The World Heritage Committee,
1. Having examined Document WHC-08/32.COM/7B,
2. Recalling Decision 31 COM 7B.44, adopted at its 31st session (Christchurch, 2007),
3. Congratulates the State Party of Spain for its efforts in addressing the conservation issues facing the property;
4. Notes progress achieved on the implementation of some of the recommendations of the 2007 Reactive Monitoring mission and encourages further work to implement the remaining recommendations;
5. Regrets the relocation of the Gavarnie Festival has not occurred, despite the commitment from the State Party of France at the time of the inscription of the property, considers that the continuation of the Gavarnie Festival within the inscribed property represents an ascertained danger to the Outstanding Universal Value of the property, as defined by Paragraph 180 of the Operational Guidelines; and requests the State Party of France to take the necessary steps to relocate the Festival in line with its previous commitments and past decisions of the World Heritage Committee;
6. Also requests the States Parties to implement a participatory process involving all key stakeholders associated with the conservation and management of the property, in order to raise the profile of the agropastoralism system and consider ways of sustaining and supporting it as a key part of the Outstanding Universal Value of the cultural landscape;
7. Acknowledges a number of new cross-border initiatives underway or planned and further requests the States Parties to ensure more effective and coordinated management and monitoring of this property and, in consultation with the World Heritage Centre and ICOMOS, to develop a joint draft Statement of Outstanding Universal Value including the conditions of integrity and authenticity, to guide management activities;
8. Requests moreover the State Party of France to define the management structure for its part of the property, finalise and implement the interim management plan, and agree on a process to harmonise this with the State Party of Spain;
9. Requests furthermore the two States Parties to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2009, a report on progress in addressing the above recommendations and in particular on the relocation of the Gavarnie Festival, the coordinated management of the property and the completion and implementation of the interim management plan for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 33rd session in 2009, and strongly urges the States Parties to request inscription of the property on the List of World Heritage in Danger.