Decision 44 COM 7A.3

Tomb of Askia (Mali) (C 1139)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC21/44.COM/7A,
2. Recalling Decision 43 COM 7A.55, adopted at its 43rd session (Baku, 2019),
3. Expresses its satisfaction with the important actions undertaken by the State Party for the rep/air of the roof of the men’s prayer room, the decrease in water erosion, and the plantation of hasu trees, particularly congratulates the Cultural Mission and the local stakeholders concerned for having decided to renounce replacing the hasu plantation with eucalyptus plants following a fruitful communication between the parties;
4. Also congratulates the State Party for supporting efforts to establish partnerships and mobilize funds from the various donors such as MINUSMA, the African World Heritage Fund (AWHF) and the Blue Shield International Committee, and for strengthening local capacities for an improved conservation and management of the property;
5. Further congratulates the State Party for the recent launching of the rehabilitation project for the property with funding from the International Alliance for Heritage Protection in Conflict Areas (ALIPH), for the exchange of information between all the parties clarifying the issues of concern regarding the planned interventions, and requests the State Party to submit detailed documentation at every stage of the project to constitute archives on the work to be accomplished;
6. Also requests the State Party to provide the World Heritage Centre, as soon as possible, with the detailed plans of the development project for the two parking areas in front of the main gate of the property and behind the road for examination by the Advisory Bodies before work begins, in order to ensure that these projects do not affect the integrity and authenticity of the property;
7. Notes with satisfaction that the project to build a water tower near the property, which could negatively impact the Outstanding Universal Value of the property, has been abandoned, and requests the State Party to identify an alternative location more appropriate for this water tower outside the property and its buffer zone, and to keep the World Heritage Centre informed of the revised project with details of its new location and possible works to connect to the drinking water network of the city, in order to allow the Advisory Bodies to determine, if necessary, if the works could affect the Outstanding Universal Value of the property, in accordance with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines;
8. Encourages the State Party to share the different projects developed with the diverse partners and donors in order to mobilize funds and ensure greater coherence between the proposed actions and establish a consultation mechanism between these partners for efficient monitoring;
9. Further requests the State Party to provide the World Heritage Centre with plans for the development of two car parks planned in front of the main gate of the site and behind the road for examination by the Advisory Bodies, before the start of works, in order to ensure that these projects do not affect the integrity and authenticity of the property.
10. Notes with satisfaction the actions to inform and raise awareness in the local community regarding the activities undertaken and to further motivate it to become more involved in safeguarding and promotional activities, and also encourages the State Party to reinforce these information campaigns to alert the local community of certain risks, such as the possible impacts of illegal occupation of the buffer zone by the population;
11. Also expresses its satisfaction regarding the establishment of funds for a distance support capacity-building programme to prepare the Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger (DSOCR);
12. 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;
13. Decides to continue to apply the Reinforced Monitoring Mechanism for the property;
14. Also decides to retain Tomb of Askia (Mali) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.