Decision 41 COM 7B.69

Lamu Old Town (Kenya) (C 1055)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/17/41.COM/7B,
2. Recalling Decisions 39 COM 7B.40 and 40 COM 7B.12, adopted at its 39th (Bonn, 2015) and 40th (Istanbul/UNESCO, 2016) sessions respectively,
3. Welcomes the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Lamu Port−South Sudan−Ethiopia Transport (LAPSSET) Authority and the National Museums of Kenya (NMK) according to which NMK should provide heritage advisory services to the LAPSSET project;
4. Notes that the 2011 Feasibility Study and Master Plan for the LAPSSET project are complete as well as, the Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) carried out in 2014 and continues to encourage the State Party to exclude the Lamu Archipelago from any LAPSSET developments, and acknowledges that whilst the LAPSSET project is ongoing, the details of the LAPSSET project be submitted to the World Heritage Centre as soon as possible, and no later than 1 December 2017;
5. Reiterates its concern that the LAPSSET project will significantly increase the development pressures for the entire region, including the Lamu Archipelago, and that consideration must be given to all potential impacts on the World Heritage property caused by such pressures;
6. Notes the late submission of the above-mentioned Strategic and Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the LAPSSET project to the World Heritage Centre, but urges the State Party to revise it, in close consultation with the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies, and submit this revised SEA to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies no later than 1 December 2017;
7. Notes with concern that an HIA for the already completed Manda Airport upgrade has not been undertaken, although requested by the Committee, and also reiterates its request to the State Party to undertake such an HIA as soon as possible in order to identify any adverse impacts on the property and ways to mitigate these impacts, and to submit the HIA to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies;
8. Requests that the revised Management Plan, including the new chapter covering the LAPSSET development project, be submitted to the World Heritage Centre, as soon as possible and no later than 1 December 2017;
9. Also requests the State Party to invite a joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS/ICCROM/IUCN Reactive Monitoring mission to the property to clarify the current scope of the LAPSSET project in relation to its actual and potential impacts on the Lamu Old Town property, to examine work already carried out for the LAPSSET project and on the Manda airport developments, and to examine the overall state of conservation of the Lamu Old Town property;
10. Acknowledges the submission of a draft SEA report and urges the State Party to continue enhancing the mitigation measures to address the identified negative impacts of the project in line with Paragraph 180 of the Operational Guidelines;
11. Further 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.