Decision 44 COM 7A.11

Archaeological Site of Cyrene (Libya) (C 190)

Decision: 44 COM 7A.11

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/21/44.COM/7A,
2. Recalling Decision 43 COM 7A.23, adopted at its 43rd session (Baku, 2019),
3. Notes with appreciation the efforts undertaken by the State Party to address conservation threats at the property and in fundraising activities that have led to projects aimed at the preservation of the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property; and requests it to continue its efforts in this regard to the extent possible;
4. Also requests the State Party to provide further detailed information and documentation on the proposed Cyrene Grand Hotel near the Temple of Zeus, to evaluate the submission of an International Assistance request to carry out a guided Heritage Impact Assessment study and to keep the Committee regularly informed on the evolution of the situation at the property, and to inform it, through the World Heritage Centre, on any other on-going and future plans for major restoration or new construction projects that may affect the OUV of the property, in conformity with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines;
5. Further requests the State Party to provide updated information about the damage caused by pollution sewage disposal of Shahat city into Wadi Belghade;
6. Requests furthermore the State Party to report on any progress achieved in the implementation of the Action Plan developed during the International Meeting on the Safeguard of Libyan Cultural Heritage (Tunis, May 2016);
7. Requests moreover the State Party to initiate the process to develop 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), in collaboration with the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies;
8. Encourages the State Party to pursue the development of the Management Plan for the property, and invites it to seek the necessary technical and financial support;
9. Welcomes the work in progress for the elaboration of a Minor Boundary Modification proposal, and requests in addition the State Party to continue the close consultation with the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies, and to submit it in line with Paragraph 164 of the Operational Guidelines;
10. Acknowledgesthe invitation from the State Party for a joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring mission to the property, and also encourages it to take place as soon as the security conditions permit;
11. Callsfor an increased mobilization of the international community to provide financial and technical support to the State Party, including through the UNESCO Heritage Emergency Fund, to implement the short-, medium- and long-term measures identified during the International Meeting on the Safeguard of Libyan Cultural Heritage (Tunis, May 2016);
12. Reiterates its appealto all States Parties to cooperate in fighting against the illicit trafficking of cultural property coming from Libya and engaging in the protection of cultural heritage during armed conflict, as per the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2347 of March 2017, the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict and the 1970 Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property, and acknowledges the efforts of  the State Party to ratify the 1995 UNIDROIT Convention on Stolen or Illegally Exported Cultural Objects;
13. Finally requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2022, 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;
14. Decides to retain the Archaeological Site of Cyrene (Libya) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.