Decision 41 COM 7A.20

Bagrati Cathedral and Gelati Monastery (Georgia) (C 710)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/17/41.COM/7A and WHC/17/41.COM/8B.Add,
2. Recalling Decisions 40 COM 7A.28, adopted at its 40th session (Istanbul/UNESCO, 2016),
3. Also recalling Decision 41 COM 8B.31, adopted at its 41st session (Krakow, 2017) regarding significant boundary modification of Bagrati Cathedral and Gelati Monastery, that excluded Bagrati Cathedral from the property of Bagrati Cathedral and Gelati Monastery, thus becoming Gelati Monastery,
4. Welcomes the progress made by the State Party in the implementation of the corrective measures concerning the Gelati Monastery;
5. Encourages the State Party to implement the following recommendations :
   1. Ensure adequate resources for long-term programmes of restoration for the fabric of the monastery and its mural paintings,
   2. Develop a clear system of documentation for any conservation and restoration work,
   3. Put in place tri-dimensional measuring and monitoring to help gain a better understanding of the overall stability of the various buildings in the monastery;
   4. Approve and implement the management structure for the property with clear responsibilities for the various agencies and organizations involved in its management,
   5. Set up a Coordinating Committee for the property with representation from key stakeholders,
   6. Put in place a mechanism that will allow the Management Plan, or part of it, to have status in planning processes,
   7. Register as soon as possible the land rights in order to avoid land disputes,
   8. Submit full details of proposals for covering excavated cellar areas next to the Academy, outlining the new visitor access arrangements and location of new domestic quarters for monks, including the archaeological profile of the chosen area, to the World Heritage Centre for review by ICOMOS at the earliest opportunity and before any commitments are made, in accordance with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines,
   9. Augment the monitoring indicators to reflect the attributes of the Outstanding Universal Value;
6. Decides to remove Gelati Monastery (Georgia) from the List of World Heritage in Danger;
7. Requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 December 2019, 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 44th session in 2020.