Decision 44 COM 7A.19

Ancient City of Bosra (Syrian Arab Republic) (C 22bis)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/21/44.COM/7A,
2. Recalling Decisions 43 COM 7A.32 and 43 COM 7A.37, adopted at its 43rd session (Baku, 2019),
3. Taking into account Decision 44 COM 7A.24, on the World Heritage properties of the Syrian Arab Republic,
4. Welcomes the high quality works undertaken by the Directorate General of Antiquities and Museums in the framework of the Emergency International Assistance request approved in December 2018,
5. Expresses is concern that extensive illegal excavations were carried out at the site and calls upon the international community to collaborate for the sharing of inventories and documentation that could facilitate the return of looted objects;
6. Requests the State Party to limit restoration works, including at the Kalybe monument (Cradle of the King’s Daughter), to first aid interventions until discussions on defining optimal restoration approaches are carried out, and reiterates its request to the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, for review by ICOMOS, information on any proposed reconstruction or restoration projects within the property, in conformity with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines, before making any decisions that would be difficult to reverse;
7. Taking note of the submission of the updated building code proposal, also requests the State Party to review the code in response to the technical review by ICOMOS, and also welcomes the efforts made towards the recovery of the property, the revitalization of the urban fabric, and encouraging the return of inhabitants, while providing regulations to maintain its Outstanding Universal Value (OUV);
8. Calls again on all States Parties to support emergency safeguarding and recovery measures, including through the UNESCO Heritage Emergency Fund;
9. Reiterates the need for the invited joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS/ICCROM Reactive Monitoring mission to be carried out as soon as the situation allows, in order to proceed with a comprehensive assessment of the state of conservation of the property;
10. Takes note with satisfaction of the intention by the State Party, the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies to pursue elaboration of a set of correctives measures and the Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger (DSOCR), and encourages them to prepare these documents for examination by the Committee at its 45th session;
11. Further 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;
12. Decides to retain the Ancient City of Bosra (Syrian Arab Republic) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.