Case Law

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/19/43.COM/7B.Add,
2. Recalling Decision 41 COM 7B.26, adopted at its 41st session (Krakow, 2017),
3. Welcomes the State Party’s progress towards an integrated, coordinated management system for the property, including the ongoing implementation of the 2016 Conservation and Management Plan of South China Karst World Natural Heritage Site (CMP‐SCK);
4. Notes with appreciation the continued progress in addressing impacts from tourism, water pollution, agriculture and urban development through the implementation of the CMP-SCK, and urges again the State Party to closely monitor the effectiveness of measures taken;
5. Also notes with appreciation the State Party’s decision to abandon the renovation and expansion projects of the two existing roads crossing Shilin Karst and its Buffer Zone, which may have a negative impact on the property’s Outstanding Universal Value (OUV), and its commitment to report any future developments to the World Heritage Centre, in accordance with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines;
6. Acknowledges the reported assessment of environmental impacts of the Guiyang‐Nanning High‐Speed Railway, which commenced in 2016 and crosses the buffer zone of Libo Karst, concluding that the project would not affect the OUV of the property, but requests however the State Party to address any impact on the buffer zone, any potential impact of invasive alien species on the property, and that it assess, monitor and manage the potential long-term cumulative impacts of increased tourism pressure on the OUV of the property;
7. Further notes with appreciation the information provided about the relocation processes followed for Wukeshu Village, in particular to ensure that the relocation was carried out with the consent of the population concerned, and also requests the State Party to ensure that any such relocation programmes are in line with the 2015 World Heritage and Sustainable Development Policy and relevant international standards;
8. Further requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 December 2020, 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 45th session in 2021.

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/19/43.COM/7B,
2. Recalling Decision 39 COM 7B.10, adopted at its 39th session (Bonn, 2015),
3. Welcomes the ongoing efforts by the State Party to manage impacts on the property, including through the demolition of illegal structures within the property and the development of plans to systematically address Committee decisions;
4. Takes note of the reported positive measures implemented to minimize the impact of existing cable car, elevator and electric railway tourism infrastructure within the property and the confirmation by the State Party that no similar projects have been developed, yet notes with concern that other infrastructure projects appear to have been approved and requests the State Party to provide more information on these projects and their potential impact on the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property; in line with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines before any decision is made that would be difficult to reverse;
5. Also notes with concern that, although the State Party’s report indicates that no new roads have been constructed within the property and that road development outside the property is not impacting its OUV, road construction will continue to be allowed in principle, and urges again the State Party to ensure that no new road development is permitted within the property;
6. Regrets that the State Party did not submit the 2005-2020 Overall Plan of Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area and also requests the State Party to submit the revised draft Plan to the World Heritage Centre for review as soon as it is available;
7. Also takes note of the measures undertaken by the State Party to develop a sustainable tourism strategy for the property, of the fact that visitation numbers continue to increase and that tourism carrying capacity limits will be revised with the Overall Plan, and requests the State Party to finalize the Strategy for Sustainable Development of Tourism for Wulingyuan, in alignment with other management documents, and to submit a draft to the World Heritage Centre for review as soon as possible;
8. Notes the efforts to positively engage with local communities during relocation programmes and further requests the State Party to ensure that any such programmes are in line with the with the 2015 Policy Document on the Integration of a Sustainable Development Perspective into the Processes of the Convention and ensure effective consultation, fair compensation, access to social benefits and skills training, and the preservation of cultural rights;
9. Finally requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 December 2020, 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 45th session in 2021.

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/19/43.COM/7B,
2. Recalling Decision 41 COM 7B.98, adopted at its 41st session (Krakow, 2017),
3. Acknowledges the State Party’s efforts to continue addressing conservation and management issues, and in particular the finalization of updated Master Plan for Conservation and Development (2018-2027), including a disaster risk prevention strategy, and encourages the State Party to ensure the timely adoption and implementation of the updated Master Plan and any associated strategies and to provide further information on the implementation of provisions for disaster responses and evaluation of the impact on communities of relocation programmes;
4. Welcomes the updated Notification on Rules and Procedure in Pursuing Permission of Building Construction in an effort to protect the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property, on which further comments are provided in an ICOMOS technical review for consideration by the State Party;
5. Requests the State Party to pursue comprehensive implementation of the demolition order for the University Faculty of Fine Arts building, to ensure that there is no negative impact on the OUV of the property;
6. Notes with satisfaction the continued training activities organized to improve the capacity of local craftspeople who undertake conservation activities, and also encourages the State Party to continue organizing such capacity-building activities to respond to identified training needs;
7. Further encourages the State Party to monitor the inscribed monuments regularly and to ensure that any intervention is based on scientific conservation principles and respects the use of traditional materials and skills;
8. Also requests the State Party to inform the World Heritage Centre, of any future plans for major restoration or new construction projects that may affect the OUV of the property, in accordance with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines, before such projects commence or any irreversible decisions are made;
9. Further requests the State Party to pursue an extension to the boundary of the property to reflect the complete footprint of the City of Ayutthaya in consultation with the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies, with a view to submitting a re-nomination or minor boundary modification proposal;
10. Finally Requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 December 2020, an updated report on the state of conservation of the property, including the updated Master Plan for Conservation and Development and the updated Notification on Rules and Procedure in Pursuing Permission of Building Construction at the property, for review by the Advisory Bodies.

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/19/43.COM/7B.Add.2,
2. Recalling Decision 41 COM 7B.39, adopted at its 41st session (Krakow, 2017),
3. Welcomes the submission of the draft General Management Plan (GMP) for the property, the completion of the feasibility study for the southern bypass road, as well as the State Party’s temporary halting of the Laetoli museum project and its subsequent positive engagement with the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies towards developing appropriate conservation perspectives for the Laetoli footprints, including a methodology proposed for the way forward on the project;
4. Acknowledges the State Party’s continuing commitment to combatting animal poaching and control of invasive alien plant species, but notes the 2019 Reactive Monitoring mission findings that general poaching and the spread of invasive alien plant species persist, and urges the State Party to further enhance its efforts to combat these threats to the property, including through stakeholder awareness-raising;
5. Also notes the recommendations of both the 2017 Advisory mission and 2019 Reactive Monitoring mission, and requests the State Party to implement all their recommendations;
6. Notes the reported continuing work on the surfacing of roads in the property while the State Party is addressing the recommendations of the 2017 Advisory mission, including the submission of the feasibility study for the southern bypass road, and also requests the State Party to urgently submit to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies, the details of the surveys and studies that were recommended by the 2017 mission before construction works commence;
7. Further notes that the management system requires further augmentation to efficiently balance the conservation of the OUV of the property with other activities such as tourism, and further requests the State Party to develop and submit to the World Heritage Centre, the following to complement the draft GMP:
   1. An action plan and timeline for implementation of past Committee Decisions,
   2. A framework for stakeholder engagement that enables cross-cutting engagement on matters of mutual interest,
   3. Integrated policies and guidelines on tourism carrying capacity,
   4. Monitoring and enforcement mechanisms which ensure compliance with the conclusions and mitigation measures of validated impact assessment studies,
   5. Mechanisms for traffic monitoring, including regulation of speed and driving behaviour;
8. Encourages the State Party to augment the resources currently dedicated to cultural heritage preservation in the property, and to develop and maintain a database of archaeological attributes and other cultural sites in the property;
9. Also encourages the State Party to engage local communities and other stakeholders in exploring alternative livelihood solutions to its current voluntary resettlement scheme consistent with the policies of the Convention and relevant international norms;
10. Also notes with concern that the 2019 mission concluded that:
    1. There is a gradual and cumulative increase in threats to the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property due to previous Committee Decisions not being implemented,
    2. There is a need for a mechanism to monitor and enforce compliance with the conclusions of impact assessment studies in the implementation of projects;
11. Requests moreover the State Party to undertake a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of current and planned projects in the property, including a Heritage Impact Assessment, that assesses their individual and cumulative impacts on the OUV of the property, to be submitted to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies;
12. Finally requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 December 2020, 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 45th session in 2021.

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/17/41.COM/7B,
2. Recalling Decision 40 COM 7B.44 adopted at its 40th session (Istanbul/UNESCO, 2016),
3. Expresses its appreciation for the significant efforts expended by the State Party to improve the state of conservation of the property by regularly removing litter, graffiti and vegetation from the property, hiring security guards, and documenting/storing displaced original architectural elements;
4. Notes however that important requests made by the Committee are yet to be addressed or fully implemented, including the completion of the barrier wall, the encroachment of contemporary burials on the property, the stabilisation of important monuments, and the finalization of the Management Plan;
5. Requests the State Party to:
   1. Submit, at its earliest convenience, details of the inventory system for displaced architectural elements and documentation on the remaining architectural surface decoration, and especially glazed tiles, which constitute an important part of the attributes of Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property,
   2. Ensure that programmes to record and analyse data from weather stations and crack monitors are implemented and that the results contribute directly to the management and conservation of the property and its monuments,
   3. Finalize the Management Plan for the property, taking into account the findings and recommendations of the 2016 Reactive Monitoring mission, together with a regulatory plan for the buffer zone of the necropolis, in consultation with the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies;
6. Urges the State Party to:
   1. Continue the stabilization of all elements in danger of collapse, in order of priority, particularly the Jamia Majid and the Jam Nizzamuddin Mausoleum and several other monuments groups, and produce the necessary preliminary assessments and studies, as requested by Decision 40 COM.7B.44,
   2. Determine the most appropriate way of accommodating new burials, notably by considering the allocation of an area outside of the property’s boundaries to this use, set up a mechanism for civilians to obtain burial authorisation, and ensure that the Management Plan acknowledges and addresses the living heritage values of the property and institutionalizes consultation with local communities,
   3. Consult with local communities regarding new burial arrangements and residential relocation and seek to incorporate programmes for education and outreach, making sure that changes do not create further risks of vandalism or damage,
   4. Establish clear standards and mechanisms for the continued supervision of all interventions carried out at the property, whether by the Sindh Government’s staff or by third parties, ensure that all regulations are followed and that proposals for works are submitted, reviewed, and approved before any work is undertaken on site,
   5. Develop a process for the prioritization of work and any related budgetary allocation to ensure that the most critical needs are met first. Priorities should be determined according to the significance and condition of the monuments, such that the most significant monuments in the worst condition are treated before those of lesser significance and/or in a less degraded state of conservation,
   6. For each major monument, create an extensive baseline photographic documentation that can be used to monitor visible structural changes (e.g. loss of material, cracks, discoloration and biological growth). All photographs should include size and colour scales for reference;
7. Encourages the State Party to provide short- and mid-term training programmes for the staff of the Department of Archaeology, to hire experts whenever necessary, and to develop a detailed list of responsibilities and a schedule of activities for each member of staff;
8. Also requests the State Party to invite a joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring mission to the property in the first half of 2018, in order to:
   1. Review the progress accomplished with the implementation of the decisions adopted by the Committee at its 40th and present sessions, as well as the recommendations made by the 2016 Reactive Monitoring mission, and in particular:
      1. the development of the Management Plan,
      2. the overall management of the property (e.g. litter collection, site security, contemporary burials encroachment),
      3. conservation works carried out on site,
      4. the mechanism established for physical interventions, including the prioritisation of interventions,
      5. the establishment of documentation/inventory and monitoring systems;
   2. Review the factors that constitute a threat to the property and consider whether there is still an ascertained or potential danger to the OUV of the property,
   3. Advise the State Party on the issues related to the boundaries and buffer zone of the property as well as the completion and implementation of the Management Plan;
9. Further 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, with a view to considering, in the absence of substantial progress in the implementation of the above mentioned issues, the possible inscription of the property on the List of World Heritage in Danger.

1. Having examined Document WHC-15/39.COM/7A.Add,
2. Recalling Decision 38 COM 7A.43, adopted at its 38th session (Doha, 2014),
3. Welcomes the State Party’s efforts to re-demarcate and re-gazette the boundaries of the park, revise the Grazing Pressure Reduction Strategy and make further progress in strengthening the management effectiveness of the property and encourages the State Party to seek supplementary international support to help provide alternative livelihoods and implement the Grazing Pressure Reduction Strategy upon its finalization;
4. Appreciates the State Party’s continued efforts to complete the negotiated relocation of the Gich settlement from the property and requests the State Party to continue its engagement to ensure consent and appropriate compensation of the affected local communities;
5. Notes with appreciation the support already provided by different donors to assist the State Party with the implementation of the corrective measures and reiterates its call to the international community to increase the financial support to the property for the implementation of the remaining corrective measures;
6. Also requests the State Party to provide an update on the development of road realignment outside of the property to reduce the pressure on the existing road through the property;
7. Further requests the State Party to commission an independent scientific study in order to assess the status, composition and distribution of important wildlife species such as Walia ibex and Ethiopian wolf;
8. Requests furthermore the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2016, an updated report, including a 1-page executive summary, on the state of conservation of the property and the implementation of the above, including an evaluation of the implementation of the corrective measures and information on progress made towards achieving the Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger (DSOCR) for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 40th session in 2016;
9. Decides to retain the Simien National Park (Ethiopia) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.