Decision 39 COM 7B.51

Hatra (Iraq) (C 277rev)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC-15/39.COM/7B.Add,
2. Recalling Decision 25 BUR V.281, adopted by the Bureau of the World Heritage Committee at its 25th session (UNESCO, 2001),
3. Commends the State Party for its efforts to ensure the protection of the property in spite of the difficult prevailing situation;
4. Expresses its great concern about the absence of information on the state of conservation of the property and requests the State Party to keep the World Heritage Centre informed of the evolution of the situation on the ground;
5. Considers that the optimal conditions are not present anymore to ensure the conservation and protection of the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property and that it is threatened by both ascertained and potential danger, in accordance with paragraphs 177 to 179 of the Operational Guidelines;
6. Decides to inscribe Hatra (Iraq) on the List of World Heritage in Danger;
7. Also requests the State Party, as soon as it is feasible and in close consultation with the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies, to develop a set of corrective measures and a timeframe for their implementation, as well as a Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger (DSOCR);
8. Further requests the State Party, as soon as the security conditions on the ground allow the responsible authorities to visit the site, to carry out a rapid assessment of the state of conservation of the property and to submit the results of this assessment to the World Heritage Centre, for review by the Advisory Bodies, prior to any action on the ground;
9. Requests furthermore 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.