Decision 44 COM 7B.128

Baptism Site “Bethany Beyond the Jordan” (Al-Maghtas) (Jordan) (C 1446)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/21/44.COM/7B.Add,
2. Recalling Decisions 39 COM 8B.10, 40 COM 8B.50, 41 COM 7B.79, 43 COM 7B.46 adopted at its 39th (Bonn, 2015), 40th (Istanbul/UNESCO, 2016), 41st (Krakow, 2017) and 43rd (Baku, 2019) sessions respectively;
3. Commends the State Party on the development of the Earthquake Response Preparation Plan, updated design and construction guidelines for the buffer zone, signed formal commitments with the Christian denominations, and expanded landscape protection within and beyond the buffer zone;
4. Requests the State Party to clarify the scope of the Earthquake Response Preparation Plan and whether it is intended to address all disasters such as floods as well, which may require additional measures, and advise as to how this plan is integrated within the property’s Management Plan;
5. Also requests the State Party to submit the Master Plan for the whole buffer zone, addressing the issues noted in Decision 43 COM 7B.46, when completed, for review by the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies, and urges the State Party to consider undertaking a visual landscape analysis of the potential impacts on the Jordan River landscape area (the nature reserve) of various development options for the new churches to clarify the decisions on building height, mass and revegetation strategies;
6. Further requests the State Party to submit the revised Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) for completed and new buildings in the buffer zone in accordance with Decision 43 COM 7B.46, based on the adopted Statement of Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) and considering the updated design and construction guidelines, the visual landscape analysis requested above, the reduction of the maximum building height limit, and the cumulative impacts of building development;
7. Welcomes the State Party’s efforts to report on issues on the western bank of the Jordan River relating to protection of the OUV of the property, however, reiterates the need to ensure the preservation of important vistas and views by all concerned parties;
8. Requests furthermore the State Party to update the Management Plan to reflect the adopted Statement of OUV, as well as other matters that have changed since the plan was developed, such as the Earthquake Response Preparation Plan;
9. Requests moreover 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.