Decision 45 COM 7A.44

Crac des chevaliers and Qal’at Salah El-Din (Syrian Arab Republic) (C 1229)

Decision: 45COM 7A.44

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/23/45.COM/7A.Add,
2. Recalling Decisions 44 COM 7A.22 and 44 COM 7A.24 adopted at its extended 44th session (Fuzhou/online, 2021),
3. Taking into account Decision 45 COM 7A.46 on the World Heritage properties of the Syrian Arab Republic,
4. Expressing its concerns about the additional damage at the property resulting from the February 2023 earthquake, welcomes the works planned in the framework of the Emergency Assistance request approved in March 2023, with the aim of addressing its impact at both castles;
5. Also welcomes the substantial progress made towards the recovery of both component sites of the property, due to efforts made for establishing strategic partnerships and seeking international support, notably through requests to the World Heritage Fund;
6. Takes note of the works undertaken by the State Party, in the framework of the projects supported through International Assistance under the World Heritage Fund, and their contribution to improved management;
7. Further welcomes the progress made towards the implementation of the financial assistance request approved on 28 July 2021 to address the protection of the property’s buffer zones, and in particular the submission of the Minor Boundary Modification proposal and the efforts made to mitigate risks of fire in the buffer zone of Qal’at Salah El-Din;
8. Also takes note of the works undertaken and proposed to the stables and counterscarp walls at Crac de Chevaliers, to address structural stability issues, and in view the scale of the proposed intervention and its potential effect on a major attribute of the property, which supports its OUV, requests the State Party to prepare a Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA), in accordance with the Guidance and Toolkit for Impact Assessments in a World Heritage Context, and, in conformity with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines,
9. Takes note with satisfaction of the works undertaken by the State Party, the World Heritage Centre and ICOMOS for the elaboration of the Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger (DSOCR) and a set of correctives measures, and adopts the following DSOCR, corrective measures and timeframe:
   1. Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger (DSOCR):
      1. Removal of substantive threats arising from the conflict that started in 2011,
      2. Restoration of the deteriorated/compromised attributes, or at least evidence that the State Party has planned more appropriate restoration works and has initiated the process at both sites,
      3. Reinstatement of the property’s protection and management system with enhanced collaboration with the local community, in order to enhance the capacity to manage additional factors that threaten the integrity and authenticity of the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property;
   2. Corrective measures:
      
      

               - Implemented since 2013:

      1. Debris management and cleaning carried out at both sites,
      2. Damage assessment and documentation carried out at both sites,
      3. Cleaning of vegetation growth endangering the structures undertaken at both sites,
      4. Emergency structural interventions and restoration work initiated at both sites,
      5. Preparation of a Master plan for Crac des Chevaliers initiated,
      6. Illegal constructions identified within the buffer zones. 
         
         - Not yet implemented:
      7. Damaged structures at Crac des Chevaliers are restored. Those not yet restored should be at least planned appropriately,
      8.  All emergency structural interventions are implemented at Qal’at Salah El-Din,
      9. Cooperation with the local community is strengthened for an enhanced protection at both component sites,
      10. Challenges in the buffer zone are addressed, notably a damage assessment is carried out and emergency measures are defined in the buffer zone of Crac des Chevaliers and the boundaries of the buffer zone of Qal’at Salah El-Din are redefined,
      11. A study and consultations are carried out to set criteria and priorities for the removal of illegal constructions within the buffer zone of Crac des Chevaliers.
   3. Timeframe for the implementation of the corrective measures:
      The implementation of corrective measures should be completed within a period of three years;
      
10. Calls upon the international community to support the implementation of the above-mentioned corrective measures;
11. Reiterates the need for the invited joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS/ICCROM Reactive Monitoring mission to be carried out as soon as the situation allows, in order to proceed with a comprehensive assessment of the state of conservation of the property;
12. 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;
13. Decides to retain Crac des Chevaliers and Qal’at Salah El-Din (Syrian Arab Republic) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.