Case Law

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/17/41.COM/7A,
2. Recalling Decision 40 COM 7A.9, adopted at its 40th session (Istanbul/UNESCO, 2016),
3. Continues to express great concern regarding the state of conservation of the property and the low level of implementation of the recommended corrective measures;
4. Notes that the State Party has submitted a schedule of management actions and projects, but urges it to prepare a comprehensive integrated Management Plan for the property;
5. Also urges the State Party to proceed with comprehensive implementation of the corrective measures, to protect and conserve the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property, with particular attention to the Management Plan and the following issues:
   1. Preparation of a conservation plan for the entirety of the property, which includes a condition survey and the identification of priority interventions to ensure stabilization of archaeological remains,
   2. Removal of inadequate new constructions and the creation of facilities to allow for religious uses in areas outside the boundaries of the property and its buffer zone;
6. Welcomes the ‘Efficiency-Raising and Maintenance of the Groundwater Lowering’ project, but reiterates its request that the State Party undertake an analysis of ways to address the underlying causes of the rising water table and elaborate a project to address them, as well as mitigation measures for the archaeological remains once the water table has been lowered and stabilized;
7. Also notes that the State Party has invited a technical Advisory mission to the property to provide advice on appropriate irrigation and water management technologies;
8. Requests the State Party to submit a revised modification of the boundaries of both the property and buffer zone, in accordance with Paragraphs 163-165 of the Operational Guidelines, for examination by the World Heritage Committee;
9. Also requests the State Party to submit, in accordance with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines, a Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) for the proposed visitor centre, which has particular regard to potential impact on the OUV of the property, and is prepared in accordance with the ICOMOS Guidance on HIAs for Cultural World Heritage properties;
10. Further requests the State Party to submit, in accordance with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines, details for all other on-going or planned restoration interventions at the property, particularly those at the Great Basilica, the reburial strategy, and initiatives arising from the project for restoration and rehabilitation of the property prepared by the Ministry of Antiquities and the Abu Mena Monastery administration, for review prior to implementation;
11. Requests furthermore the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 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 42nd session in 2018;
12. Decides to retain Abu Mena (Egypt) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.

1. Having examined Document WHC-15/39.COM/7A,
2. Recalling Decision 38 COM 7A.1, adopted at its 38th session (Doha, 2014),
3. Commends the State Party for its efforts in the implementation of measures at the property and encourages it to sustain these efforts to protect and conserve the property and its buffer zone;
4. Urges the State Party to continue with the implementation of the corrective measures, with particular attention to the following:

   1. Undertake detailed condition surveys to identify priority interventions to ensure stabilization of archaeological remains,
   2. Continue to monitor the groundwater and to implement the groundwater project,
   3. Develop a conservation plan defining short, medium and long term objectives and technical parameters,
   4. The Board of Trustees to commence discussions with the communities to develop a programme for the removal of inadequate new constructions and the creation of facilities to allow for religious uses in areas outside the boundaries of the property and its buffer zone;
5. Requests the State Party to develop the management plan, to establish a clear policy framework, identify strategies and actions (with precise timeframes, costs and responsibilities for implementation) on the main issues for the property such as research, presentation and interpretation, the role of stakeholders, staffing, sponsorship, visitor facilities, access. The Plan should be submitted as soon as possible to the World Heritage Centre for review;
6. Also requests the State Party to submit as soon as possible the modifications to the property and buffer zone boundaries, in accordance with Paragraphs 163-165 of the Operational Guidelines, for examination by the World Heritage Committee;
7. Further requests the State Party to submit, in accordance with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines, details of all on-going or planned restoration interventions at the property, particularly those at the Great Basilica and the reburial strategy, for review prior to implementation including Heritage Impact Assessments (HIAs);
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, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 40th session in 2016;
9. Decides to retain Abu Mena (Egypt) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC-14/38.COM/7A,
2. Recalling Decision 37 COM 7A.23 adopted at its 37th session (Phnom Penh, 2013),
3. Commends the efforts made by the State Party in the implementation of measures at the property and urges it to continue with the implementation of the corrective measures, with particular attention to the following:
   1. Undertake detailed condition surveys to identify priority interventions to ensure stabilization of archaeological remains,
   2. Define a comprehensive strategy to address drainage of groundwater and impacts from other sources of humidity,
   3. Finalize discussions with involved communities and develop a programme for the removal of inadequate new constructions and the creation of facilities to allow for religious uses in areas outside the boundaries of the inscribed property and its buffer zone,
   4. Further develop the management plan to establish a clear policy framework, identify strategies and actions, with precise timeframes, costs and responsibilities for implementation, in main issues for the property such as archaeological research, conservation, maintenance, protection, visitor use, among others. The developed plan should also include clear provisions for the management of the proposed buffer zone,
   5. Finalize the surveys to identify adequate boundaries for the property and buffer zones and submit, by 1 February 2015, a proposal for a minor boundary modification, in accordance with Paragraphs 163-165 of the Operational Guidelines, for examination by the World Heritage Committee;
4. Requests the State Party to submit, in accordance with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines, details of all on-going or planned restoration interventions at the property, particularly those at the Great Basilica and the reburial strategy, for review prior to implementation;
5. Also requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2015, an updated report, including a 1-page executive summary, on the state of conservation of the property and the implementation of the above, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 39th session in 2015;
6. Decides to retain Abu Mena (Egypt) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC-14/38.COM/7B,
2. Recalling Decisions 35 COM 7B.107, 36 COM 7B.86 and 37 COM 7B.82 adopted at its 35th (UNESCO, 2011), 36th (Saint-Petersburg, 2012) and 37th (Phnom Penh, 2013) sessions respectively,
3. Notes the recommendations of the joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS/ICCROM reactive monitoring mission to the property in August 2013 and requests the State Party to give high priority to the implementation of its recommendations;
4. Encourages the State Party to revise the Development Strategy of the Solovetsky Archipelago and its Master Plan, including all proposed projects, in order to enhance the protection of the property and to sustain its Outstanding Universal Value (OUV);
5. Urges the State Party to pay special attention to the living religious heritage of the property by defining its legal protection status and adopting efficient regulatory and management instruments, and also requests the State Party to revise and/or develop planning tools, including a Protection Zoning Plan and regimes of all components of the property, an Integrated Management Plan, a Conservation Master Plan, a tourism management strategy, a risk preparedness strategy, as well as environmental and socio-cultural risk management, and to submit the revised documentation to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies;
6. Reiterates its concern about the possible reconstruction of the monastery buildings and other major interventions in the landscape of the property given their potential impact on its OUV, and also reiterates its request to the State Party to submit, in conformity with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines, to the World Heritage Centre technical details, including Heritage Impact Assessments, for proposed projects that may threaten the OUV of the property;
7. Takes note of the steps taken by the State Party to develop legal measures for the protection of World Heritage cultural properties and further reiterates its request that it develops and implements appropriate legal measures and regulations for conservation, restoration and management and use of World Heritage properties of religious interest, and also encourages the State Party to adopt, as a matter of urgency, a legal framework to support the implementation of the World Heritage Convention;
8. Welcomes the results of the International Seminar for religious representatives involved in the management and use of the World Heritage properties (Moscow, 2013), and further encourages the State Party to share its experience with other States Parties by developing a capacity-building programme, as an essential part of the management strategy, to improve the qualifications of World Heritage site managers and users of the World Heritage properties of religious interest;
9. Further requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2015, a progress report on the state of conservation of the property, and by 1 December 2015 a state of conservation report, on the implementation of the above, both reports including a 1-page executive summary, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 40th session in 2016.