Decision 41 COM 7B.94

Vat Phou and Associated Ancient Settlements within the Champasak Cultural Landscape (Lao People’s Democratic Republic) (C 481)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/17/41.COM/7B.Add,
2. Recalling Decision 39 COM 7B.68 adopted at its 39th session (Bonn, 2015),
3. Welcomes the progress made by the State Party, especially with the development and adoption of a road network and management scheme, the Monument Zoning Plan together with construction and zoning regulations, and the completion of the Champasak Cultural Landscape Master Plan;
4. Regrets that the State Party has not finalized the Management Plan and requests the State Party to finalize it, as a matter of priority, and to provide a final draft to the World Heritage Centre, along with the new Monument Zone Plan resulting from the recent landscape study, for review by the Advisory Bodies;
5. Acknowledges the adoption of the Champasak Cultural Landscape Master Plan, which addresses recommendations made by the 2015 Reactive Monitoring mission and by the Committee, and also requests the State Party to:
   1. Monitor and report on progress made with the implementation of the road network and traffic management scheme,
   2. Ensure that the revised building and other regulations are enforced effectively to prevent new construction along the section of Route 14A from km29 to km34,
   3. Monitor and report on the effectiveness of inter-agency coordination and cooperation;
6. Further requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 December 2018, 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 43rd session in 2019.