Decision 41 COM 7B.97

Historical Monuments at Makli, Thatta (Pakistan) (C 143)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/17/41.COM/7B,
2. Recalling Decision 40 COM 7B.44 adopted at its 40th session (Istanbul/UNESCO, 2016),
3. Expresses its appreciation for the significant efforts expended by the State Party to improve the state of conservation of the property by regularly removing litter, graffiti and vegetation from the property, hiring security guards, and documenting/storing displaced original architectural elements;
4. Notes however that important requests made by the Committee are yet to be addressed or fully implemented, including the completion of the barrier wall, the encroachment of contemporary burials on the property, the stabilisation of important monuments, and the finalization of the Management Plan;
5. Requests the State Party to:
   1. Submit, at its earliest convenience, details of the inventory system for displaced architectural elements and documentation on the remaining architectural surface decoration, and especially glazed tiles, which constitute an important part of the attributes of Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property,
   2. Ensure that programmes to record and analyse data from weather stations and crack monitors are implemented and that the results contribute directly to the management and conservation of the property and its monuments,
   3. Finalize the Management Plan for the property, taking into account the findings and recommendations of the 2016 Reactive Monitoring mission, together with a regulatory plan for the buffer zone of the necropolis, in consultation with the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies;
6. Urges the State Party to:
   1. Continue the stabilization of all elements in danger of collapse, in order of priority, particularly the Jamia Majid and the Jam Nizzamuddin Mausoleum and several other monuments groups, and produce the necessary preliminary assessments and studies, as requested by Decision 40 COM.7B.44,
   2. Determine the most appropriate way of accommodating new burials, notably by considering the allocation of an area outside of the property’s boundaries to this use, set up a mechanism for civilians to obtain burial authorisation, and ensure that the Management Plan acknowledges and addresses the living heritage values of the property and institutionalizes consultation with local communities,
   3. Consult with local communities regarding new burial arrangements and residential relocation and seek to incorporate programmes for education and outreach, making sure that changes do not create further risks of vandalism or damage,
   4. Establish clear standards and mechanisms for the continued supervision of all interventions carried out at the property, whether by the Sindh Government’s staff or by third parties, ensure that all regulations are followed and that proposals for works are submitted, reviewed, and approved before any work is undertaken on site,
   5. Develop a process for the prioritization of work and any related budgetary allocation to ensure that the most critical needs are met first. Priorities should be determined according to the significance and condition of the monuments, such that the most significant monuments in the worst condition are treated before those of lesser significance and/or in a less degraded state of conservation,
   6. For each major monument, create an extensive baseline photographic documentation that can be used to monitor visible structural changes (e.g. loss of material, cracks, discoloration and biological growth). All photographs should include size and colour scales for reference;
7. Encourages the State Party to provide short- and mid-term training programmes for the staff of the Department of Archaeology, to hire experts whenever necessary, and to develop a detailed list of responsibilities and a schedule of activities for each member of staff;
8. Also requests the State Party to invite a joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring mission to the property in the first half of 2018, in order to:
   1. Review the progress accomplished with the implementation of the decisions adopted by the Committee at its 40th and present sessions, as well as the recommendations made by the 2016 Reactive Monitoring mission, and in particular:
      1. the development of the Management Plan,
      2. the overall management of the property (e.g. litter collection, site security, contemporary burials encroachment),
      3. conservation works carried out on site,
      4. the mechanism established for physical interventions, including the prioritisation of interventions,
      5. the establishment of documentation/inventory and monitoring systems;
   2. Review the factors that constitute a threat to the property and consider whether there is still an ascertained or potential danger to the OUV of the property,
   3. Advise the State Party on the issues related to the boundaries and buffer zone of the property as well as the completion and implementation of the Management Plan;
9. 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, with a view to considering, in the absence of substantial progress in the implementation of the above mentioned issues, the possible inscription of the property on the List of World Heritage in Danger.