Decision 43 COM 7B.55

Archaeological Site of Carthage (Tunisia) (C 37)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/19/43.COM/7B.Add,
2. Recalling Decision 42 COM 7B.60, adopted at its 42nd session (Manama, 2018),
3. Welcomes the information provided by the State Party and commends it for the efforts made so far by national, regional and local authorities to address the difficulties and for better protection and enhancement of the property;
4. Underlines with satisfaction the prompt welcome and successful conduct of the joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS Advisory mission organized at the request of the World Heritage Centre, which took place from 23 to 25 April 2019 and whose work was greatly facilitated by all the Tunisian parties concerned;
5. Expresses its concern regarding the recent illegal construction work in and near the property;
6. Requests the State Party to employ without delay the instruments and mechanisms needed to halt all such constructions, to enforce the outstanding demolition orders and issue new ones as required, and to address to the degree possible any socio-economic issues that may underlie the recent expansion of uncontrolled constructions in parts of the serial property;
7. Also requests the State Party to inform the Committee, through the World Heritage Centre, of its intention to undertake or to authorize new constructions or major restorations which may affect the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property before making any decisions that would be difficult to reverse, in accordance with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines;
8. Further requests the State Party to complete and adopt the Management Plan and integrate it with a local development plan;
9. Requests furthermore the State Party to prepare Heritage Impact Assessments (HIA) for all works envisaged, in line with the ICOMOS Guidance on HIAs for Cultural World Heritage Properties, and to submit them to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies, and urges the State Party to halt, or not commence, any works until the above assessments have been carried out;
10. Finally requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2020, an updated report on the state of conservation of the property, as well as the implementation of the above, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 44th session in 2020.