Decision 42 COM 7A.19

Hatra (Iraq) (C 277rev)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/18/42.COM/7A,
2. Recalling Decision 41 COM 7A.34, adopted at its 41st session (Krakow, 2017),
3. Acknowledges the damage assessment undertaken by the Iraqi authorities and underlines the need for a detailed damage assessment followed by a comprehensive project for the conservation and protection of the property;
4. Encourages the State Party to pursue efforts to protect the property, despite the difficult prevailing situation, and in particular to prevent looting and further damages to the property, as outlined at the International Coordination Conference on the Safeguarding of Cultural Heritage in Liberated Areas of Iraq (UNESCO, February 2017), with the support of UNESCO and the international community;
5. Invites the State Party to inform it, through the World Heritage Centre, of any future plans for major restoration or new construction projects that may affect the Outstanding Universal Value of the property, in accordance with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines, before making any decisions that would be difficult to reverse;
6. Requests the State Party to invite a joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring mission to further assess damages and to discuss with the Iraqi authorities the short-, medium- and long-term goals and actions required to protect the property from further damage and looting, as well as a more complete and detailed damage assessment in support of a comprehensive project for the conservation and restoration of the property;
7. Urges all parties associated with the situation in Iraq to refrain from any action that would cause further damage to cultural and natural heritage of the country and to fulfil their obligations under international law by taking all possible measures to protect such heritage;
8. Reiterates its appeal to all Member States of UNESCO to cooperate in the fight against the illicit trafficking of cultural heritage coming from Iraq as per the United Nations Security Council Resolutions 2199 of February 2015, 2253 of December 2015 and 2347 of March 2017;
9. Calls again on all Member States of UNESCO to support emergency safeguarding measures, including through the UNESCO Heritage Emergency Fund;
10. Also requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 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 43rd session in 2019;
11. Decides to retain Hatra (Iraq) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.