Decision 44 COM 7B.164

Churches of Chiloé (Chile) (C 971bis)

Decision: 44 COM 7B.164

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/21/44.COM/7B,
2. Recalling Decisions 43 COM 7B.97 and 43 COM 8B.51, adopted at its 43rd session (Baku, 2019),
3. Notes the progress made by the State Party in the identification and protection of the buffer zones, despite the difficulties related to the Covid-19 pandemic, and requests it to:
   1. Proceed as soon as possible with the submission of the proposed buffer zones of Castro, Achao, Rilan, Aldachildo and Dalcahue churches as a minor boundary modification, and conclude the identification of a buffer zone for Caguach,
   2. Review the delimitation of the buffer zones of Chonchi and Tenaún after finalising the complete protection of all the property’s buffer zones,
   3. Consider the Committee’s request to review the delimitation of Quinchao and San Juan, both rural areas, to include a larger surrounding landscape and reinforce the setting of these important components through stronger valuation of its topography and vegetation,
   4. Consider the protection of Castro’s wider environment and its exceptional heritage and landscape elements;
4. Also requests the State Party, after concluding the delimitation of the buffer zones, to complete and submit Intervention Guidelines for all Typical Zones of the property to the World Heritage Centre;
5. Welcomes the advances made on the preliminary studies for the Integrated Management Plan (IMP), and urges the State Party to complete the draft IMP and submit it to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies before it is approved;
6. Commends the State Party for the emergency structural works carried out in Iglesia Jesús Nazareno of Caguach, the conservation actions to be undertaken on five churches (San Juan, Castro, Ichuac, Detif, Caguach), and the efforts to take into consideration the archaeological findings in the construction of the Castro by-pass;
7. Notes with appreciation the ongoing initiatives regarding administrative and legal issues and economic resources, the important inventories on the Chilota School of Religious Architecture and the Religious Imagery of the Property, and, in particular, the preparation of a Risk Management Plan, which is of fundamental importance considering the great vulnerability of the property’s wooden architecture, and also requests the State Party to submit the Risk Management Plan for review by the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies;
8. Reiterates its extreme concern and regret, as expressed in its earlier decisions, particularly Decision 41 COM 7B.59, that the construction of the shopping mall in Castro was completed without significant modifications to its design and that to date no mitigation measures have been undertaken or reported, and further requests the State Party to urgently submit the designs and mitigation measures selected following the planned architectural competition for review by the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies, prior to their implementation;
9. 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.