State of Conservation (SOC)

Requests Approved: 0 (from1981-1999)
Total Amount Ap proved: 391,800USD

March 2009: joint World Heritage Centre / ICOMOS reactive monitoring mission

a) Development pressures which impact the authenticity of the site;

b) Weaknesses in the decision-making process regarding conservation;

c) Works in the Tower of the Society of Jesus Complex.

The State Party submitted a report on the state of conservation of the property on 26 January 2011. The report succinctly responds to the decisions made by the World Heritage Committee at its 33rd (Seville, 2009) and 34th (Brasilia, 2010) sessions.

a) Works at the Compañia de Jesús (Society of Jesus) Complex and to recover the use of the bell tower.

The State Party reports that the works on the tower have been halted and that future interventions would be included as part of an overall and comprehensive evaluation of the Jesuit Complex, as requested by the World Heritage Committee. To date no project or comprehensive evaluation has been carried out and no information has been submitted to the World Heritage Centre. The Fondo de Salvamento del Patrimonio Cultural de Quito (FONSAL), now called Metropolitan Institute of Cultural Heritage, and the Society of Jesus have agreed to send a proposal to the National Institute of Cultural Heritage (INPC) in agreement with the Municipality. However, no report has been submitted to date, neither has a timeframe been established for its submission.

The State Party indicates that the Metropolitan District Municipality, through the Metropolitan Institute of Cultural Heritage, and in coordination with the representatives of the Society of Jesus in Quito, have established the terms of reference for the tourism operation studies. To date, these have not been carried out and no information has been provided on the timeframe for implementation or and completion. There is no existing report on the matter.

b) Definition of limits and buffer zone

The report mentions that the limits for the property have been established along with the buffer zone, and that the proposed maps have been included with the Retrospective Statement of Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property, submitted to the World Heritage Centre in November 2010. The information submitted will be analyzed by the World Heritage Centre during the Retrospective Inventory process starting in 2011. The World Heritage Centre will also contact the State Party once the revision is completed.

c) Decision-making processes for the property and legal and administrative frameworks

The report indicates that the decision-making processes for the property have been enhanced and are fully functional at this time. At the national level, the focal point is the Instituto Nacional de Patrimonio Cultural (INPC), which co-ordinates and maintains a strong relationship with managers of World Heritage properties in Ecuador. Decisions are further submitted for consideration and review by the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry for Heritage Co-ordination; upon approval at the local and national levels, they are communicated to the World Heritage Centre through the State Party’s representation at UNESCO.

Existing legislative arrangements and regulatory frameworks continue to be implemented although the Law for Culture is pending approval by the National Assembly. No indication was provided on expected timeframe for completion, and the legal structure relating to culture and heritage remains under review. At the local level, Municipal Ordinances are currently being enforced for the protection and safeguarding of heritage under the direct supervision of the INPC.

d) Other issues

The State Party reports that an Inventory Directorate has been created within the structure of the Metropolitan Institute of Cultural Heritage. The Directorate is now in the process of carrying out the inventory of built cultural heritage, as requested by the World Heritage Committee. No further information is provided as to the expected timeframe for its conclusion.

Regarding the Tren Ligero, the report states that no official project has been submitted at this time. However, it indicates that the Municipality of the Metropolitan District of Quito has commenced studies for a subway project; however no report has been submitted by the national authorities.

Regarding the planned activities for 2011, the State Party has indicated that the calendar would be submitted to the World Heritage Committee once INPC has met the new Director of the Metropolitan Institute of Cultural Heritage.  

In conclusion, the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies note the progress made by the State Party in improving the overall framework for the conservation and protection of the property and consider that the approval and enforcement of the Law of Culture will serve to consolidate these efforts. Although they recognize the progress made, they note that the recommendations made by the 2009 reactive monitoring mission have yet to be significantly implemented and that many of the proposed actions are still in the planning stages. Particularly important are the finalization of the inventory and the development of the conservation plan for the built heritage of Quito.