Decision 43 COM 7B.71

Lumbini, the Birthplace of the Lord Buddha (Nepal) (C 666rev)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/19/43.COM/7B,
2. Recalling Decision 42 COM 7B.13, adopted at its 42nd session (Manama, 2018),
3. Notes the progress made with the finalization of the Integrated Management Framework (IMF), but regrets further delays encountered with its adoption by the State Party;
4. Notes with concern that development activities have been undertaken within the property and the buffer zone prior to the formal adoption of the IMF and without conducting the necessary impact assessments or following the Archaeological Risk Map or notifying the World Heritage Centre, as required by Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines, and therefore reiterates its urgent request to the State Party to adopt and implement the IMF as a matter of priority and to systematically carry out Heritage Impact Assessments (HIAs) for any proposed project, with a specific section focusing on the potential impact of the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property, in conformity with the 2011 ICOMOS Guidelines on HIAs for World Heritage Cultural Properties, prior to carrying out any further work within the property or in adjacent areas identified as having potential archaeological significance;
5. Expressing concern about the Lumbini World Peace City project and its potential impacts on the property, also reiterates its request to the State Party to provide details on the proposed project, including a comprehensive HIA prepared in conformity with the aforementioned ICOMOS Guidelines, and that this assessment be provided to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies before any activity is implemented or any irreversible decision is made;
6. Also regrets that the State Party did not provide any information on the development project proposals concerning the property, as required by Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines, nor a response to previous requests from the World Heritage Centre, including:
   1. the ongoing construction of a temporary Meeting Hall in Lumbini,
   2. the proposed construction of the Shree Ram Cement Plant Ind. Pvt. Ltd located in the vicinity of Lumbini site, and
   3. the construction of a 5,000-person capacity Buddhist Meditation Hall located within the Lumbini Kenzo Tange Master Plan Area, in the vicinity of the Sacred Garden of Lumbini site;

      and urges the State Party to immediately halt any construction work within the property until the potential impacts of these projects are fully assessed and suitable measures to avoid deterioration of the OUV of the property are in place; 

7. Encourages the State Party to continue developing a clear strategy and concrete further actions to protect the Greater Lumbini Area and its wider setting, including but not limited to Tilaurakot and Ramagrama, and to reduce the increasing industrial activity in the vicinity of the property;
8. Requests the State Party to invite a joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring mission to the property to assess its overall state of conservation, review the IMF and all ongoing studies and proposals, and assist with the development of appropriate and proactive solutions that are consistent with the safeguarding of the property’s OUV for the Lumbini World Peace City project and any other possible development projects;
9. Finally requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 December 2020, 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 45th session in 2021.