Decision 45 COM 7A.50

Old Walled City of Shibam (Yemen) (C 192)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/23/45.COM/7A.Add,
2. Recalling Decision 44 COM 7A.27 adopted at its extended 44th session (Fuzhou/online, 2021),
3. Commends the ongoing local and international efforts to protect and conserve the property, despite the very difficult conditions, and takes note of the conservation projects which have been completed;
4. Expresses its continuing concern about the damage caused to the property as a result of natural elements and the ongoing armed conflict, and that the property continues to be vulnerable, owing to the residual impact of previous flooding as well as the current security situation, ongoing social change and continuing lack of resources for both heritage management and physical conservation;
5. Reiterates its previous requests to the State Party to:
   1. Submit information on all major projects, to the World Heritage Centre, in compliance with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines, for review by of the Advisory Bodies,
   2. Submit the report ‘Conservation Status of Shibam Hadramout 2018-2019, Strategy for the Management of the Historic City of Shibam’, as well as full details regarding the works undertaken at the Governmental Complex buildings, to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies, in accordance with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines,
   3. Elaborate proposals for a boundary clarification and a minor boundary modification in close coordination with UNESCO and the Advisory Bodies, to be submitted in line with Paragraph 164 of the Operational Guidelines,
   4. Consider ratifying the Second Protocol (1999) of the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict;
6. Commends the outcomes of the first phase of the UNESCO-EU Cash for Work project in Yemen, the launch of the new EU-funded UNESCO Project ‘Youth Employment through Culture and Heritage in Yemen’, as well as in the implementation of the Japan-funded project ‘Building Climate-resilient Communities in Historic Cities in Yemen through Strengthened Disaster Risk Management and Awareness’;
7. Reiterates the need for a joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring mission to advise on repair and conservation works, and to contribute to the processes required to enable the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger, including the implementation of corrective measures, as soon as the situation in Yemen allows;
8. Continues to urge all parties involved in the conflict to refrain from any further action that would cause damage to the cultural heritage of Yemen and the OUV of the property, and to fulfil their obligations under international law, in particular the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, by taking all possible measures to protect such heritage, especially sites on the World Heritage List and those included in the Tentative List of Yemen, and appeals to all States Parties to cooperate in the protection of cultural heritage during armed conflict as per the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2347;
9. Reiterates its previous calls to the international community to provide technical and financial support, including through the UNESCO Heritage Emergency Fund, for the implementation of the Emergency Action Plan for the Safeguarding of Yemen’s Cultural Heritage, including funding for capacity building and first-aid restoration and protection measures;
10. 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;
11. Decides to retain Old Walled City of Shibam (Yemen) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.