Decision 42 COM 7B.43

Aksum (Ethiopia) (C 15)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/18/42.COM/7B,
2. Recalling Decision 40 COM 7B.10, adopted at its 40th session (Istanbul/UNESCO, 2016),
3. Commends the State Party on the progress made in developing a Management Plan for the property, even though this is still in the process of development, and on the intention to instigate training officials involved in the management of the property and application of the principles contained in the UNESCO Recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape;
4. Remains concerned about the management of the property and the impact of development on its setting, in the absence of:
   1. A completed and approved Management Plan,
   2. Defined property and buffer zone boundaries,
   3. A review of the 2010 Thematic Master Plan;
5. Requests the State Party to submit, by 1 December 2018, the revised Management Plan and the 2010 Thematic Master Plan to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies and to clearly clarify the relationship between these documents and the 2016 Structure Plan;
6. Also requests the State Party to submit, as a matter of urgency, the previously requested detailed boundary delineation maps of the property and its buffer zone to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies;
7. Reiterates its request to the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre details of all current and potential developments within the property and the buffer zone, in accordance with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines, together with appropriate Heritage Impact Assessments (HIAs), including for the developments commented upon by the 2016 mission;
8. Further requests the State Party to:
   1. Amend the contract for the stabilization of Stele III to take account of the recommendations of the Advisory Bodies,
   2. Continue with investigating solutions for the problems faced at the Tomb of the Brick Arches and the Mausoleum, in line with the recommendations of the Advisory Bodies, before executing this project,
   3. Continue to keep the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies updated on this project, refrain from implementing procedures that have not been reviewed, and follow a cautious approach in this project by engaging expert advisors throughout,
   4. Submit the revised design for the façade modification of the Church Museum, and an archaeologist’s report on the archaeological features that were reported as being discovered during the Church Museum building works, by 1 February 2019, to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies;
9. Encourages the State Party to develop its proposal for training relevant personnel on the Convention, the Operational Guidelines, and the Management Plan for Aksum, once the latter is finalized;
10. Urges the State Party to continue to implement the recommendations of the 2013 and 2016 missions;
11. Finally 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.