Decision 44 COM 7B.51

Natural and Culturo-Historical Region of Kotor (Montenegro) (C 125ter)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/21/44.COM/7B,
2. Recalling Decision 43 COM 7B.87, adopted at its 43rd session (Baku, 2019),
3. Welcomes the ongoing efforts of the State Party to improve the management system of the property, including by passing the Amendments of the Law on Protection of Natural and Culturo-historic Region of Kotor and the on-going revision of the Management Plan, the update of the Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) for Natural and Culturo-Historical Region of Kotor for Harmonizing Policy/Planning Framework and Instruments, and the development of the Detailed Urban Plan for Lepetani and the forthcoming buffer zone study, and requests the State Party to submit these documents to the World Heritage Centre prior to their adoption;
4. Acknowledges the adoption of the Spatial Urban Plan for Kotor Municipality, and also welcomes that the recommendations in ICOMOS’ Technical review of the draft plan have been taken into account in the adopted planning document;
5. Also requests that the revised Management Plan incorporate the recommendations of the 2018 mission so that it becomes a fully operational instrument for the efficient management of the entire property and its buffer zone, with binding policies and provisions endorsed at national and local government level within the changing legal framework, addressing the following issues in particular:
   1. development issues, in harmony with the Spatial Urban Plan for Kotor Municipality,
   2. the conservation of the tangible and intangible attributes that convey the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) and other values,
   3. disaster risk reduction,
   4. tourism management, including issues related to the direct, indirect and cumulative impacts that tourism could have on the property;
6. Further welcomes the preparation of the HIAs requested for various development proposals and the regular communication of information on other projects under consideration, and encourages the State Party to continue improving the HIA process in light of the strategic documents being prepared for the property;
7. Commends the State Party for taking into consideration ICOMOS’ recommendations in the reconstruction of the Hotel Teuta, and welcomes furthermore that the revised design plans substantially mitigate the negative impact of the existing hotel on the OUV of the World Heritage property;
8. Further requests the State Party to consider the conclusions of the ICOMOS Technical review on the Morinj accommodation complex, and to revisit the project in light of the Spatial Urban Plan for Kotor Municipality and consider other design alternatives that would avoid negative impacts on OUV;
9. Requests furthermore the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies an HIA for the Verige Bridge project, Accurate Visual Representations for the Kotor-Lovćen cable car, documentation on the proposed underpass near Kotor old town and information on any developments foreseen associated with the Luštica peninsula road;
10. Finally requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 December 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 46th session.