at its 43rd session (Baku, 2019),
3. Notes the work carried out by the State Party to rehabilitate and protect the property and its buffer zone;
4. Regrets that no details have been submitted on the urban rehabilitation projects for the property and its buffer zone;
5. Expresses concern that reconstruction work has started before the Reactive Monitoring mission has taken place and its conclusions known and before Heritage Impact Assessments (HIAs) were undertaken for all projects and submitted for review by the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies;
6. Reiterates its request to the State Party that all projects that could affect the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property be halted until the recommendations of the Reactive Monitoring mission are known and adopted by the Committee;
7. Also reiterates its request to the State Party to halt the implementation of the 2016 Conservation Plan and to revert to the 2012 Conservation Plan until the revised Conservation Plan with its Conservation Implementary Development Plan covering the walled city urban archaeological site and the walls and Urban Design Project have been submitted to the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies for review;
8. Further reiterates its request to the State Party to carry out independent HIAs for urban design, landscape and infrastructural projects which may have an impact on the OUV of the property and its setting, in conformity with the ICOMOS Guidance on HIAs for Cultural World Heritage properties, each with a specific section focusing on the potential impact of the project on the OUV, before these projects are implemented;
9. Requests the State Party to inform the World Heritage Centre on the possible new dates for the requested joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring mission to evaluate the overall state of conservation of the property as soon as the current sanitary situation allows for it;
10. Finally requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2022, 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.