Decision 46 COM 7A.8

Fortifications on the Caribbean Side of Panama: Portobelo-San Lorenzo (Panama) (C 135)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/24/46.COM/7A,
2. Recalling Decision 45 COM 7A.19 adopted at its extended 45th session (Riyadh, 2023),
3. Appreciates that the loan of the Inter-American Development Bank has been extended until December 2025;
4. Regrets that the revised timeframe 2019-2023 that was proposed by the State Party for the full implementation of the programme of corrective measures was not implemented, adopts the revised timeframe for implementation of the Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger (DSOCR) for the period of 2024-2026, and urges the State Party to implement the revised workplan that has been established and corrective measures accordingly in order to achieve the DSOCR by the end of 2026;
5. Welcomes the completion of the Land Management Plan of Portobelo and recommends the State Party to consider the eventual recommendations of a technical review of the plan by the Advisory Bodies;
6. Notes that the integrated Management Plan will be prepared in 2024 and requests the State Party to submit the Plan for review by the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies as soon as it becomes available;
7. Also welcomes the completion of the conservation works at the San Lorenzo Castle and its Upper Battery, also notes that a great volume of works is still to be executed at the Fortifications of San Jeronimo, San Fernando and Santiago and further welcomes that a special training programme of workers is foreseen;
8. Further notes that the Visitor Centre at San Lorenzo will be concluded in 2024 and regrets that no appropriate assessment of its potential impact on the World Heritage property and its buffer zone was prepared in spite of the Committee’s requests expressed in Decisions 44 COM 7A.36 and 45 COM 7A.19 and urges the State Party to prepare a Heritage Impact Assessment in line with the Guidance and Toolkit for Impact Assessments in a World Heritage Context, and to submit the assessment to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies as soon as it becomes available;
9. Finally requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2025, 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;
10. Decides to retain Fortifications on the Caribbean Side of Panama: Portobelo-San Lorenzo (Panama) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.