Decision 28 COM 15B.56

28 COM 15B.56

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined the state of conservation of this property,

2. Notes that the architectural design for the New Suzhou Museum is compatible with the visual aspects and buildings traditions of the property;

3. Expresses concern over the urban development pressure in Suzhou, and the renewal and reconstruction of the historic and traditional urban fabric of the city;

4. Requests the State Party to review the legal framework and management plan for the protection of cultural heritage properties in Suzhou and to strengthen the legal provision for the protection of the cultural properties in the buffer zones of the Classical Gardens of Suzhou and within the historic town;

5. Encourages the Chinese authorities to continue their efforts to protect the urban historic fabric of Suzhou surrounding the World Heritage property, by carrying out a thorough survey of historic buildings and urban landscape of the Old City area;

6. Suggests that the Chinese authorities to study in the future the possibility to consider an extension of the World Heritage property of the Classical Gardens of Suzhou to include the historic town of Suzhou, together with other historic canal towns, within the same geo-cultural area in the provinces of Jiangsu and Zhejiang;

7. Requests the World Heritage Centre and ICOMOS to provide technical assistance to the Chinese authorities to review and update the existing management plans for this property, using the case of New Suzhou Museum and other similar rehabilitation or reconstruction projects in the historic quarters of Suzhou, to ensure long-term comprehensive management of the urban fabric and the landscape;

8. Requests the State Party to submit a progress report to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2006 on measures taken to enhance the conservation and presentation of the World Heritage property, including a publication of the architectural surveys of historic buildings, for examination by the Committee at its 30th session in June 2006.