Decision 38 COM 7B.51

Island of Mozambique (Mozambique) (C 599)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC-14/38.COM/7B,
2. Recalling Decision 36 COM 7B.46, adopted at its 36th session (Saint-Petersburg, 2012),
3. Commends the State Party for its efforts and progress made in improving the state of conservation of the property, including increasing the number of technical staff hired for the Conservation Office of Mozambique Island (GACIM), and signing two Memorandums of Understanding in 2013 for the Creation of the Documentation Centre in Saint Sebastian Fortress and for the Rehabilitation of the Mozambique Island Hospital;
4. Encourages the State Party to finalize efforts to formalize and adopt the buffer zone in conformity with Paragraph 107 of the Operational Guidelines, and to update the legislation for the protection and conservation of heritage;
5. Recommends that the Management and Conservation Plan for Mozambique Island (2010 – 2014) be duly evaluated and updated in 2015 with the close participation of all stakeholders, including local communities;
6. Takes note of the intention of the State Party to submit the development plans for the Mozambique Island Hospital and the São Lourenco Fortress to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies, and also recommends that the State Party submit, in conformity with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines , these and any other large-scale conservation or infrastructure projects planned for the property along with their associated Environmental and Heritage Impact Assessments in conformity with IUCN’s World Heritage advice note on Environmental Assessments and with the ICOMOS Guidelines on Heritage Impact Assessments for World Heritage Cultural Properties;
7. Requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 December 2015, a report, including a 1-page executive summary, on the state of conservation of the property, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 40th session in 2016.