Decision 45 COM 7A.23

Timbuktu (Mali) (C 119rev)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/23/45.COM/7A.Add,
2. Recalling Decision 44 COM 7A.2 adopted at its 44th extended session (Fuzhou/online, 2021),
3. Notes with satisfaction the continuity of the conservation, management and awareness-raising measures undertaken by traditional actors, notably the mosque management committees and the masons' guild in a still precarious security context;
4. Commends the maintenance and rehabilitation work undertaken on various parts of the three mosques, notably the urgent interventions at the Djingareyber Mosque, such as the refurbishment of the façades and doors, and the interventions on the electrical installations, urges the State Party to ensure that all the work is well documented with regard to demonstrating that traditional methods and materials bolster the authenticity of the property and requests the State Party to provide details on the work undertaken;
5. Notes that climate change seems to have aggravated the supply of traditional construction material, and reiterates its request for the creation of plantations to guarantee a sustainable supply of appropriate building timber;
6. Expresses its concern over the continued silting of the mosques, which appears to be related to the silting of the Niger River due to deforestation and urges the State Party to consider appropriate strategic actions that could begin to address this problem at an appropriate regional level;
7. Notes that the management and conservation plan of the property expired in 2022 and requests the State Party to submit the updated draft management plan to the World Heritage Centre for examination by the Advisory Bodies;
8. Recognizes that the State Party has paid increased attention to the importance of traditional conservation methods, by increasing the involvement of various stakeholders through exchange meetings or training workshops on the involvement of communities in the management of heritage, and requests the State Party to further strengthen these actions to ensure that the initiatives called for by traditional communities are coordinated with the Cultural Mission and respect the heritage rules preserving the Outstanding Universal Value of the property;
9. Also commends the State Party for raising awareness, particularly among municipal and regional authorities, of the importance of heritage protection and management, including the establishment by the Governor of a working commission to enforce the town planning regulations, and requests the State Party to inform the Committee in more detail of the measures taken by this commission to improve enforcement of the regulations;
10. Reminds the State Party of the importance of not undertaking development projects around the mosques of Djingareyber, Sankore and Sidi Yayia, without prior studies of their potential impact on them, in accordance with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines;
11. Encourages the State Party to further promote the contribution of civil society to the promotion of heritage, and awareness-raising on social networks and among traditional communities;
12. Expresses its appreciation that a capacity-building programme with remote and on-site assistance, supported by the World Heritage Fund, for the development of the Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger (DSOCR) for each of the three Malian properties inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger, is being finalized;
13. Requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2024, 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;
14. Decides to continue the application of the Reinforced Monitoring Mechanism for the property;
15. Decides to retain Timbuktu (Mali) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.