Decision 43 COM 7B.84

Budapest, including the Banks of the Danube, the Buda Castle Quarter and Andrássy Avenue (Hungary) (C 400bis)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/19/43.COM/7B.Add.3,
2. Recalling Decision 41 COM 7B.46, adopted at its 41st session (Krakow, 2017),
3. Acknowledges the progress of the State Party in implementing previous Committee Decisions, but notes with concern that there has been limited progress, that some important matters are yet to be addressed;
4. Reiterates its concern that a number of large-scale ongoing and proposed development projects within the property are impacting, and have the potential to impact substantially and adversely, on the OUV of the property;
5. Express its concern at the absence of an appropriate approach for the ongoing and proposed reconstruction works including as  part of the Hauszmann Plan at the Buda Castle Quarter, as these represent an imminent threat to the property due to the progressive loss of historical authenticity in this element and urges the State Party to halt all ongoing and planned works, and, as a matter of urgency, to consider and develop an  alternative approach to conservation and development, supported by appropriate policies and conservation plans, and to submit these for review and approval before work re-commencing; and encourages the State Party to engage in dialogue with the World Heritage Centre and Advisory Bodies towards this end;
6. Notes with dismay that the 120 metre high MOL Campus building in District 11 was given permission and urges the State Party to halt any permits for high-rise building in the 11th District and submit HIAs of all planned projects to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies;
7. Express its concern regarding the potential impact of extensive developments within the Liget Budapest project, and in particular the Museum of Ethnology and the Biodome, and urges the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre all additional documents and clarifications requested by the 2018 and 2019 missions for review by the Advisory Bodies;
8. Notes with regret that the state of conservation of the property is impacted by negative factors which represent potential threats to the OUV of the property and that compounded together, the numerous unsolved issues, the blurring of the distinctions between conservation, restoration, reconstruction, and new construction in addition to the speed of the development work ongoing, collectively and cumulatively impact the authenticity and integrity of the property adversely and therefore considers that without urgent and necessary measures and responses to reorienting the approach to conservation and development, there will remain actual and potential threats to the property in conformity with Paragraph 179 of the Operational Guidelines;
9. Notes the absence of adequate governance for World Heritage and recommends the State Party to ensure clear governance and management of the property based on its Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) by establishment of a single site manager or authority over the entire property and its buffer zone,
10. Urges the State Party to:
    1. Halt further projects for conservation, restoration, and new development in the property and the buffer zone until a management plan integrated with the city development plan, and building guidelines have been prepared, reviewed by the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies, and adopted,
    2. Submit all relevant documents including plans, drawings, and HIAs for all ongoing and proposed projects (in working languages - English or French) within the property and the buffer zone to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies;
    3. Prepare, finalize, adopt and implement the Management Plan and City Development Plan, based on the OUV of the property, as well as to enforce the existing protection regimes following the approach of the 2011 UNESCO Recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape;
    4. Implement fully all the recommendations of the 2019 joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring mission, as well as those of the previous 2018 ICOMOS Advisory mission that are yet to be addressed;
11. 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 and the implementation of the above, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 44th session in 2020 with a view, if no substantial progress is accomplished until then, to consider inscribing the property on the List of the World Heritage in Danger.