Decision 45 COM 7B.133

Koutammakou, the Land of the Batammariba (Togo) (C 1140)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/23/45.COM/7B.Add,
2. Recalling Decision 44 COM 7B.122 adopted at its extended 44th session (Fuzhou/online, 2021),
3. Notes with satisfaction the efforts made by the State Party for the conservation of the property, the involvement of local communities and the development of management and guidance tools for various stakeholders through the project "Improving the state of conservation of Koutammakou, the land of the Batammariba” and encourages the State Party to continue these efforts;
4. Welcomes in particular the reconstruction of almost all the collapsed sikien and degraded houses during the bad weather of 2018, as well as the information provided on 1,716 sikien and their state of conservation, and requests the State Party to ensure continuous and detailed documentation of ongoing and future restoration and reconstruction measures, reporting on the scope and progress of the work, the location of the restored sikien, the types of work undertaken and the construction materials and systems;
5. Also welcomes the updating of the maps showing the boundaries of the property, the finalization of the 2022-2024 Conservation and Management Plan and the publication of a Recommendations Booklet for the maintenance of the sikien, which promote the commitment and empowerment of local communities for the restoration and maintenance of their heritage, and encourages the State Party to translate these documents into the local language and to strengthen this community commitment through awareness-raising and the training of young Batammaribè in trades relating to the restoration and reconstruction of the sikien;
6. Notes with satisfaction the strengthening of the human resources of the Koutammakou Conservation and Promotion Service (SCPK), as requested by the Committee at its extended 44th session, as well as the project to integrate the Recommendation concerning the Historic Urban Landscape (2011) into the Communal Urbanism and Development Plan of Kéran 3 commune and Nadoba, and requests the State Party to ensure that the SCPK and the communes of Kéran 3 and Nadoba have adequate financial resources for the effective conservation, restoration, management and protection of the property;
7. Expresses its concern at the deforestation and uncontrolled cutting of trees required for the construction of sikien diverted to the sale of charcoal and the plank trade, as well as the shortage of straw attributed to the impact of transhumance, noting that the transport of these materials from remote locations is not a sustainable solution and that these phenomena are likely to be exacerbated by the impacts of climate change, and encourages the State Party to develop a strategic plan to mitigate these phenomena, including reforestation measures, areas closed to grazing and raising public awareness of the importance of these measures;
8. Reiterates its thanks to the Government of Norway for its generous financial support for the implementation of the project "Improvement of the state of conservation of Koutammakou, the land of the Batammariba" and the publication of a Recommendations Booklet for the maintenance of sikien;
9. Thanks the State Party for inviting the joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS/ICCROM reactive monitoring mission requested by the Committee at the 43rd and 44th sessions and requests that this mission be carried out as soon as possible;
10. 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.