Decision 46 COM 7B.34

Town of Luang Prabang (Lao People's Democratic Republic) (C 479bis)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/24/46.COM/7B.Add,
2. Recalling Decision 45 COM 7B.43 adopted at its extended 45th session (Riyadh, 2023),
3. Acknowledges the State Party’s efforts to safeguard the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property, notably the progress made with the update of the management framework of the Luang Prabang Conservation Plan (“Plan de sauvegarde et mise en valeur” - PSMV), including the use of GIS monitoring, research on ecological and intangible values, and the thematic policy development relating to its intangible values, sustainable development goals and historic urban landscape, and recommends  that the updated elements of the PSMV be submitted to the World Heritage Centre for Technical Review by the Advisory Bodies, in light of the specific invitations made in Decision 45 COM 7B.43;
4. Notes that advice has been provided to private owners of traditional houses, but expresses concern that a sustainable financial mechanism has not been found for the preservation of the major attributes of traditional architecture, and that resumption of the previously promulgated Heritage Fund to provide assistance with repair and maintenance works for significant traditional architecture is prevented by national law;
5. Welcomes the State Party’s increasing attention regarding scientific data collection concerning the Mekong and Nam Khan Rivers, their riverbanks and associated environmental parameters, which would enable the long-term monitoring of possible changes in environmental setting and values, in particular with regard to the dams and hydropower constructions upstream and downstream of the property, and requests that the State Party share the monitoring data with the World Heritage Centre periodically;
6. Notes the State Party’s efforts relating to the preservation of intangible values, progress with restoration of ponds and wetlands, and the Nam Khan River park and riverfront protection projects, and requests the State Party to take into full consideration the points raised in the ICOMOS Technical Reviews as the Nam Khan Riverbank protection and park projects are implemented,
7. Invites the State Party to:
   1. Submit the Infrastructure Development Plan for review by the Advisory Bodies prior to its final approval and implementation,
   2. Continue to afford priority to the 142 deteriorated buildings, especially those entirely constructed of wood, and to ensure access to affordable materials for construction and repair, as well as traditional conservation skills to sustain the authenticity of the property,
   3. Consider alternative approaches to the proposed replacement of the Nam Khan River Bridge in light of the ICOMOS Technical Review, and the option proposed by the Reactive Monitoring mission of a like-for-like replacement, and to submit the selected design to the World Heritage Centre prior to implementation,
   4. Establish an Urban Design Guidelines document, to be in line with the UNESCO 2011 Recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape (HUL Recommendation) to contribute to the preservation of streetscapes, and inform the appropriate built form, materials and colours to be used in future development projects within the property and its buffer zone;
   5. Ensure that the comprehensive Tourism Management Plan is prepared in alignment with the World Heritage Sustainable Tourism guidelines and the ICOMOS International Charter for Cultural Heritage Tourism and other relevant guidelines, based on a carrying capacity study, to inform the measures to regulate tourism-related activities and infrastructure development, to prioritise the actions, including those to ensure safety and security of visitors, and that the draft tourism management plan is submitted to the World Heritage Centre for review prior to being finalised,
   6. Strengthen the role of National and Provincial Committees for National Heritage to ensure the proactive and informed coordination for major development projects,
   7. Integrate the World Heritage Convention’s principles within the broader context of territorial and developmental planning for World Heritage properties in Lao PDR, including for the properties’ buffer zones and wider settings;
8. Welcomes the State Party’s efforts to safeguard the property’s OUV by preparing a new Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) for the Luang Prabang Hydropower Project (LPHPP), but urges the State Party to revise the January 2024 HIA in accordance with the findings and recommendations of the ICOMOS Technical Review dated March 2024 and the comments of the World Heritage Centre;
9. Takes note of the Urban Environment Improvement Investment Project and the Luang Prabang Smart and Integrated Urban Strategy, and further requests the State Party, in conformity with Paragraphs 118bis and 172 of the Operational Guidelines, to submit to the World Heritage Centre the full set of technical documentation on both initiatives, including HIAs, for review by ICOMOS prior to their finalisation and implementation;
10. Notes the proposals for a range of significant tourism and infrastructure projects, including a new Mekong Bridge, the ‘Riverside Tourism Development Project’, the ‘Hillside Tourism Development’, the Mekong Footpath Project, and the Airport Upgrade, and reminds the State Party that, in conformity with the Operational Guidelines, documentation for all such projects should be submitted to the World Heritage Centre, including HIAs prepared in accordance with the methodology of the Guidance and Toolkit for Impact Assessment in a World Heritage Context, for review before any decision is made that would be difficult to reverse;
11. Reiterates its previous invitation to the World Heritage Management Division in Luang Prabang to remain a unified technical entity overseeing the various aspects of the management of the property, provided with the necessary human and financial resources;
12. Requests the State Party to invite a new joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring mission to assess the state of conservation of the property, the status and resourcing of the World Heritage Management Division, evaluate progress with implementation of the Committee’s previous decisions and the relevant recommendations of the 2022 mission, consider the potential impact of current and proposed tourism, infrastructure and other development projects on attributes that support the property’s OUV, and advise the State Party on appropriate heritage governance and processes to ensure that development projects are designed, evaluated and implemented in a manner that provides sustainable social and economic benefits, while ensuring that the property’s OUV is conserved;
13. 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.