Historic Inner City of Paramaribo

• Legal framework
• Management systems/ management plan

Total amount granted: USD 23,000 for the project “Management Plan for Paramaribo” in 2010; and USD 125,362 provided for the project “Inner City of Paramaribo. Phase I & II” from 2005 to 2008 (UNESCO/Netherlands Funds in Trust)

On 11 November 2022, the State Party submitted a state of conservation report, available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/940/documents/, which reported the following:

• The draft designs of the Waterfront in the framework of the Paramaribo Urban Rehabilitation Programme (PURP), were submitted on 3 December 2021, then modified following ICOMOS’ technical review and submitted a second time on 18 February 2022. Based on ICOMOS’ feedback, the designs of the waterfront were revised again then re-submitted on 3 March 2022. ICOMOS noted then that these revised designs respond to its prior suggestion and suggested that they be welcomed;
• On 14 October 2022, a contract was signed between the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture of the State Party and a private consultancy company to conduct an Environmental and Social Impact Analysis (ESIA) to evaluate possible impacts of the waterfront rehabilitation project on environment and community, and envisage mitigation measures;
• The extension of the boundaries of the buffer zone is drafted, but authorities have not taken a decision in this respect yet. The extension of the boundaries of the property to include a 50-metre strip along the river has not been addressed;
• The Management Plan 2020-2024 was approved by the Council of Ministers in May 2021 and USD230,000 for fiscal year 2021 was approved for implementation;
• Concerning destroyed buildings within the property, 15 historic buildings are being restored. Other government-owned historic buildings still need urgent rehabilitation. A privately-owned monumental building was illegally destroyed, with no legal prosecution of the proprietor, and a request was made to deny the owner a new building permit. Several public awareness initiatives were taken, including a photo contest on historical places, a youth event, a university student workshop and a national workshop on Sustainable Tourism Strategies for World Heritage in Suriname;
• The reconstruction of the two former National Assembly buildings at Henck Arronstraat 2-4 and 6 was completed, in conformity with the results of consultations with ICOMOS;
• Three government-owned buildings are to be restored. ICOMOS’ technical review welcomed the restoration of two. The designs of the third were revised following the comments of the Advisory Body and subsequently welcomed by ICOMOS;
• Under the current PURP, a consultancy will develop a Parking Management Policy for the historic city center, and a second consultancy is revising the legal framework and functioning of the Building Committee and the Monuments Commission to support the protection of the historic inner city;
• A new PURP, supported by the Inter-American Development Bank, is being planned for 2024;
• The project of a new State Council building was submitted to the World Heritage Centre in October 2022. A new hotel project in the buffer zone will be submitted to the World Heritage Centre and ICOMOS for technical review. The design of a new apartment building is being revised to comply with the applicable legislation;
• The State Party submitted in March-April 2023 four additional projects for review by the Advisory Bodies: the rehabilitation of the Palm Garden, the restoration of two historic buildings at the Henck Arronstraat 1 and Grote Combeweg 3, a project for the construction of a new National Assembly Hall on the grounds behind the two reconstructed National Assembly buildings at Henk Arronstraat 2-4 and 6, and a proposal for a hotel at the Kleine Combeweg next to the Palm Garden.

The revisions to the designs of the Waterfront and the launch of the ESIA which will be implemented by the PURP are welcomed. It is noted that the ESIA results will inform the final design of the Waterfront and will be submitted to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies.

Regrettably the State Party has made no progress in the extension of the boundaries of the property to include a 50-metre strip along the river, which is relevant to the Waterfront rehabilitation. No action has been taken on a draft extension of the buffer zones. It is recommended that the State Party be requested to urgently complete the process following the procedures established for a Minor Boundary Modification in accordance with Paragraph 164 of the Operational Guidelines.

The approval of the Historic Inner City of Paramaribo World Heritage City Management Plan 2020-2024 by the Council of Ministers and the initial budget provided for its implementation are noted with satisfaction. The State Party should be encouraged to ensure its effective implementation and financial support.

The rehabilitation of destroyed historic buildings is noted with satisfaction, as are the initiatives to raise awareness of the population and of owners on the importance of the buildings. The State Party should be encouraged to restore government-owned historic buildings still needing urgent rehabilitation. It is noted that illegal demolitions have police reports but legal action against perpetrators was not taken. It is recommended that the Committee request the enforcement of adequate legal measures.

The reconstruction of the former National Assembly buildings is also noted with satisfaction. It is recommended that the State Party be requested to provide full photographic documentation of the exterior and interior of the building.

The restoration of three government-owned buildings in line with suggestions of ICOMOS’ technical reviews is welcomed. Photographic documentation or drawings should be requested particularly with regards to Waterkant 33.

Initiatives to manage parking in the historic city center are noted.

The State Party should be commended for the initiative under the PURP to revise the legal framework of the Building Committee and the Monuments Commission in view of protecting the historic inner city. It is recommended that the Committee request the State Party to share these legal frameworks with the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies.

The planning of a new PURP, with the Inter-American Development Bank starting in 2024 is welcomed. Extensive information on this new project should be submitted to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies as soon as possible.

As to the project documentation submitted for technical review by the Advisory Bodies:

• ICOMOS endorsed the restoration works at Henck Arronstraat 1 and Grote Combeweg 3 with some recommendations to the State Party;
• It also concluded that the proposed construction for the State Council building is located within one of the most essential monumental zones listed in the nomination dossier of the property (the Fort Zeelandia area), and that substantive additional documentation is required for a full review;
• With regards to the proposed new National Assembly Hall behind the recently reconstructed buildings Henck Arronstrat 2-4 and 6, an extensive technical review was undertaken by ICOMOS, which concluded that the proposed hall is unsuited and inviable in terms of its urban setting, size, scale, proportions and architectural language and would pose an adverse and irreversible impact on the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property. It is recommended to study alternative options, including the refurbishing of the present location at the Onafhankelijkheidsplein (Independence Square). In case of any further development at the premises of Henck Arronstraat 2-4 and 6, it is recommended to respect the earlier agreed Master Plan and the recommendations of previous technical reviews. Heritage Impact Assessments (HIAs) of the hall at its present or alternative locations will be required;
• The technical review of the project for the rehabilitation of the Palm Garden recommends treating the garden as a cultural landscape and preparing a comprehensive Management Plan and rehabilitation project that should consider the historical development and present conditions of the garden including infrastructure in and around the garden, as well as the ‘spirit of the place’. The cleaning, maintenance and removal of damaged or too old palms as proposed in the documentation could proceed in the meantime;
• The proposed hotel at the Kleine Combeweg 63-64-65 would potentially have a negative and irreversible impact on the OUV of the property. In case the proposal would be further developed, an HIA will be necessary, in line with the new Guidance and Toolkit for Impact Assessments in a World Heritage Context, and accompanied by an exhaustive spatial and historical analysis of the proposed building site, the more so in light of the above-mentioned rehabilitation project of the Palm Garden;

The State Party should be invited to submit requested documentation and/or HIAs as soon as possible to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies, and no action should be undertaken until technical reviews and eventual consultation processes between the State Party, the World Heritage Centre and ICOMOS are completed.