Aksum

• Insufficient delimitation of this serial property
• Lack of conservation and management plans
• Lack of appropriate urban planning and building regulations
• Urban encroachment and inappropriate new developments
• Rising water level / seepage
• Structural instability of Stele III and Mausoleum
• Lack of progress on Church Museum construction
• Housing
• Interpretative and visitation facilities
• Impact of the recent conflict on cultural heritage in the Tigray region

Total amount provided: USD 5.07 million by the Italian Funds-in-Trust for the “Aksum Archaeological Site Improvement Project: Preparatory studies for the reinstallation of the Obelisk and capacity building for archaeological conservation - Phase 1”, "Reinstallation of the Obelisk - Phase 2” and “Consolidation of Stele III”

The State Party did not submit either the progress report on the assessment of the impact of the recent conflict on cultural heritage in the Tigray region nor an updated state of conservation report on the property, which was requested by the World Heritage Committee at its extended 44th session (Fuzhou/online, 2021). The last state of conservation report received from the State Party was submitted on 31 January 2019 and is available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/15/documents/.

In the second half of 2020, an armed conflict began in Ethiopia, which predominantly focused on the Tigray province in which the Aksum property is located. Various reports of violent incidents have led to major disruptions in the city of Aksum.

Media reports the looting of manuscripts from Tigrayan churches and monasteries, as well as the damage at the Church of Saint Mary of Zion, Aksum within the property in November 2020.

On 5 March 2021, ICOMOS issued a statement on the situation in Tigray (Ethiopia), which is available at https://www.icomos.org/images/DOCUMENTS/Secretariat/2021/Statements/ICOMOS_StatementTigray_EN_final20210304.pdf.

Media reports indicate that a peace accord between the State Party and rebel forces was signed on 2 November 2022.

It is impossible to accurately assess the efficacy of protection and management or the state of conservation of the property due to a lack of verified information. However, the reports of civilian deaths and damage to the property are of very high concern.

It can be assumed that since the last state of conservation report, the State Party has been unable to progress the implementation of past Committee requests, which included:

• A functioning Advisory Committee for the management of the property and the planning of capacity building activities;
• Progress in consolidation of the Stele III, the structural stabilization of the Mausoleum and Tomb of the Brick Arches, and in addressing the ground water problem in the Tomb of the Brick Arches;
• Progress in redefining the boundaries of the property and its buffer zone and submitting a minor boundary modification and detailed maps indicating the proposed property and buffer zone boundaries;
• Improvements in the management of the property and the impact of development projects in its wider setting through redressing the 2016 Structure Plan and completing impact assessments on the 2010 Thematic Master Plan and 2016 Structure Plan;
• The completion of the Church Museum, including the minor façade modification design, submission of the archaeological report on the archaeological features uncovered during the excavation, construction of the Church Museum and, details on the conservation of the Church Museum collection;
• Completion of an Action Plan with timelines for the implementation of the recommendations of the 2013 and 2016 missions and previous decisions of the Committee.

In light of the armed conflict in the region, the Committee requested that the State Party, in close cooperation with the World Heritage Centre and the Secretariats of all relevant UNESCO Culture Conventions, assess the impact of the conflict on the cultural heritage of the region. This assessment should particularly focus on the conservation and management of the property in an effort to ensure that the safeguarding of the property with both protective and emergency response measures is implemented through targeted actions, including the creation of a full inventory of cultural heritage goods of the property and their state of conservation.

It is strongly recommended that the State Party undertake a thorough assessment of the damage to or loss of both, moveable and immovable cultural artefacts in the property and submit a report to the World Heritage Centre. The Committee may also reiterate its requests that the State Party:

• Assess in detail, and in close cooperation with the World Heritage Centre and the Secretariats of all relevant UNESCO Culture Conventions, the impact of the conflict on the cultural heritage of the Tigray region, and in particular on the conservation and management of the property;
• Ensure the safeguarding of the property through protective measures;
• Engage, where necessary, in undertaking an emergency response through targeted actions, including by creating a full inventory of cultural heritage goods of the property and their state of conservation.

It is recommended that Committee request the State Party to invite, as soon as the security conditions permit, a joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring mission in order to assess the state of conservation of the property and develop, in cooperation with the relevant stakeholders, an action plan for the property.

In the context of the lack of information on the protection and management of the OUV of the property, combined with reports of damage and threats to the state of conservation of the property, it raises considerable concerns that the conditions for the maintenance of authenticity or integrity may not be met at present and therefore could potentially be in danger.