Decision 38 COM 7B.11

Temple and Cemetery of Confucius and the Kong Family Mansion in Qufu (China) (C 704)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC-14/38.COM/7B.Add,
2. Takes note of the information submitted by the State Party regarding the comprehensive redevelopment of the Ancient Panchi area that is currently underway within the buffer zone of the property;
3. Expresses its concern about the potential impacts that this project may have on the attributes that sustain the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property, including its authenticity and integrity;
4. Strongly urges the State Party to inform the Committee, through the World Heritage Centre, about the full scope of the Ancient Panchi area project, in accordance with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines, and about any other projects that may potentially affect the OUV of the property, including its authenticity or integrity, before making any decisions that would be difficult to reverse;
5. Requests the State Party to invite an ICOMOS reactive monitoring mission to the property to enable a formal assessment of the new developments and their potential impact on the property’s OUV;
6. Also strongly urges the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, a Heritage Impact Assessment for the Ancient Panchi area project, in conformity with the ICOMOS Guidelines on Heritage Impact Assessments for World Heritage Cultural Properties, for review by the Advisory Bodies;
7. Also requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, an electronic and three printed copies of the complete conservation plan for the property as well as its summary in English, for review by the Advisory Bodies;
8. Further requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 December 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 40th session in 2016.