Decision 40 COM 7B.46

Golden Temple of Dambulla (Sri Lanka) (C 561)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/16/40.COM/7B,
2. Recalling Decision 38 COM 7B.22, adopted at its 38th session (Doha, 2014),
3. Takes note of the results of the March 2015 ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring mission to the property, and requests the State Party to implement the recommendations of the mission as appropriate;
4. Expresses its serious concern about the lack of clear management structures and clear lines of responsibilities, and in particular the lack of implementation of the Management Plan which increases the problematic of conservation and pilgrim/visitor management of the property, and therefore strongly urges the State Party to:
   1. Establish a site management committee as a matter of priority, including representatives of the government, Temple authorities and the local community, as well as experts,
   2. Revise and update the Management Plan based on clearly defined governance and communication structures while incorporating traditional management systems, that sets out the interface between the State and Temple authorities, setting short-, mid- and long-term strategies for both conservation and pilgrim/visitor management, as well as budget planning, and to provide the draft to the World Heritage Centre, for review by the Advisory Bodies,
   3. Develop a Conservation Strategy, as part of the revised Management Plan, to address the conservation needs, develop a pilgrim/visitor Management Strategy to control the number of pilgrims/visitors allowed into each cave, as well as a policy prohibiting flash photography within the caves;
5. Encourages the State Party, in collaboration with the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies, to request technical assistance, if necessary, to support the conservation of stone and wall paintings;
6. Also requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 December 2017, an updated report on the state of conservation of the property and the implementation of the above, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 42nd session in 2018.