Asmara: A Modernist African City

• Unfinalized Urban Conservation Master Plan and Asmara Planning Norms and Technical Regulations
• Lack of strategies to ensure a steady influx of financial resources, substantial qualified human resources, and considerable institutional and technical capacity
• Need to set up the central management body 

Total amount provided: USD 44,038 under the Netherlands Funds-in-Trust

On 30 November 2021, the State Party submitted a state of conservation report, which is available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1550/documents/, and reported on progress on the number of issues requested by the Committee at its previous sessions, as follows:

• The roles and structures of the main stakeholders of the World Heritage property are clarified, including that the Asmara Heritage Project (AHP), the principal management authority for the property located within the Department of Public Works Development, is an autonomous institution with a staff of 20 professionals;
• The preparation of the Detailed Urban Conservation Master Plan (DUCMP) and the Asmara Planning Norms and Technical Regulations (APNTR) continues, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic and other unforeseen circumstances, the timeframe for completion of these studies has shifted. Work done to date includes developing planning norms and building regulations and establishing an Integrated Historical Perimeter, which includes the property, its buffer zone and areas outside the buffer zone for green protection. The State Party commits to completing this process and submitting the DUCMP and APNTR to the World Heritage Centre for review by September 2023;
• A Managing Director and the Eritrean Cultural and Natural Heritage Board have been established to implement the 2015 Cultural and Natural Heritage Proclamation (CNHP);
• The State Party further communicates its intention to urgently declaring Asmara as a Protected Site under the auspice of the 2015 CNHP;
• The Terms of Reference for the project of the drafting of the Local Economic Development Plan (LEDP) were agreed with the World Heritage Centre. The project will be realized during the year 2023 and will engage national and international experts;
• The State Party has initiated a discussion between the Central Region Administration and the Commission of Culture and Sports to improve the organizational structures of the AHP with a view to better coordinating and managing the World Heritage property.

The entry developed for the property as part of the World Heritage Cities programme, including an interactive map, can be found at https://whc.unesco.org/en/activities/1305/.

The continued efforts of the State Party to mobilize resources for the finalization of the DUCMP and the APNTR are welcomed. These planning, management and conservation tools are essential for the sustainable conservation and effective management of the site. Despite challenges due to unforeseen circumstances following the COVID-19 pandemic, the State Party continues the work and targets to finalize these documents in 2023. It is recommended that the Committee encourage the State Party to continue its endeavour to develop these tools in parallel with its efforts to improve the structure of AHP and to designate the property as a protected site under the auspices of the CNHP of 2015, in order to ensure an effective management and administrative system essential for the safeguarding and promotion of the Word Heritage property.

The State Party has engaged the Word Heritage Centre in the definitions of the Terms of Reference for the LEDP, which is to be drafted in 2023. Already in 2018, the State Party identified 14 historical buildings as a priority for conservation and restoration as a first phase but noted that it would need to raise the funds to undertake these projects. It is critical that the LEDP supports the establishment of a financial mechanism to support the conservation of the World Heritage property. In addition, the Committee may wish to reiterate the invitation to the State Party to provide detailed information on the renovation projects before proceeding with their implementation.

In view of developing these tools, it is positive that the State Party adopts an inclusive approach that mobilises different analyses of the historic layering of cultural and natural values and attributes of the protected areas to boost the socio-economic transformation of the urban area. Based on the reflections under the Historic Urban Landscape (HUL) approach, the proposed Integrated Historic Perimeter (IHP) will ensure that the protection of the World Heritage site promotes adequate quality of life for its residents and growing population, provides better services and infrastructures in the territory such as safe and comfortable mobility, and improves the protected green areas within the urban context and its geographic setting.

It is noted that the State Party has provided clarification on the roles and structures of various stakeholders and other important partners involved in the planning, management, and conservation of the property. It is, however, important to emphasize that the new revised organizational structures of AHP should maintain the balance between its managerial and administrative roles to effectively conserve, manage, and promote the property. A position that hinges between the institutions dealing with cultural development, such as the newly created Eritrean Cultural and Natural Heritage Board, and those dealing with planning and building permits in the city, such as the Department of Public Works Development (DPWD), is highly desirable. In addition, to address the complexities inherent in the conservation and management of this property, continued mobilisation, engagement, and capacity building of these stakeholders and rightsholders is essential. The Committee may wish to reiterate its encouragement to the State Party to continue in these efforts both in regard to managing the historic urban landscape and to the physical conservation of the property.