Decision 46 COM 7B.20

Churches of Chiloé (Chile) (C 971bis)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/24/46.COM/7B,
2. Recalling Decision 45 COM 7B.110 adopted at its extended 45th session (Riyadh, 2023),
3. Commends the State Party for the numerous conservation activities undertaken at the property and it efforts to respond to the recommendations of the 2013 Reactive Monitoring mission;
4. Welcomes the progress made in the preparation of the Integrated Management Plan (IMP) and the Risk Management Plan and, before their approval, encourages the State Party to consider the recommendations of the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies once the technical reviews become available;
5. Notes that the “Castro by-pass project” will be continued in 2024 and requests the State Party to keep the World Heritage Centre informed on its progress;
6. Reiterates that it is a fundamental requirement for the adequate protection and management of the 16 churches that make up the World Heritage property, to designate appropriate buffer zones and put in place intervention guidelines, expresses concern that the designation of the Typical Zone of Castro has been annulled and that the designations for Achao, Rilán and Dalcahue are being reconsidered and also requests the State Party to keep the World Heritage Centre informed on the related legal actions brought by civil society and indigenous representatives;
7. Also notes with concern that no effective mitigation measures have been identified and agreed upon with the owner of the shopping mall of Castro;
8. Further requests the State Party to invite, as soon as possible, a joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring mission to the property, to review the implementation of all the recommendations of the 2013 Reactive Monitoring mission, in particular:
   1. the status of the designation of the buffer zones (Typical Zones) and Intervention Guidelines for each of the sixteen components of the property,
   2. the wider context of the church of Castro including traffic management and eventual urban development and construction proposals in the area surrounding the church,
   3. the adequacy of the proposed Typical Zone to protect the immediate surroundings of the church of Castro,
   4. the feasibility to mitigate the negative impact of the shopping mall of Castro on the values and attributes of the component,
   5. the measures which are required for a broad mobilization to ensure the preservation of the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property, in particular the component of Castro;
9. Finally requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 December 2025, a report on the state of conservation of the property and on the steps taken to implement the recommendations above mentioned, particularly regarding the shopping mall in Castro, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 48th session.