Decision 45 COM 7B.162

Borobudur Temple Compounds (Indonesia) (C 592)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/23/45.COM/7B.Add,
2. Recalling Decision 44 COM 7B.142 adopted at its extended 44th session (Fuzhou/online, 2021),
3. Deeply regrets that, despite its previous requests, the State Party has completed significant development projects within and around the property prior to submitting the requested Integrated Tourism Management Plan of Borobudur-Yogyakarta-Prambanan (ITMP BYP), the Borobudur Visitor Management Plan (BVMP), or the updated Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) to address the projects’ potential impact on the property’s Outstanding Universal Value (OUV);
4. Notes that the ITMP BYP and BVMP are to be reviewed to align with the latest national policy and post-pandemic situation, and requests the State Party to submit the updated versions of these documents to the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies for review before they are finalised;
5. Further requests the State Party to duly implement the revised HIA in accordance with the newly provided Guidance and Toolkit for Impact Assessments in a World Heritage Context, as submitted on 9 March 2023;
6. Notes with utmost concern that eight out of eleven proposed projects have already been completed, and urges the State Party to halt the projects that have not yet been completed until the submitted documents have been reviewed by the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies and any resulting recommendations for change have been addressed;
7. Welcomes the State Party’s ongoing endeavour to harmonize the management of Borobudur Temple Compounds by updating the Presidential Decree No. 1 of 1992, and requests the State Party to prioritize establishment of an integrated management body for the entire Borobudur National Strategic Area, involving multiple stakeholders such as, national and regional governments, private sector partners and local communities, and to oversee its development and operation;
8. Also requests the State Party to invite a joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring mission to the property as soon as possible to review the state of conservation of the property, assess the existing, cumulative and potential impacts of the finalised, ongoing and/or planned construction projects and any planned mitigation measures on the property and its OUV, propose any further required mitigation measures, and to consider what advice or assistance might enrich the Management Plan for the property;
9. Further notes that the State Party’s Technical Guidance for Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) is to be revised to align with the Guidance and Toolkit for Impact Assessments in a World Heritage Context, and reminds the State Party to submit information on any proposal that may have an impact on the OUV of the property to the World Heritage Centre for examination by the Advisory Bodies before making any decision that would be difficult to reverse and before any further works commence, along with HIAs, in conformity with paragraphs 118bis and 172 of the Operational Guidelines;
10. Finally requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 December 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 47th session.