Decision 44 COM 7B.70

Historic Inner City of Paramaribo (Suriname) (C 940rev)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/21/44.COM/7B,
2. Recalling Decision 42 COM 7B.42, adopted at its 42nd session (Manama, 2018),
3. Takes note with appreciation of the activities that are being undertaken in the framework of the Inter-American Developmen Bank IADB-funded Paramaribo Urban Rehabilitation Programme (PURP) and its Strategic Master Plan that expresses an integral approach to the conservation of the World Heritage property, including housing, mobility, water management and community participation;
4. Welcomes the withdrawal of the license for construction at the Waterfront, and that the Strategic Master Plan proposed for the whole of the Waterfront is being developed to address the challenges posed by rising sea-levels of up to one metre by the end of this century;
5. Considering that the Waterfront constitutes one of the main attributes of the World Heritage property, invites the State Party to submit the final designs for the Waterfront, as soon as they become available, to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies;
6. Recalls the importance of the extension of the boundaries of the property to include a 50 metre strip along the river, as well the extension of the boundaries of the buffer zone, and urges again the State Party to proceed with these extensions and to submit them as a Minor Boundary Modification in accordance with Paragraph 164 of the Operational Guidelines;
7. Also takes note of the completion of the Updated Management Plan 2020-2024 for the property and also urges the State Party to finalize its approval as soon as possible;
8. Regrets the repeated demolition, destruction by fire and decay of the wooden building stock, both government and privately-owned, and recommends that the State Party increase its efforts to raise awareness and promote participation of the population and owners in the recuperation of the historical centre and its individual structures;
9. Notes with appreciation that the State Party engaged in constructive consultations with ICOMOS regarding the reconstruction of the former National Assembly Building, and emphasizes that the reconstruction as agreed upon is an exceptional case due to exceptional circumstances and should not be seen as a precedent for other cases;
10. Also welcomes that three government-owned buildings will be restored in the framework of PURP, and requests the State Party to submit as soon as possible their architectural designs as well as the guidelines that are included in the Retrofit Manual for the Rehabilitation of Historic Buildings to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies;
11. Also requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 December 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 46th session.