Decision 42 COM 7B.20

Old City of Dubrovnik (Croatia) (C 95bis)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/18/42.COM/7B,
2. Recalling Decision 40 COM 7B.50, adopted at its 40th session (Istanbul/UNESCO, 2016),
3. Notes the positive steps taken to develop an action plan for conservation and repair of inappropriate interventions to the city walls, as well as the creation of a working group to develop a Risk Preparedness Action Plan for the property, and encourages the State Party to develop, as a matter of priority, guidelines on conservation, providing strict rules for conservation, restoration, and maintenance to prevent the structural instability of the city walls;
4. Regrets that only minor progress has been achieved with the development of the Management Plan, which, to date, has not progressed beyond the scoping stage, and requests the State Party to increase efforts to:
   1. Prepare the Management Plan for the property and its buffer zone, incorporating the tourism strategy and regulations on cruise tourism,
   2. Ensure that the Management Plan incorporates the necessary regulatory and management measures to allow the proposed buffer zone to act effectively as an added layer of protection for the inscribed property,
   3. Prepare an interpretation strategy;
5. Welcomes the suspension of the projects Bosanka 2, the Lazaretto and the Komarda Landing Stage, and recalls the need for full Heritage Impact Assessments (HIAs) to be undertaken in accordance with the ICOMOS Guidance on HIAs for Cultural World Heritage Properties, and also requests the State Party to submit comprehensive project details to the World Heritage Centre, for review by the Advisory Bodies, in accordance with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines;
6. Also notes the information provided on the “Sports and recreation centre with golf course and tourism settlement Bosanka North and Bosanka South” project with regard to the minimum distance of 50m, and recalls its request for further project information, such as the amended plans for the golf course, relevant documentation, and the HIAs, to be provided to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies, prior to commencement of project works;
7. Further requests the State Party to submit project information, including an HIA, undertaken in accordance with the ICOMOS Guidance on HIAs, regarding the proposed restoration of the historic sewage system for review by the Advisory Bodies, prior to commencement of project works;
8. Requests furthermore 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.