Decision 41 COM 7A.43

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

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/17/41.COM/7A,
2. Recalling Decision 40 COM 7A.15, adopted at its 40th session (Istanbul/UNESCO, 2016),
3. Welcomes the timeframe submitted by the State Party for the full implementation of the adopted corrective measures in order to achieve the Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger (DSOCR), and encourages the State Party to review this timeframe to determine whether an accelerated pace for any of the key corrective measures is feasible;
4. Commends the State Party for commencing preparations for the Management and Conservation Plan (MCP), the completion of which is forecast for July 2017, also encourages the State Party to envisage additional means in order to reinforce the engagement of local residents and stakeholders, and reiterates its request that the adopted corrective measures be adequately integrated into the MCP;
5. Also reiterates its request for the State Party to put in place, as soon as possible, an effective management system for the property and its buffer zone and, until the MCP is established and operational, to submit all construction projects to the World Heritage Centre for review, in conformity with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines;
6. Requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2018, 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;
7. Decides to retain Palestine: Land of Olives and Vines – Cultural Landscape of Southern Jerusalem, Battir (Palestine) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.