Decision 38 COM 7A.15

Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley (Afghanistan) (C 208 rev)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC-14/38.COM/7A,
2. Recalling Decision 37 COM 7A.30, adopted at its 37th session (Phnom Penh, 2013),
3. Commends the progress made by the State Party on the implementation of the corrective measures, notably the conservation efforts at the Buddha niches and other component parts of the property, including Shahr-i-Gholghola and others, and efforts to mitigate the development pressure;
4. Takes note of the continued concern expressed by the State Party on the critical condition of the large Western Buddha niche; also takes note of the need to consider the appropriateness of the interventions at the lower gallery of the Eastern Buddha niche, and future reconstruction policies for the Buddha niches; and acknowledges that an ICOMOS Technical Advisory Mission visited the property to assess these issues between 26 May and 2 June 2014;
5. Reiterates its request to the State Party, when considering options for the treatment of the Buddha niches, to ensure that proposals are based on feasibility studies which include:
   1. an agreed overall approach to conservation and presentation of the property,
   2. an appropriate conservation philosophy based on the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property,
   3. technical and financial feasibilities for the implementation of the project proposals;
6. Regrets that Heritage Impact Assessments (HIA) to assess the impacts of the development of the Foladi Road construction were carried out only after the road construction took place, and were not shared with the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies prior to construction;
7. Requests the State Party, in accordance with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines , to submit detailed information, including HIAs, on any major planned developments within or nearby the property, such as the proposed Bamiyan Culture Centre and Museum as well as proposed visitors facilities, for review by the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies prior to undertaking work;
8. Also urges the State Party to incorporate the Cultural Master Plan into the Urban Development Master Plan for the Bamiyan Valley to mitigate development pressure, and to enforce building codes and regulations on development in the buffer zones of the property and other areas protected under the 2004 Afghan Law on the Protection of Historical and Cultural Properties;
9. Further urges the State Party to finalize the Management Plan within an overall strategy of managing the property as a cultural landscape;
10. Encourages the State Party to elaborate and implement, with the support of international donors, a capacity building programme to strengthen local and national capacity in heritage conservation and management, including developing the capacity of local communities to contribute to safeguarding the property;
11. Calls upon the international community to continue providing technical and financial support for the protection and management of the entire property, in order to achieve the Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger;
12. 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;
13. Decides to retain the Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley (Afghanistan) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.