Decision 41 COM 7B.98

Historic City of Ayutthaya (Thailand) (C 576)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/17/41.COM/7B,
2. Recalling Decision 39 COM 7B.71, adopted at its 39th session (Bonn, 2015),
3. Welcomes the efforts made by the State Party to improve the capacities of local craftspeople who undertake conservation activities via a training curriculum based on scientific conservation principles and the use of traditional material and skills;
4. Notes with satisfaction the information provided by the State Party on the organization of the international symposium on brick monuments and on the revision of the Master Plan for Conservation and Development, and reiterates its request to the State Party to continue its efforts towards developing a comprehensive plan for conservation and utilization, as requested in Decision 39 COM 7B.71, with the assistance of experts and specialists from different disciplines;
5. Recommends that the State Party carry out an assessment study of the vulnerability of the property against disasters, develop a systematic strategy for disaster risk reduction and integrate it into the Master Plan;
6. Also notes with appreciation that the State Party has been eager to protect the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property by controlling development within the property and by preparing an announcement on additional regulations;
7. Requests the State Party to provide further information on the revised construction projects for the university and the hospital to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies, in accordance with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines, and to ensure that there are no negative impacts on the OUV of the property, and encourages the State Party to take all necessary steps to finalize the announcement restricting buildings within the property, submit it to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies, and revise the document according to their feedback prior to its adoption;
8. Invites the State Party to provide the World Heritage Centre with updates on the progress achieved with the approval and implementation of the Master Plan for Conservation and Development, including the restoration projects and post-flood interventions at the property;
9. Also requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 December 2018, an updated report on the state of conservation of the property and the implementation of the above, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 43rd session in 2019.