Decision 45 COM 7A.37

Rock-Art Sites of Tadrart Acacus (Libya) (C 287)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/23/45.COM/7A,
2. Recalling Decision 44 COM 7A.15 adopted at its extended 44th session (Fuzhou/online, 2021),
3. Regrets that the State Party did not submit its report on the state of conservation of the property, as requested by the Committee at its extended 44th session;
4. Urges again the State Party to continue its efforts for the conservation of the property and its Outstanding Universal Value (OUV), in close coordination with local communities and civil society;
5. Invites the State Party to continue to pursue the elaboration of a Management Plan for the property, seek the necessary technical and financial support for its completion, and allocate the necessary resources for its implementation;
6. Reiterates its request to the State Party to keep the World Heritage Centre informed about the evolution of the situation at the property and of any future plans for major restoration or new construction projects that may affect the OUV of the property, including the provision of detailed information on the rehabilitation of the fort at Alawenat, in conformity with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines;
7. Recalls the need to invite the joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring mission to the property requested by the Committee, and encourages it to take place as soon as conditions permit;
8. Also reiterates its request to the State Party to initiate the process to develop a set of corrective measures and a timeframe for their implementation, as well as the Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger (DSOCR), in collaboration with the World Heritage Centre and Advisory Bodies;
9. Requests the State Party, in consultation with the World Heritage Centre and Advisory Bodies, to develop a draft retrospective Statement of Outstanding Universal Value, for examination by the World Heritage Committee;
10. Continues to call for an increased mobilization of the international community to provide financial and technical support to the State Party, including through the UNESCO Heritage Emergency Fund;
11. Reiterates its appeal to all States Parties to cooperate in fighting against the illicit trafficking of cultural property from Libya and engaging in the protection of cultural heritage in the context of armed conflict, as per the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2347 of March 2017, the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict and the 1970 Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property;
12. Also requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2024, 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;
13. Decides to retain Rock-Art Sites of Tadrart Acacus (Libya) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.