Decision 45 COM 7B.47

Fort and Shalamar Gardens in Lahore (Pakistan) (C 171)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/23/45.COM/7B,
2. Recalling Decision 44 COM 7B.34 adopted at its extended 44th session (Fuzhou/online, 2021),
3. Takes note of the advice and the reports provided by the State Party regarding its response to the Committee’s previous requests and the recommendations formulated by the 2018 joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring mission, including the preparation of eight feasibility studies and the May 2022 ‘Inception Report’, but expresses its regret that the State Party has not actively engaged with the World Heritage Centre nor with ICOMOS during this process as requested;
4. Notes that technically detailed information on the actions proposed by the State Party at the property is provided by the abovementioned reports, but reiterates its request that the outcomes of the feasibility studies and the ‘Inception Report’ for the implementation of the recommendations of the 2018 Reactive Monitoring mission be submitted to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies;
5. Reiterates its previous request that the State Party work in close cooperation with the World Heritage Centre and ICOMOS to develop and implement mitigation measures and recommendations concerning all Orange Line Metro-related operations and future projects, in order to prevent any damage to the property’s Outstanding Universal Value (OUV);
6. Welcomes the completion of the ‘Lahore Fort Precincts and Buffer Zone Master Plan’ following a Technical Review by ICOMOS;
7. Notes that additional restoration, conservation and/or adaptation projects have been undertaken at both component sites of the property, but regrets that the State Party has not provided sufficient technical information about these projects prior to their implementation to ensure the technical relevance of these works, contrary to the provisions of Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines and of its requests in previous decisions;
8. Requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre complete technical details of the interventions implemented in and around the Royal Kitchen, and proposals for the conservation of the Sheesh Mahal for review by the Advisory Bodies;
9. Reminds the State Party that full details of all significant projects at the property, including Heritage Impact Assessments prepared in accordance with the new Guidance for Impact Assessment in a World Heritage Context, should be submitted to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies, in accordance with Paragraphs 118bis and 172 of the Operational Guidelines, before a project is implemented or any irreversible decision is made, and that such projects should only proceed once positive feedback has been received from the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies;
10. Requests the State Party to invite a joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring mission to the property to assess its overall state of conservation, evaluate the effect of recent works on its OUV, consider future technical proposals, and to assess the efficacy of the ‘Inception Report’, as well as actual progress accomplished in implementing the recommendations of the 2018 Reactive Monitoring mission;
11. Requests the State Party to prepare and submit to the World Heritage Centre, for review by the Advisory Bodies, a separate study related to the possible boundary modification to include Badshahi Masjid, the Hazoori Bagh and the Sikh Funerary complex within the property boundaries, including a visual analysis and potential adjustments to the buffer zone of the Shalamar Gardens, and reiterates its request that the State Party submit to the World Heritage Centre a proposal for a boundary modification based on the outcomes of the aforementioned study, prepared in accordance with Paragraphs 163 to 165 of the Operational Guidelines and including the revision of the buffer zones, after having considered all appropriate social measures, especially if any action would involve the displacement of people residing in the neighbouring areas of the property;
12. 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.