Old City of Dubrovnik

• Armed conflict (issue resolved)
• Earthquake in September 1996 (issue resolved)
• Need to extend the buffer zone
• Large project in the vicinity of the property
• Cruise ship tourism
• Carrying capacity of the property
• Planned Sport and recreation centre with golf course and tourist settlement (issue resolved)

Total Amount of the postwar major restoration programme coordinated by UNESCO: USD 80,000,000

On 28 November 2022, the State Party submitted a state of conservation report. An executive summary of this report is available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/95/documents. Progress on a number of conservation issues addressed by the Committee at its previous sessions is presented in this report, as follows:

• The Conservation Plan for the property comprises two parts: the Historic Core and the buffer zone. The buffer zone part of the Conservation Plan has been the priority and was submitted to the World Heritage Centre in January 2022;
• The Historic Core part of the Conservation Plan has commenced and will be available to owners, experts, designers, conservators and city administrators involved in the protection and management of the property;
• The Management Plan was adopted in March 2021, with an English version submitted to the World Heritage Centre early 2022. The Management Plan is the key document for sustainable development and use of the property and buffer zone. The Institute for the Restoration of Dubrovnik is responsible for implementation of the Management Plan and has organised seven capacity building workshops;
• Risk management priorities include preparing a new disaster risk management plan, monitoring the implementation of the 2018 Risk Assessment, strengthening earthquake capacity and responding to the effects of climate change;
• The ‘Study of Sustainable Tourism Development and Carrying Capacity of the City of Dubrovnik’ addresses Dubrovnik’s carrying capacity as a tourist destination, and concludes that the maximum number of visitors in the city core should be 8,000, with some exceptions allowing for 10,000;
• Other sustainable tourism measures include: traffic regulation, a ‘Smart City’ programme, green tourism initiatives, a communication plan and specific projects, such as ‘Marking the Protected Objects in the City of Dubrovnik’;
• A new ‘World Heritage Centre’ is planned, as a network of spaces enabling functions such as interpretation, education, capacity building, and communal space;
• Efforts are continuing for the physical conservation of Orlando’s Column with advice provided by national and international experts following ICCROM's initial guidance on the development of the conservation plan. After three years of monitoring, future interventions will focus on in situ conservation and restoration;
• New Conservation guidelines apply to repair and upgrade of the sewer system, with the main streets of Stradun and Prijeko being priorities. Details have been provided about proposed procedures, materials, techniques and documentation of these works;
• Expansion of the village of Bosanka on the slopes of the Mount Srđ is on hold owing to changes in planning approach arising from the Conservation Plan for the Buffer Zone. Potentially acceptable new buildings should protect the landscape and a landscape study should be prepared and new proposals should be subject to a Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA);
• Action has been taken pursuant to the Cooperation Agreement for protection of cultural heritage through responsible tourism management between the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) and the City of Dubrovnik. The Berthing Policy was determined and CLIA sponsored a destination assessment implemented by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council.

The State Party has progressed with some of the Committee’s previous Decisions. The Technical Review of the Conservation Plan for the Buffer Zone of the Old City of Dubrovnik by ICOMOS concluded that it is thorough and well-argued, and addresses many of the concerns expressed by the 2015 joint UNESCO/ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring mission. The Conservation Plan for the Historic Core of Dubrovnik is awaited and should be similarly submitted to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies. The ICOMOS Technical Review of the Management Plan for the property noted that it is comprehensive, thorough and ambitious, but concluded that if resources are constrained, the Carrying Capacity Plan and the Risk Preparedness and Management Plan should be prioritised. The completion of the ‘Study of Sustainable Tourism Development and Carrying Capacity of the City of Dubrovnik’ is therefore welcome and, in view of its importance to sustainable tourism, it should be translated into one of the working languages of the Committee and submitted to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies. The proposed Disaster Risk Management Plan is an urgent priority, which the Committee has already requested to be finalised and submitted for review by the Advisory Bodies.

Initiatives such as the ‘Marking the Protected Objects in the City of Dubrovnik’ project and the proposed ‘World Heritage Centre’ will enhance visitor experience but would be better guided by an over-arching Interpretation Strategy, as previously requested by the Committee. Regarding the proposed ‘World Heritage Centre’, the State Party should be strongly encouraged to opt for another name that does not lead to any confusion with the Secretariat which, within UNESCO, has been assisting the Committee since 1992. It would be appropriate for the Committee to acknowledge the suite of sustainable tourism measures being implemented at the property, the thorough and ongoing programme for the conservation of Orlando’s Column, which is evidenced by an extensive set of submitted documentation, the current suspension of the proposed expansion of the village of Bosanka and the ongoing collaboration between the City of Dubrovnik, the CLIA and the Global Sustainable Tourism Council.

The Committee had previously noted that the restoration of the historic sewage system had the potential to affect significant engineering structures and archaeological features, and had requested that information on this project be provided to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies prior to the commencement of the works. Substantial information has now been provided by the State Party, albeit not in one of the Committee’s working languages. It is positive that the works are reported to be in line with conservation guidelines, but the HIAs requested by Decision 44 COM 7B.42 have not yet been submitted.