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State of Conservation Sudanese style mosques in ... 2023

Sudanese style mosques in northern Côte d’Ivoire

Côte d'Ivoire
Factors affecting the property in 2023*
  • Management systems/ management plan
  • Other Threats:

    Inappropriate interventions at Kouto, Kaouara, Sorobango and Samatiguila mosques

Factors* affecting the property identified in previous reports
Factors identified at the time of inscription of the property:
  • need to enlarge boundaries
  • need to enlarge and strengthen the protection of buffer zones
  • operationalise the proposed management system 
  • complete conservation plans for each mosque
  • design as a matter of urgency projects to reverse recent inappropriate interventions at Kouto, Kaouara, Sorobango and Samatiguila mosques
UNESCO Extra-Budgetary Funds until 2023

N/A

International Assistance: requests for the property until 2023
Requests approved: 1 (from 2023-2023)
Total amount approved : 85,058 USD
2023 Conservation et gestion des mosquées de style soudanais ... (Approved)   85,058 USD
Missions to the property until 2023**

N/A

Conservation issues presented to the World Heritage Committee in 2023

On 25 November 2022, the State Party submitted a state of conservation report, which is available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1648/documents/. Progress in a number of conservation issues addressed by the Committee at its previous sessions is presented in that report, as follows:

  • The process of expanding the boundaries of the components of the property to include all communal and functional areas has been initiated through dialogue with the custodial communities on the one hand and a technical mission to identify and define the new boundaries on the other;
  • The process of enlarging the buffer zones is also underway and is in the same vein as that of the component boundaries. It is being conducted by the same technical mission and expected to be concluded by the end of 2024;
  • The reinforcement of the protection of the buffer zones is subject to the results of the processes of enlargement of the boundaries of the property and the buffer zones. This will be done through the modification of local plans and regulations, which is foreseen by the end of 2025. Steps are being taken to establish titles of land with the owner communities and the relevant departments;
  • The appointment of a property manager has taken place, as has the acquisition and fitting out of offices for the headquarters of the management body which will have a staff of at least 12 agents, and the establishment of a budget line for the equipment and operation of the management body;
  • Training courses for capacity building of local traditional masons have been organised with the ultimate objective of establishing a guild of traditional masons;
  • A three-year action plan 2023-2025 is adopted for the management and conservation of the property, focusing on actions necessary to halt the decline of traditional conservation practices for earthen mosques;
  • Consolidation and stabilization actions have been carried out on some mosques to improve their state of conservation, financed exclusively by the State Party;
  • A financial support programme initiated by the State Party for the local management bodies has enabled the carrying out of restoration/rehabilitation or maintenance work on certain mosques. In addition to correcting recent inappropriate interventions (Kouto, Kaouara, Sorobango and Samatiguila), these activities have also made it possible to remedy recent deterioration due to bad weather (Kong and Tengréla).

An international assistance request for the conservation and management of the property has been submitted under the World Heritage Fund and will be examined by the extended 45th session of the World Heritage Committee (see Document WHC/23/45.COM/14).

Analysis and Conclusion by World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies in 2023

The initiatives undertaken and resources provided by the State Party of Côte d'Ivoire to address the eight recommendations made by the Committee at the time of inscription are to be welcomed. So is the national priority that has been given to the conservation and sustainable development of the eight mosques and the longer-term aim to establish a guild of traditional masons to facilitate and perpetuate the transmission of traditional Sudanese building practices.

Although the State Party acknowledges that much more needs to be achieved, the progress made so far is to be commended. A property manager has been appointed, the management team is being trained and is foreseen to have at least 12 agents, and a realistic budget provided for the property. Perhaps most importantly, an Action Plan has been developed for three years 2023-2025 that provides the framework for all the activities that are needed to reverse decline, strengthen protection and traditional practices and promote sustainable development. Resources to deliver this Plan will be provided mainly by the State Party and partly by international assistance of USD 85,058 (that still has to be approved). 

In the first year, priority has been given to undertaking work to reverse inappropriate interventions, stabilise all the mosques as well as to set and staff a management office. Work has also commenced on enlarging the boundaries and buffer zone and strengthening the protection of the latter. The consultation with local communities and local bearers to ensure their support in this undertaking is positively noted. The process is now being delivered by the planning department with the aim for completion in 2024/25, The development of conservation plans for the property and for each mosque has been planned for 2023/24/25 with the anticipated support of UNESCO funding.

The report mentions that recent inspections have revealed recent deterioration due to bad weather, including heavy rainfall on the two mosques in Kong and the mosque in Tengréla. In view of the nature of the earthen property and the structural nature of the buildings involved, these findings are an important concern that should be carefully monitored in the global context of climate change. It should be noted that the State Party has reacted swiftly to remedy the effects of this situation. But the events do highlight the need for a Risk Preparedness Strategy to be developed for the property.

It is therefore recommended that the Committee invite the State Party to define and implement an appropriate monitoring and intervention strategy to avoid and limit the effects of bad weather on the property.  This strategy should be integrated into the management plan and other management tools for the property.

The planning that has been undertaken and the detailed report provided on actions already carried out are positive responses to the Committee’s recommendations. Clearly, there is still a long way to go before all the recommendations have been fully addressed. But the financial mobilization of the State Party to support the actions of the actors involved in the management of the property at different levels (central, decentralized and local), including the allocation of the management body of a budget line is notable. The Committee may wish to invite the international community to consider providing further necessary support for the efficient implementation of the recommendations and to strengthen the sustainable development of the property.

Decisions adopted by the Committee in 2023
45 COM 14
International Assistance

The World Heritage Committee,

  1. Having examined Document WHC/23/45.COM/14,
  2. Decides to approve the following International Assistance requests:
    1. “Conservation and management of Sudanese style mosques in northern Côte d’Ivoire” (Côte d’Ivoire) for an amount of US$ 85,058 under the Conservation and Management-Culture budget, replacing the “per diem” amounts of US$ 8,000 and US$ 5,000 (corresponding to the defrayment for the participants in the workshops) by the fixed amounts of US$ 1,800 and US$ 1,125 respectively,
    2. “Preparation of a Conservation Management Plan for the Asante Traditional Buildings of Ghana” (Ghana) for an amount of US$ 43,678 under the Conservation and Management-Culture budget, the US$ 1,700 foreseen for the DSA for the international experts being reallocated to cover the DSA of an additional seven cultural officers, under whose jurisdiction the Ashanti Traditional Buildings are located, and three conservators in the Upper West and Central regional offices of Ghana Museums and Monuments Board,
    3. “Training program about the preparation of site conservation plan” (Egypt) for an amount of US$ 56,504 under the Conservation and Management-Culture budget; the status of the national experts will be clarified prior to the establishment of the contract, since the World Heritage Fund cannot cover salaries of a government’s employees,
    4. “Condition assessment of shipwrecks within the Bikini Atoll Nuclear Test Site” (Marshall Islands) for an amount of US$ 70,000 under the Conservation and Management-Culture budget (i.e. without the amounts dedicated to diving equipment (US$ 3,000) and marine park fees (US$ 1,800)),
    5. “Conservation of Ancient Siva Devale No 01 within the World Heritage site of Polonnaruwa Ancient City” (Sri Lanka) for an amount of US$ 47,500 under the Conservation and Management assistance-Nature budget as authorized by Paragraph 240 of the Operational Guidelines,
    6. “Raising awareness of the population of the Park to the seismic threats to the Department of the North and the installation of a system of conservation, maintenance of the monuments and a compilation of technical specifications for earthquake-resistant reinforcement of the vernacular architecture of the PNH CSSR” (Haiti) for an amount of US$ 33,325 under the Conservation and Management-Culture budget; at the time of the implementation of the activity, the use of International Assistance funds should focus primarily on the attributes of the Outstanding Universal Value, in close consultation between the State Party, the Secretariat (World Heritage Centre and the UNESCO Office in Port-au-Prince) and the Advisory Bodies;
  3. Having noted the lack of funding under Preparatory Assistance and the amount left under the “Conservation and Management Assistance” category, authorizes the transfer of US$ 119,500 from the Conservation and Management Assistance budget to the Preparatory Assistance budget;
  4. Welcomes the review of the International Assistance 2016-2021 focusing on Conservation and Management Assistance and Emergency Assistance and takes note of the outcomes and the benefits that International Assistance has brought to Africa, LDCs and to local communities, and the role it has played in furthering sustainable development in the context of World Heritage properties; and invites States Parties benefitting from International Assistance to submit full reports on the interventions and outcomes;
  5. Encourages States Parties considering preparation of International Assistance requests to contact the World Heritage Centre for advice either on the topic and/or on the technicalities of their International Assistance requests well ahead the annual deadline of 31 October.
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45 COM 7B.120
Sudanese style mosques in northern Côte d’Ivoire (Côte d’Ivoire) (C 1648)

The World Heritage Committee,

  1. Having considered document WHC/23/45.COM/7B.Add,
  2. Recalling Decision 44 COM 8B.33 adopted at its extended 44th session (Fuzhou/online, 2021),
  3. Welcomes the initiatives undertaken and resources provided by the State Party to address the eight recommendations made by the Committee at the time of inscription, in particular the urgent work undertaken to stabilise mosques and reverse inappropriate interventions, the appointment of a property manager, the staffing of the management body, a training course for masons and a consultation process with local communities for the enlargement of property boundaries and buffer zones;
  4. Also welcomes the national priority given to the conservation and sustainable development of the eight mosques and the longer-term aim to establish a guild of traditional masons to facilitate and perpetuate the transmission of traditional Sudanese building practices;
  5. Notes the Action Plan 2023-2025 that has been developed to provide the framework for activities needed to reverse the decline of traditional conservation practices, strengthen protection, foster traditional practices and promote sustainable development, and also notes that the resources to deliver this Plan will be provided mainly by the State Party and partly by International Assistance, if approved;
  6. Further notes the State Party’s acknowledgement that much more needs to be done to address the Committee’s requests and urges the State Party to maintain the necessary momentum to ensure the Action Plan can be delivered on time;
  7. Considers that the sustainable functioning of the management systems and the development of Conservation Plans for the property and for each component mosque need to be given high priority for available funding;
  8. Requests the State Party to submit the revised Management Plan or other management tools to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies;
  9. Notes with concern the impact of severe weather on three mosques and requests the State Party to develop weather monitoring indicators for all component sites and also a Risk Preparedness Strategy for such extreme events;
  10. Invites the international community to consider providing further necessary support for the efficient implementation of the Committee’s recommendations and to strengthen the sustainable development of the property;
  11. Finally requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 December 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 47th session.
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45 COM 8B.76
Statements of Outstanding Universal Value of properties inscribed at previous sessions and not adopted by the World Heritage Committee

The World Heritage Committee,

  1. Having examined Document WHC/23/45.COM/8B,
  2. Adopts the Statements of Outstanding Universal Value for the following World Heritage properties inscribed at previous sessions of the World Heritage Committee:
  • Chile, Settlement and Artificial Mummification of the Chinchorro Culture in the Arica and Parinacota Region
  • Côte d’Ivoire, Sudanese style mosques in northern Côte d’Ivoire
  • France, Nice, Winter Resort Town of the Riviera
  • Gabon, Ivindo National Park
  • Germany, Mathildenhöhe Darmstadt
  • India, Kakatiya Rudreshwara (Ramappa) Temple, Telangana
  • Iran (Islamic Republic of), Trans-Iranian Railway
  • Netherlands, Dutch Water Defence Lines
  • Republic of Korea, Getbol, Korean Tidal Flats
  • Russian Federation, Petroglyphs of Lake Onega and the White Sea
  • Saudi Arabia, Ḥimā Cultural Area
  • Spain, Paseo del Prado and Buen Retiro, a landscape of Arts and Sciences
  • Thailand, Kaeng Krachan Forest Complex
  • Türkiye, Arslantepe Mound.
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Draft Decision: 45 COM 7B.120

The World Heritage Committee,

  1. Having considered document WHC/23/45.COM/7B.Add,
  2. Recalling Decision 44 COM 8B.33, adopted at its extended 44th session (Fuzhou/online, 2021),
  3. Welcomes the initiatives undertaken and resources provided by the State Party to address the eight recommendations made by the Committee at the time of inscription, in particular the urgent work undertaken to stabilise mosques and reverse inappropriate interventions, the appointment of a property manager, the staffing of the management body, a training course for masons and a consultation process with local communities for the enlargement of property boundaries and buffer zones;
  4. Also welcomes the national priority given to the conservation and sustainable development of the eight mosques and the longer-term aim to establish a guild of traditional masons to facilitate and perpetuate the transmission of traditional Sudanese building practices;
  5. Notes the Action Plan 2023-2025 that has been developed to provide the framework for activities needed to reverse the decline of traditional conservation practices, strengthen protection, foster traditional practices and promote sustainable development, and also notes that the resources to deliver this Plan will be provided mainly by the State Party and partly by International Assistance, if approved;
  6. Further notes the State Party’s acknowledgement that much more needs to be done to address the Committee’s requests and urges the State Party to maintain the necessary momentum to ensure the Action Plan can be delivered on time;
  7. Considers that the sustainable functioning of the management systems and the development of Conservation Plans for the property and for each component mosque need to be given high priority for available funding;
  8. Requests the State Party to submit the revised Management Plan or other management tools to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies;
  9. Notes with concern the impact of severe weather on three mosques and requests the State Party to develop weather monitoring indicators for all component sites and also a Risk Preparedness Strategy for such extreme events;
  10. Invites the international community to consider providing further necessary support for the efficient implementation of the Committee’s recommendations and to strengthen the sustainable development of the property;
  11. Finally requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 December 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 47th session.
Report year: 2023
Côte d'Ivoire
Date of Inscription: 2021
Category: Cultural
Criteria: (ii)(iv)
Documents examined by the Committee
WHC/23/45.COM/7B.Add
SOC Report by the State Party
Report (2022) .pdf
arrow_circle_right 45COM (2023)
Exports

* : 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.


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