Medina of Sousse

• absence of a safeguarding and valorisation plan (PSMV) and coordination
• absence of a consultation framework concerning interventions
• urban pressure and densification
• social and economic factors
• visual impact on the integrity of the property
• loss of traditional knowledge
• alteration of building elements and materials

N/A

On 29 November 2022, the State Party submitted a report, available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/498/documents/. The progress made in terms of conservation is presented below:

• The Institut National du Patrimoine (INP) carried out a general diagnosis on the urban fabric of the medina and its monuments. It concludes that these elements are generally in a good state of conservation, and that the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property is maintained. However, the transformation of dwellings and shops, linked to adaptation to contemporary lifestyles (extensions, use of contemporary materials), as well as that of several monuments by a range of reversible factors (graffiti, scaffolding, commercial installations, etc.) threaten to have a visual impact on the integrity of the urban fabric;
• The State Party reports on the restoration work carried out on the major monuments of the property since 2006, and indicates that three monuments are currently being restored by the Municipality of Sousse;
• In 2022, the INP and the municipality pledged to work together with the common aim of protecting and enhancing the medina, with priority given to halting the deterioration of the traditional fabric and drawing up the safeguarding and valorisation plan (PSMV) for the property, a partnership agreement having been signed to this effect. In addition, a joint unit has been set up to manage and monitor urban operations (building permits, infringements, raising residents' awareness, etc.);
• The preparation of the PSMV is part of the second phase of the Integrated Urban Development Programme for the city of Sousse (PDUI-II), implemented with the technical and financial support of the Swiss Government. The technical steering committee (COTECH) responsible for monitoring the project has drawn up the terms of reference for appointing the consultancy firm in charge. The PSMV should be finalized by the end of 2024;
• The municipality of Sousse has launched a Programme for the Regeneration and Enhancement of Old Town Centres (PRCA) (2022-2025). Its aim is to reinforce the cultural, economic and tourist appeal of the property, and create greater synergies with the modern city. The plan is to work on three main axes of the medina, where twenty housing units, public spaces and historic monuments will be restored and rehabilitated, façades upgraded, the ground paved, and signage put in place.

In response to the State Party's invitation, a joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS/ICCROM Advisory mission visited the property from 10 to 12 January, 2023, (See page https://whc.unesco.org/en/​list/498/documents/). The mission found that collaboration in the management of the property had improved, that progress had been made in drawing up the PSMV with the appointment of a consultancy firm, and that the main attributes of the OUV appearto be in a good state of conservation overall, albeit vulnerable to several threats, notably those linked to the transformation of the urban and social fabric, particularly in the absence of a PSMV, and with regard to the construction of high-rise buildings in the buffer zone. It recommends pursuing the efforts already underway, including continued rigorous monitoring of infringements and greater involvement of civil society, as well as an in-depth analysis of the urban fabric and a pilot project, with a view to drawing up a PSMV adapted to the context and applicable. This PSMV should also benefit the management of the site, notably through inclusion of representatives of the resident community in the PSMV's governance arrangements.

The State Party has taken important steps in response to the recommendations of the World Heritage Committee. Indeed, as reported by the State Party and confirmed by the joint mission, collaboration between the INP and the municipality has improved, notably through the setting up of a joint urban operations control unit, and the signing of an agreement to work jointly on the PSMV. In addition, the municipality has actively sought funding to support the preservation of the property. These efforts are appreciated and the State Party should be invited to reinforce them.

The PRCA, launched in 2022, along with the restoration of the medina's monuments, is helping to halt the deterioration of the urban fabric and improve living conditions for residents on the medina's main streets, but is not enough to stem the threats to the authenticity and integrity of the property as a whole.

As a regulatory tool to ensure better preservation of the property, the development and adoption of the PSMV, is crucial. The launch of the PSMV project is thus welcomed. It is recommended that the State Party carry out this work in a participatory manner, drawing on the 2011 UNESCO Recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape (HUL), and to carry out an in-depth study of the property's attributes, the qualities of the buffer zone and the visual fields to be preserved, including in the buffer zone and its surrounding context, in order to better understand how they support and better protect the OUV of the property. This study should also document and analyze traditional and current patterns of use of urban infrastructure to provide a basis for the socio-economic regeneration of the urban fabric, and to enable the PSMV to incorporate suitable provisions, to support the regeneration of the property, while protecting its Outstanding Universal Value. To this end, the State Party could seek the expertise of the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies. It is also advisable that a pilot project reflecting the provisions set out in the PSMV be carried out in one area of the medina, to ensure that it is adapted and applicable to this context before developing it on a property-wide scale.

In the absence of a management plan for the property, it is also advisable to take advantage of the PSMV process to set up a joint management mechanism for the medina, including representatives of the resident community. Civil society should be more closely involved in the preservation, enhancement and management of the property.

Furthermore, the second phase of the PDUI-II represents a significant step forward in the implementation of sustainable development objectives in the city of Sousse. The PSMV should integrate the sustainable development aspects of PDUI-II while respecting the property's OUV, and take precedence over the Urban Development Plan to ensure better protection of the property.

Finally, the State Party should be reminded that information on all major projects should be submitted to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies, before decisions are taken that could be difficult to reverse, in accordance with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines.