Decision 44 COM 7B.3

Aksum (Ethiopia) (C 15)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/21/44.COM/7B,
2. Recalling Decision 42 COM 7B.43, adopted at its 42nd session (Manama, 2018),
3. Welcomes the establishment of the Advisory Committee for the management of the property as well as the State Party’s actions in planning capacity building for the site management;
4. Also welcomes the State Party’s continued engagement with the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies on technical matters and requests the State Party to continue this approach regarding the consolidation of the Stele III, the structural stabilisation of the Mausoleum and Tomb of the Brick Arches, and in addressing the ground water problem in the Tomb of the Brick Arches, and also requests the State Party to submit all documentation for the proposed interventions to the World Heritage Centre, and to only commence with implementation of these projects once full agreement on technical details and monitoring protocols has been reached with the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies;
5. Notes the State Party’s reported progress in defining the boundaries of the property and its buffer zone and in providing a legislative context defining the conservation area, and urges the State Party to submit a minor boundary modification and detailed maps indicating the proposed property and buffer zone boundaries, as previously requested, and in conformity wth Paragraph 164 of the Operational Guidelines;
6. Remains concerned about the management of the property and the impact of development projects in its setting, and also urges the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies:
   1. The 2016 Structure Plan,
   2. The Heritage Impact Assessments (HIAs) for both the 2010 Thematic Master Plan and 2016 Structure Plan that assesses their impact on the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property, and a document clarifying the relationship between these plans,
   3. An updated timeline for the completion of the Church Museum, including the submission of the requested minor façade modification design, a report on the archaeological features uncovered during the excavation and construction of the Church Museum, and details on the conservation of the Church Museum collection,
   4. A report on the activities and accomplishments of the Advisory Committee and site management, specifically relating to the implementation of the Management Plan for the property,
   5. Details of all current and potential developments within the property and the buffer zone, together with appropriate HIAs, including for the developments commented upon by the 2016 mission, in accordance with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines;
7. Further requests the State Party to develop an Action Plan with timelines for the implementation of the recommendations of the 2013 and 2016 missions and previous decisions of the Committee, and to submit, by 1 February 2022, an electronic copy of this Action Plan, for review by the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies;
8. Requests that, in light of various accounts of reports on looting, destruction and damage in the Tigray region, the State Party:
   1. Assesses in detail, and in close cooperation with the World Heritage Centre and the Secretariats of all relevant UNESCO Culture Conventions, the impact of the conflict on the cultural heritage of the region, and in particular on the conservation and management of the property,
   2. Ensures the safeguarding of the property through protective measures,
   3. Engages, where necessary, in undertaking an emergency response through targeted actions, including by creating a full inventory of cultural heritage objects of the property and their state of conservation;
9. Requests furthermore the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2022, a progress report notably on the assessment of the impact of the recent conflict on cultural heritage in the Tigray region and on the protective measures taken, and by 1 December 2022, 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 46th session.