Take advantage of the search to browse through the World Heritage Centre information.

i
ii
iii
iv
v
vi
vii
viii
ix
x
State of Conservation Rock-Art Sites of Tadrart ... 2021

Rock-Art Sites of Tadrart Acacus

Libya
Factors affecting the property in 2021*
  • Deliberate destruction of heritage
  • Human resources
  • Illegal activities
  • War
Factors* affecting the property identified in previous reports
  • Vandalism
  • Deliberate destruction of heritage
  • Human Resources
  • Conflict situation prevailing in the country
  • Illegal activities
Threats for which the property was inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger
Conflict situation prevailing in the country
Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger
Not yet drafted
Corrective Measures for the property

Not yet identified

Timeframe for the implementation of the corrective measures

Not yet identified

UNESCO Extra-Budgetary Funds until 2021

Total amount granted: June 2020: Netherlands Funds in Trust: USD 49,620 for Strengthening national capacities for the elaboration of corrective measures for Libyan World Heritage properties.

International Assistance: requests for the property until 2021
Requests approved: 0
Total amount approved : 0 USD
Missions to the property until 2021**

January 2011: World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring mission

Conservation issues presented to the World Heritage Committee in 2021

On 6 February 2020, the State Party submitted a state of conservation report; an updated version of which was submitted on 11 February 2021. Executive summaries of both reports are available at http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/287/documents/. Progress in a number of conservation issues addressed by the Committee at its previous sessions is presented, as follows:

  • In 2019, a committee was established, as per Governmental Decision 155/2019, for the Management and Implementation of the Strategy for Preservation and Conservation of World Heritage properties in Libya;
  • There are no reported acts of sabotage or vandalism. This coincides with the inspection patrols that have been established by the Tourist Police, the regional offices of the Ministry of Agriculture, and the Department of Antiquities (DoA), with the support of the local community. In addition, the Department of Foreign Affairs has increased its awareness-raising activities in the towns and cities surrounding the property, including Jerma, Ghat, and Alawenat;
  • The DoA is following up with the archaeological mission in Acacus concerning a database for the property, and is in contact with other missions that have undertaken studies at the property;
  • Consultations to designate the property as a National Park are still ongoing, and surveys have been carried out for the rehabilitation of the old fort of Alawenat as a cultural and visitor centre. It will also function as the headquarters for the management of the property;
  • The preparation of the Management Plan has been initiated, and the identification of priorities for technical and financial support is underway;
  • The Libyan Foreign Ministry is working on completing the procedures to ratify the 1995 UNIDROIT Convention on Stolen or Illegally Exported Cultural Objects, however the ratification may be delayed due to the current situation in the country;
  • Local festivals such as that in Ghat have served to improve public engagement and awareness raising for the protection of the property. Materials with information on the property and its protection have been disseminated.

The State Party confirms its intention to call on the international community to provide further financial and technical support for the conservation of its cultural heritage, including through the Heritage Emergency Fund of UNESCO. The State Party considered the March 2020 technical meeting with ICOMOS and the World Heritage Centre successful as it enabled direct discussion and consultation. It has indicated its will to start drafting the Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger (DSOCR).

In addition, the State Party considers that the property should be removed from the List of World Heritage in Danger and has reiterated its invitation for a joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring mission to assess its state of conservation.

Analysis and Conclusion by World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies in 2021

The State Party’s report demonstrates its commitment to the conservation of the property, despite the difficulties. Efforts have been made to reduce vandalism, and hence no acts were reported in the past year. Yet, security conditions and the large size of the property remain a challenge in ensuring the prevention of vandalism in the long-term.

Documentation, awareness-raising, and communication campaigns, in close coordination with local communities and various stakeholders, are all actions contributing to the conservation of the property and its Outstanding Universal Value (OUV). Nevertheless, there is still a lack of effective management of the property and a Management Plan that establishes clear management mechanisms will be crucial for ensuring its protection and conservation. The Committee may wish to invite the State Party to continue to pursue this task, and as necessary seek technical and financial support.

Progress made to nominate the property as a National Park and to rehabilitate the fort of Alawenat, as a cultural/visitor centre and as the headquarters for the management of the property, are welcomed. In this context, it is recommended that the Committee invites the State Party to keep it informed, through the World Heritage Centre, of any future major restoration or new construction projects that may have an impact on the OUV of the property, including more detailed information on the rehabilitation of the fort at Alawenat, in conformity with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines.

The important efforts carried out by the State Party to counter the illicit trafficking of cultural property are also welcomed. The Committee may wish to reiterate its call upon all States Parties to support these efforts, by providing funds and specialized assistance to continue urgent conservation activities, and to cooperate in the fight against illicit trafficking of Libyan cultural property.

It is further recommended that these efforts be coherent with the Action Plan that was developed during the International Meeting on the Safeguard of Libyan Cultural Heritage, held in Tunis in May 2016 (report available at http://whc.unesco.org/en/news/1496), and build on the short-, medium- and long-term measures identified during that meeting. It is therefore recommended that the Committee request the State Party to provide information on progress made in the implementation of this Action Plan and to start developing the definition of corrective measures for the property and the DSOCR on the basis of the aforementioned Action Plan, in collaboration with the World Heritage Centre and Advisory Bodies

The improvement of the security situation may provide the State Party with more means for the conservation of the property, however, this may require additional efforts. The joint Reactive Monitoring mission will be crucial as soon as security conditions permit. In the meantime, it is important that the State Party pursues its efforts to keep the Committee, through the World Heritage Centre, updated on the situation on the ground and its activities, while addressing, to the extent possible, the comments and requests made by the Committee.

Considering the above-mentioned information, it is recommended that the Committee retain the property on the List of World Heritage in Danger.

Summary of the interventions
Decisions adopted by the Committee in 2021
44 COM 7A.15
Rock-Art Sites of Tadrart Acacus (Libya) (C 287)
Decision: 44 COM 7A.15

The World Heritage Committee,

  1. Having examined Document WHC/21/44.COM/7A,
  2. Recalling Decision 43 COM 7A.27, adopted at its 43rd session (Baku, 2019),
  3. Commends the State Party for the important efforts made for the conservation of the property and its Outstanding Universal Value (OUV), in close coordination with local communities and civil society, despite the difficult situation and difficult working conditions on the ground, and urges it to continue its efforts in this regard, if possible;
  4. Welcomes the efforts made for the development of a Management Plan for the property, and invites the State Party to continue to pursue its elaboration, seek the necessary technical and financial support for its completion, and allocate the necessary resources for its implementation;
  5. Requests 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;
  6. Also requests the State Party to report on any progress achieved in the implementation of the Action Plan developed during the International Meeting on the Safeguarding of Libyan Cultural Heritage (Tunis, May 2016);
  7. Acknowledges the invitation from the State Party for a joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring mission to the property, and encourages it to take place as soon as the security and other conditions permit;
  8. Further requests 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. 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, to implement the short- and medium- and long-term measures identified during the 2016 Tunis Meeting;
  10. Reiterates its appeal to all States Parties to cooperate in fighting against the illicit trafficking of cultural property coming from Libya and engaging in the protection of cultural heritage during 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, and also acknowledges the efforts of the State Party to ratify the 1995 UNIDROIT Convention on Stolen or Illegally Exported Cultural Objects;
  11. Requests furthermore 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;
  12. Decides to retain Rock-Art Sites of Tadrart Acacus (Libya) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
Read more
44 COM 8C.2
Update of the List of World Heritage in Danger (Retained Properties)

The World Heritage Committee,

  1. Having examined the state of conservation reports of properties inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger (WHC/21/44.COM/7A, WHC/21/44.COM/7A.Add, WHC/21/44.COM/7A.Add.2, WHC/21/44.COM/7A.Add.2.Add),
  2. Decides to retain the following properties on the List of World Heritage in Danger:
  • Afghanistan, Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley (Decision 44 COM 7A.28)
  • Afghanistan, Minaret and Archaeological Remains of Jam (Decision 44 COM 7A.29)
  • Austria, Historic Centre of Vienna (Decision 44 COM 7A.32)
  • Bolivia (Plurinational State of), City of Potosí (Decision 44 COM 7A.35)
  • Central African Republic, Manovo-Gounda St Floris National Park (Decision 44 COM 7A.39)
  • Côte d'Ivoire / Guinea, Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve (Decision 44 COM 7A.40)
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo, Garamba National Park (Decision 44 COM 7A.41)
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kahuzi-Biega National Park (Decision 44 COM 7A.42)
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo, Okapi Wildlife Reserve (Decision 44 COM 7A.43)
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo, Virunga National Park (Decision 44 COM 7A.45)
  • Egypt, Abu Mena (Decision 44 COM 7A.5)
  • Honduras, Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve (Decision 44 COM 7A.55)
  • Indonesia, Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra (Decision 44 COM 7A.52)
  • Iraq, Ashur (Qal'at Sherqat) (Decision 44 COM 7A.6)
  • Iraq, Hatra (Decision 44 COM 7A.7)
  • Iraq, Samarra Archaeological City (Decision 44 COM 7A.8)
  • Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls (site proposed by Jordan) (Decision 44 COM 7A.10)
  • Kenya, Lake Turkana National Parks (Decision 44 COM 7A.47)
  • Libya, Archaeological Site of Cyrene (Decision 44 COM 7A.11)
  • Libya, Archaeological Site of Leptis Magna (Decision 44 COM 7A.12)
  • Libya, Archaeological Site of Sabratha (Decision 44 COM 7A.13)
  • Libya, Old Town of Ghadamès (Decision 44 COM 7A.14)
  • Libya, Rock-Art Sites of Tadrart Acacus (Decision 44 COM 7A.15)
  • Madagascar, Rainforests of the Atsinanana (Decision 44 COM 7A.48)
  • Mali, Old Towns of Djenné (Decision 44 COM 7A.1)
  • Mali, Timbuktu (Decision 44 COM 7A.2)
  • Mali, Tomb of Askia (Decision 44 COM 7A.3)
  • Mexico, Islands and Protected Areas of the Gulf of California (Decision 44 COM 7B.56)
  • Micronesia (Federated States of), Nan Madol: Ceremonial Centre of Eastern Micronesia (Decision 44 COM 7A.30)
  • Niger, Aïr and Ténéré Natural Reserves (Decision 44 COM 7A.49)
  • Palestine, Palestine: Land of Olives and Vines – Cultural Landscape of Southern Jerusalem, Battir (Decision 44 COM 7A.17)
  • Palestine, Hebron/Al-Khalil Old Town (Decision 44 COM 7A.16)
  • Panama, Fortifications on the Caribbean Side of Panama: Portobelo-San Lorenzo (Decision 44 COM 7A.36)
  • Peru, Chan Chan Archaelogical Zone (Decision 44 COM 7A.37)
  • Senegal, Niokolo-Koba National Park (Decision 44 COM 7A.50)
  • Serbia, Medieval Monuments in Kosovo (Decision 44 COM 7A.33)
  • Solomon Islands, East Rennell (Decision 44 COM 7A.53)
  • Syrian Arab Republic, Ancient City of Aleppo (Decision 44 COM 7A.18)
  • Syrian Arab Republic, Ancient City of Bosra (Decision 44 COM 7A.19)
  • Syrian Arab Republic, Ancient City of Damascus (Decision 44 COM 7A.20)
  • Syrian Arab Republic, Ancient Villages of Northern Syria (Decision 44 COM 7A.21)
  • Syrian Arab Republic, Crac des Chevaliers and Qal’at Salah El-Din (Decision 44 COM 7A.22)
  • Syrian Arab Republic, Site of Palmyra (Decision 44 COM 7A.23)
  • Uganda, Tombs of Buganda Kings at Kasubi (Decision 44 COM 7A.4)
  • United Republic of Tanzania, Selous Game Reserve (Decision 44 COM 7A.51)
  • United States of America, Everglades National Park (Decision 44 COM 7A.54)
  • Uzbekistan, Historic Centre of Shakhrisyabz (Decision 44 COM 7A.31)
  • Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of), Coro and its Port (Decision 44 COM 7A.38)
  • Yemen, Historic Town of Zabid (Decision 44 COM 7A.25)
  • Yemen, Old City of Sana’a (Decision 44 COM 7A.26)
  • Yemen, Old Walled City of Shibam (Decision 44 COM 7A.27).
Read more
Draft Decision: 44 COM 7A.15

The World Heritage Committee,

  1. Having examined Document WHC/21/44.COM/7A,
  2. Recalling Decision 43 COM 7A.27, adopted at its 43rd session (Baku, 2019),
  3. Commends the State Party for the important efforts made for the conservation of the property and its Outstanding Universal Value (OUV), in close coordination with local communities and civil society, despite the difficult situation and difficult working conditions on the ground, and urges it to continue its efforts in this regard, if possible;
  4. Welcomes the efforts made for the development of a Management Plan for the property, and invites the State Party to continue to pursue its elaboration, seek the necessary technical and financial support for its completion, and allocate the necessary resources for its implementation;
  5. Requests 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;
  6. Also requests the State Party to report on any progress achieved in the implementation of the Action Plan developed during the International Meeting on the Safeguarding of Libyan Cultural Heritage (Tunis, May 2016);
  7. Acknowledges the invitation from the State Party for a joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring mission to the property, and encourages it to take place as soon as the security and other conditions permit;
  8. Further requests 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. 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, to implement the short- and medium- and long-term measures identified during the 2016 Tunis Meeting;
  10. Reiterates its appeal to all States Parties to cooperate in fighting against the illicit trafficking of cultural property coming from Libya and engaging in the protection of cultural heritage during 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, and also acknowledges the efforts of the State Party to ratify the 1995 UNIDROIT Convention on Stolen or Illegally Exported Cultural Objects;
  11. Requests furthermore 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 in 2022;
  12. Decides to retain Rock-Art Sites of Tadrart Acacus (Libya) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
Previous 2019 Next 2023
Report year: 2021
Libya
Date of Inscription: 1985
Category: Cultural
Criteria: (iii)
Danger List (dates): 2016-present
Documents examined by the Committee
WHC/21/44.COM/7A
SOC Report by the State Party
Report (2020) .pdf
Initialy proposed for examination in 2020
arrow_circle_right 44COM (2021)
Exports
Previous 2019 Next 2023

* : The threats indicated are listed in alphabetical order; their order does not constitute a classification according to the importance of their impact on the property.
Furthermore, they are presented irrespective of the type of threat faced by the property, i.e. with specific and proven imminent danger (“ascertained danger”) or with threats which could have deleterious effects on the property’s Outstanding Universal Value (“potential danger”).

** : All mission reports are not always available electronically.


top