Decision 39 COM 7A.29

Palestine: Land of Olives and Vines – Cultural Landscape of Southern Jerusalem, Battir (Palestine) (C 1492)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC-15/39.COM/7A.Add,
2. Recalling Decision 38 COM 8B.4, adopted at its 38th session (Doha, 2014),
3. Welcomes the judgment of the Israeli High Court not to build the “Wall”, and notes that any new proposals for a wall or fence would need to re-start the processes of consultation and approval within the Israeli administration;
4. Notes with concern that the decline in traditional social and cultural processes is accelerating, bringing further negative impacts on the functionality and integrity of the landscape;
5. Takes note of the commitment to develop a Management Conservation Plan and urges the State Party to progress this as soon as possible;
6. Adopts the following Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger (DSOCR):
   
   1. Dismissal of plans to build a “Wall” along the property, or within its setting,
   2. Adequate conservation in place of the agricultural terraces and their associated components, including watchtowers and drystone walls throughout the property,
   3. Adequate restoration in place of the irrigation system and the development of an adequate sewage system to protect water quality in the property,
   4. Protection in place for the property and its buffer zone,
   5. Management plan and monitoring systems adopted and sustainable management system in place;
7. Also adopts the following corrective measures and timeframe for their implementation by the State Party:
   1. Corrective measures:
      1. Agreement to dismiss plans to build a “Wall” along the property, or within its setting,
      2. Implementation of projects to retrieve an appropriate state of conservation of the agricultural terraces and their components, including the watchtowers and drystone walls throughout the property,
      3. Implementation of a project to restore traditional irrigation systems,
      4. Implementation of a project to put in place adequate sewage system to protect water quality in the property,
      5. Preparation, approval and implementation of a Conservation, and a Management Plan for the property,
      6. Development and implementation of an active system of management that involves local communities and stakeholders,
      7. Preparation of a set of indicators for monitoring the property and implementation of a monitoring system,
      8. Development of protection for the property and its buffer zone,
   2. Timeframe for implementation of the corrective measures:

   [to be submitted]

8. Also urges the State Party to implement the corrective measures and to submit a timetable for their full implementation to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2016, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 40th session in 2016;
9. Requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2016, 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;
10. Decides to retain Palestine: Land of Olives and Vines – Cultural Landscape of Southern Jerusalem, Battir (Palestine) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.