Decision 44 COM 7B.72

Cliff of Bandiagara (Land of the Dogons) (Mali) (C/N 516)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/21/44.COM/7B,
2. Recalling Decisions 42 COM 7B.65 and 43 COM 7.2, adopted respectively at its 42nd (Manama, 2018) and 43rd (Baku, 2019) sessions,
3. Congratulates the State Party for the actions carried out, through the Cultural Mission of Bandiagara, for the conservation of the property and the safeguarding of certain aspects of the overall rich and living heritage thanks to the International Assistance granted in 2018 and the commitment of the local communities, notably the Dogon Initiative Association (ADI), enabling the restoration and maintenance of some gin’na and various houses, the initiation of an inventory of movable and immovable properties, educational programmes for young people and raising awareness in the population with regard to safeguarding the heritage and the combat against the illicit trafficking of cultural property;
4. Expresses its grave concern with regard to intercommunity conflict noted within and outside the property between the Dogon and Fulani communities resulting in the destruction of houses and whole villages, granaries and tangible property, animals and harvests, and which constitute an increasing threat to the Outstanding Universal Value of the property, and deplores in particular the considerable loss of human life, as well as numerous events;
5. Notes with concern that the joint UNESCO/ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring mission to examine the overall management of the property, especially the ways and means to strengthen traditional practices and the diversification of possibilities for sustainable development for the local communities, was not possible due to insecurity problems, and requests the State Party to invite, as soon as circumstances permit, a joint UNESCO/ICOMOS/IUCN Reactive Monitoring mission to the property to examine the state of conservation of the cultural and natural heritage and the overall management of the property in the context of the current security crisis;
6. Expresses its satisfaction that an “Evaluation Mission on the Relative Needs of the tangible and intangible cultural heritage, including objects and practices associated with the Cliff of Bandiagara” comprising Malian cultural heritage experts was sent to the property in July 2019, with financial support from the UNESCO World Heritage Emergency Fund, and supports the conclusions and recommendqtions of that mission, as well as the Emergency Action Plan, and calls upon the State Party and the international community to mobilise all necessary means for their implementation;
7. Welcomes the financial support of the International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage in Conflict Areas (ALIPH) for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the built heritage, including cultural objects, and also requests the State Party to keep it informed of progress in the implementation of activities;
8. Further requests that the State Party considers the impacts of insecurity in the context of cultural and natural heritage values of this mixed property, including all the management and intervention decisions, ensuring that the emergency actions undertaken can protect the cultural heritage and guarantee the protection of natural heritage values;
9. Taking into account the current state of the property, that justifies the establishment of a mechanism and specific actions for its preservation, requests moreover that the State Party establish a multidisciplinary working group for a five-year period, with the capacity to act and supervise the implementation of the recommendations and the Emergency Action Plan of the 2019 mission, notably for the rehabilitation of the built heritage and the traditional houses damaged or destroyed, guide all actions and enable the heritage to serve as a vector for the enhancement of cultural identities and practices of all the communities living there, and more particularly in reconciliation measures between them;
10. Also appeals to the international community to support the efforts of the State Party in safeguarding the cultural and natural heritage of this property, and finally in order to address the heritage in all its forms as raised by the emergency evaluation mission, recommends the State Party to also consult the Secretariats of the other UNESCO Cultural Conventions in this respect;
11. 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.