Decision 40 COM 7B.8

Historic Centre of the City of Arequipa (Peru) (C 1016)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/16/40.COM/7B,
2. Recalling Decision 38 COM 7B.46, adopted at its 38th session (Doha, 2014),
3. Takes note of the World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring mission that took place in 2014 and requests the State Party to implement its recommendations;
4. Reiterates its recommendation to the State Party to submit, as a matter of urgency, according to Paragraphs 163-165 of the Operational Guidelines, the final proposal for the buffer zone as a minor boundary modification, to enhance the protection of the visually sensitive areas around the property;
5. Also takes note of the information provided on the Chilina Bridge and the Via Troncal Interconectora Project and notes with regret that these infrastructural works have been completed in spite of its recommendations over the past years not to initiate the works as long as a Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) had not been completed, and also requests the State Party to complete it as a matter of urgency, and submit it for review by the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies;
6. Also notes that the HIA for the Chilina Bridge concludes that as a consequence of the construction of the bridge, the surrounding landscape areas are in an accelerated process of transformation;
7. Urges the State Party to develop a mitigation plan to control the undesirable urbanisation and constructions that are already taking place as a consequence of the works;
8. Welcomes the completion of the Risk Prevention Management Plan;
9. Reiterates its request to the State Party to complete the process of reviewing of the Metropolitan Development Plan in order to rationalize inconsistencies with the Master Plan of the property and to confirm whether or not this plan is to be regarded as the management plan for the property, requested by the World Heritage Committee to ensure the protection of the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property;
10. Invites the State Party to submit as soon as possible more detailed information on the proposal to construct a Monorail Transportation System in the city of Arequipa, for review by the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies, and also urges the State Party not to proceed with the further development of the project pending consultations, in accordance with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines;
11. Further requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 December 2017, 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 42nd session in 2018.