Decision 43 COM 7A.39

Old City of Sana’a (Yemen) (C 385)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/19/43.COM/7A.Add.2,
2. Recalling Decision 42 COM 7A.38, adopted at its 42nd session (Manama, 2018),
3. Commends the State Party and its agencies, including the General Organization for the Preservation of Historic Cities in Yemen (GOPHCY) on initiatives undertaken in capacity building, damage assessment, documentation and emergency interventions at the property, and requests that they continue to consult with UNESCO and the Advisory Bodies, and to restore damaged buildings, based on surveys and documentation, using traditional construction techniques and materials as much as possible, to avoid incrementally affecting the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property;
4. Also commends the State Party and its agencies on initiatives undertaken to support and involve community and government organizations, and in campaigns to raise awareness of the importance of cultural heritage;
5. Expresses its continuing concern at the damage caused to the cultural heritage of Yemen as a result of armed conflict, and that the Old City of Sana’a has incurred irreversible destruction and continues to be vulnerable, owing to the current security situation, ongoing social change and continuing lack of support and resources for both heritage management and physical conservation;
6. Notes the actions taken to address unauthorized construction of new buildings within the property, which incrementally affect the OUV of the property, also requests the State Party to continue to consult the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies in order to ensure that restoration and reconstruction works at the property meet basic technical requirements, and further requests the State Party to submit details for new buildings and new projects to the World Heritage Centre, for examination by the Advisory Bodies, prior to initiating any construction works, in accordance with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines;
7. Encourages the State Party to continue its collaboration with the UNESCO Doha Office in the implementation of the Cash for Work: Promoting Livelihood Opportunities for Urban Youth in Yemen project;
8. Reiterates the need for a joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring mission to advise on repair and conservation works, and to contribute to the development of a set of corrective measures and a timeframe for their implementation, as well as the Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger (DSOCR), as soon as the security situation in Yemen has improved;
9. Urges all parties involved in the conflict to refrain from any further action that would cause damage to the cultural heritage and the OUV of the property and to fulfil their obligations under international law by taking all possible measures to protect such heritage, in particular the safeguarding of properties on the World Heritage List and those included in the Tentative List of Yemen, and also encourages all concerned stakeholders to unite for the preservation of cultural heritage in Yemen;
10. Reiterates its previous calls to the international community to provide technical and financial support, including through the UNESCO Heritage Emergency Fund, for the implementation of the Emergency Action Plan for the Safeguarding of Yemen’s Cultural Heritage, adopted at the UNESCO expert meeting in July 2015, including funding for capacity building and first-aid restoration and protection measures, and calls on the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies to continue providing technical assistance and support where needed;
11. Requests furthermore 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;
12. Decides to retain Old City of Sana'a (Yemen) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.