Decision 44 COM 7B.132

Tyre (Lebanon) (C 299)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/21/44.COM/7B,
2. Recalling Decisions 37 COM 8B.45, 39 COM 7B.54, 41 COM 7B.83, and 43 COM 7B.50 adopted at its 37th (Phnom Penh, 2013), 39th (Bonn, 2015), 41st (Krakow, 2017) and 43rd (Baku, 2019) sessions respectively,
3. Taking note of the establishment of a partial agreement between the primary stakeholders (DGA, Municipality of Tyre) for the creation of municipal parking within the Archaeological Zone, encourages the State Party to submit the details of this arrangement and design details to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies;
4. Urges the State Party to implement the decisions adopted by the World Heritage Committee, in particular Decisions 39 COM 7B.54, 41 COM 7B.83 and 43 COM 7B.50, and in line with the reporting requirements under the World Heritage Convention;
5. Requests the State Party to submit as a priority the revised Management Plan Framework to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies and to expedite completion and implementation of the Management Plan; and also urges the State Party to continue its efforts to provide sufficient resources to the property to ensure regular maintenance in the long term, including vegetation control, fire prevention and the safeguarding of the mosaics, based on successful practices established through the Baalbek and Tyre Archaeological Project;
6. Reiterates its request to the State Party to implement the 2018 Reactive Monitoring mission recommendations, with particular attention to the following:
   1. Establish a comprehensive management strategy for the property that covers all aspects of documentation, conservation and monitoring, summarizing the knowledge on techniques and procedures in a manual, with an updated Action Plan, as a core component of the future Management Plan for the property, including:
      1. Approaches to improving current maintenance practices concerning vegetation, drainage and sewage control through appropriate preventive measures,
      2. Principles of minimal interventions in the conservation of mosaics and structures as lessons learnt from the pilot projects,
      3. A monitoring protocol to be available for scientific conservation research and to enable evaluation of the efficacy of conservation measures,
      4. A comprehensive presentation strategy for the property to reflect the actual understanding of its values as reflected in the various architectonic technologies and funerary practices of past generations, as well as conservation challenges,
   2. Consider integrating the Management Plan with regional and urban development and traffic-mobility plans to manage the development pressures in the long term;
7. Also reiterates its request to the State Party to revise the proposed boundary of the property, identify a buffer zone and develop regulations and procedures for the protection of the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property in accordance with Decision 37 COM 8B.45, and to submit a Minor Boundary Modification, in line with Paragraphs 107, 164 and Annex 11 of the Operational Guidelines, for review by the Advisory Bodies;
8. Further reiterates its request to the State Party to establish a maritime protection zone around the seashores of Tyre;
9. Reiterates furthermore its request to initiate an in-depth study of traffic and the urban road network, and to submit this study to the World Heritage Centre for examination by the Advisory Bodies, and reminds the State Party of its obligations to submit, in accordance with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines, details for proposed road and infrastructure projects at the property, including Heritage Impact Assessments (HIA) for the Coastal Highway and other planned major infrastructure projects, conducted in accordance with the ICOMOS Guidance on HIAs for Cultural World Heritage Properties;
10. Also requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2022, a progress report and 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.