In January 2005, referring to the decisions made by the Committee at its 28th session (Suzhou, 2004), the State Party sent a report to the World Heritage Centre on the progress achieved in carrying out the recommendations made following the inscription of the site on the List of World Heritage in Danger in 2002. This report contained the following information and documents:
1. A copy of the cadastral map of the commune of Tipasa. ICOMOS pointed out that the photocopy transmitted was of too poor quality to judge whether it responds to the Committee’s requirements concerning the «buffer zone», or the presence on the site of any buildings.
2. A census of the ownership of the occupied spaces in the Saint Salsa Necropolis to the east, and in the Alexandria Necropolis to the west, was carried out, thanks to the cadastral map. Of a total of 74 families identified, 48 are owners and 26 are illegal occupants. Action will be undertaken by the Ministry of Culture and the Wilaya within the framework of legislation and regulations in force concerning the relocation, expropriation, evacuation or acquisition of real estate buildings by the State.
3. A copy of the registration form of a technical study to set up a Plan for the Protection and Presentation of the Archaeological site of Tipasa and its Protection Zone (PPSMVA), launched by the Agence Nationale d’Archéologie de Protection des Sites et Monuments Historiques (ANAPSMH) in the framework of regulations for public market. This study should provide the required basis for the elaboration of yearly management plans for the site. This technical sheet mentions that the elaboration of the PPSMVA of Tipasa, in conformity with the Executive Decree No. 03-323 of 5 October 2003 containing modalities for the development of the PPSMVA, will cost 3,950,000 Algerian Dinars, and the temporary and permanent work in the framework of the project for the implementation of emergency measures and development for the site are estimated at 10,000,000 AD. The Council of Wilaya has attributed an additional 2,150,000 AD for sanitation work and repair of the tourist itineraries of the site. As stated by ICOMOS in its evaluation of the report, there is no mention of the adoption of a legal text on “the protection and presentation of the archaeological sites and their buffer zones”, and the establishment, in consultation with the World Heritage Centre, of a plan governing the construction, urbanisation and land use of the site of Tipasa.
4. A copy of a document testifying to the attribution of 2,843,843.28 AD for the recruitment of 23 prevention and security agents for the archaeological site, the Museum and the Royal Mausoleum of Mauritania.
5. A copy of a document attesting to the attribution of 2,510,741.90 AD for the restoration of the Museum at Tipasa and the installation of a security and electronic surveillance system.
6. A copy of the document attesting to the creation, jointly with the Hydraulic Authorities, of a project entitled « Underground evacuation system in the protected zone of the archaeological site of Tipasa». This project aims to divert the passage of the hybrid network (sanitation and rain water) outside of the listed site.
The report also mentioned that the ANAPSMH is a public establishment of an administrative nature without administrative and financial autonomy. It is organised in 15 archaeological districts divided amongst the 43 Wilayas. Its operating budget amounts to 200,000,000 AD.
The final report of a training workshop for preventive conservation of the mosaics of Tipasa, organised in December 2004 by the Cultural Heritage Directorate in collaboration with the Central Institute for Restoration in Rome (CIR), funded under the World Heritage Fund, was received by the World Heritage Centre. Eight Algerian participants were able to benefit from this training.
In its report, the State Party requested the assistance of the World Heritage Centre in designating an expert to participate with the working group set up by the Ministry of Culture, in the examination of all the phases of the studies for the plan for the protection and presentation of the site of Tipasa.
