Decision 43 COM 7B.73

Historical Monuments at Makli, Thatta (Pakistan) (C 143)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/19/43.COM/7B,
2. Recalling Decision 41 COM 7B.97, adopted at its 41st session (Krakow, 2017),
3. Acknowledges that the investment and preservation efforts of the State Party in recent years, the capacity building of the management and conservation staff, stabilization of some of the property’s monuments and an improved demarcation of the property through further construction of boundary walls and removal of encroaching constructions have contributed to the general improved condition of the property;
4. Notes the conclusions of the 2019 joint UNESCO/ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring mission and requests that the State Party implement its recommendations, including:
   1. Implementation of the Master Plan for the property by establishing a proper and comprehensive Management Plan, including accompanying action plans with clear timeframes,
   2. Improving and formalizing the management structure for the property, defining an official mission statement for the overall management, carrying out a needs assessment related to staff capacity building and implementing programmes to address shortcomings,
   3. Establishing a clear protocol for prioritizing of interventions and developing a risk preparedness strategy,
   4. Coordination of international and external cooperation and associated fundraising with intervention priorities based on ethical and technical principles and criteria for collaboration,
   5. Developing an Action Plan with a clear timeline and resources for the stabilization and conservation of the tomb of Jam Nizamuddin II and implementation thereof after its review by the World Heritage Centre and Advisory Bodies,
   6. Establishing a secure storage facility for the most important displaced architectural elements and urgently implementing a clear documentation system and protocol after submission for review by the Advisory Bodies, enabling systematic recording of important detached architectural elements,
   7. Establishing a systematic monitoring system for all principal monuments that includes close inspection of fragile components and recording of any noted changes from an extensive baseline photographic database, as well as a maintenance system for the property,
   8. Completion of the boundary wall construction, and submission of a minor boundary modification request adopting the boundaries identified in 2013, to the World Heritage Centre;
5. Noting that important requests made by the Committee remain to be fully addressed and implemented, also requests these be completed, implemented, and reported to the World Heritage Centre urgently, including:
   1. The completion and submission of a Management Plan for the property taking into account the findings and recommendations of the 2019 mission for review,
   2. The completion and submission for review of a regulatory plan for the proposed buffer zone,
   3. Assessment of monuments in danger of collapse and their stabilisation, while ensuring their implementation will not cause further harm, especially at the tomb of Jam Nizzamuddin II where an investigation of the underlying ground with ground-penetrating radar (GPR) is required before implementation of stabilization interventions;
6. Further requests that the Management Plan currently being developed include components covering:
   1. Programmes to record and analyse data from weather stations and crack monitors to ensure that and these results contribute directly to the management and conservation of the property and its monuments,
   2. Visitor management,
   3. Coordination of third party support and interventions,
   4. Emergency preparedness,
   5. Monitoring of the property and its constituent monuments and displaced architectural elements,
   6. Protocols for stakeholder engagement and community education programmes,
   7. A detailed management structure with clear definitions of the site management’s mission, for roles and tasks for all staff engaged in the conservation and management of the property;
7. Requests furthermore the State Party continue to provide short- and mid-term training programmes for the staff of the Department of Archaeology focussed on the management and long-term conservation of the property, its constituent monuments and architectural and decorative elements belonging to them;
8. Requests moreover that the State Party initiate a mid-term project to study the effects of wind-borne salinity on the monuments and develop feasible mitigation measures to reduce this impact on the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property;
9. Finally requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2020, a 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.