Decision 44 COM 7A.27

Old Walled City of Shibam (Yemen) (C 192)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/21/44.COM/7A.Add,
2. Recalling Decision 43 COM 7A.40 adopted at its 43rd session (Baku, 2019),
3. Commends the efforts of the local actors and community to protect and conserve the property, despite the very difficult conditions;
4. Expresses its continuing concern about the damage caused to the property as a result of natural elements and the ongoing armed conflict, and that the property continues to be vulnerable, owing to the residual impact of previous flooding as well as the current security situation, ongoing social change and continuing lack of organizational support and resources for both heritage management and physical conservation;
5. Welcomes the initiation of the ‘Cash for Work: Promoting Livelihood Opportunities for Urban Youth in Yemen’ project, and encourages the continued collaboration with the UNESCO Doha Office in its implementation;
6. Regrets that the ‘Shibam Oasis Development Project’ was not referred to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies, in accordance with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines, as previously requested by the Committee, and also regrets that this project does not appear to have fulfilled its aims of dual irrigation, protecting Shibam from flooding, and developing agricultural diversity;
7. Requests the State Party to submit the report ‘Conservation Status of Shibam Hadramout 2018 – 2019, Strategy for the Management of the Historic City of Shibam’, as well as full details regarding the works undertaken at Siwan Palace and the government building, to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies, in accordance with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines;
8. Also requests the State Party to report on progress with the National Strategy for the Preservation of the Historic Cities, Sites and Monuments 2016 – 2020, and the implementation of the Emergency Action Plan for the Safeguarding of Yemen’s Cultural Heritage, adopted at the UNESCO expert meeting in July 2015;
9. Also encourages the State Party to elaborate proposals for a boundary clarification and a minor boundary modification in close coordination with UNESCO Doha Office, and in consultation with the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies, to be submitted in line with Paragraph 164 of the Operational Guidelines;
10. Reiterates the need for a joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring mission to advise on repair and conservation works, and to contribute to determining the Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger (DSOCR), and the development of a set of corrective measures and a timeframe for their implementation, as soon as the security situation in Yemen allows;
11. Continues to urge all parties involved in the conflict to refrain from any further action that would cause damage to the cultural heritage of Yemen and the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property and to fulfil their obligations under international law, in particular the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, by taking all possible measures to protect such heritage, especially sites on the World Heritage List and those included in the Tentative List of Yemen and appeals to all States Parties to cooperate in the protection of cultural heritage during armed conflict as per the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2347;
12. Further encourages the State Party to consider ratifying the Second Protocol (1999) of the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict;
13. 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;
14. 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;
15. Decides to retain Old Walled City of Shibam (Yemen) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.