Decision 42 COM 7A.1

Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley (Afghanistan) (C 208 rev)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/18/42.COM/7A,
2. Recalling Decision 41 COM 7A.54 adopted at its 41st session (Krakow, 2017),
3. Notes with satisfaction the long-awaited launch, in the framework of the UNESCO/Japan Funds-in-Trust (JFiT) project for the safeguarding of the Bamiyan Buddha Niches, of the technical works aiming at consolidating the Western Buddha niche, which also contributed to the adequate conservation of fragments from the niche and helped assess the conditions of remaining mural paintings in several cliffs throughout the Bamiyan Valley, and requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre a detailed technical report on the activities undertaken;
4. Also notes that surveys were conducted at Shahr-i-Ghulghulah, with support from UNESCO and the UNESCO/Italy Funds-in-Trust, in order to establish a long-term plan for the conservation of historical monuments, and also requests the State Party to submit a detailed technical report on the research conducted and the plans made for the future conservation of this component;
5. Welcoming the organization of the International Symposium “The Future of the Bamiyan Buddha Statues: Technical Considerations and Potential Effects on Authenticity and Outstanding Universal Value” (OUV), held in Tokyo in September 2017 as part of the UNESCO/Japan FiT project, acknowledges the Symposium’s recommendations, which notably invite the State Party and international partners to deepen the reflection on the possible reconstruction of the Bamiyan Buddha statues; and further requests the State Party to conduct extensive consultation with local communities, civil society, as well as spiritual leaders and other stakeholders and to submit any selected proposals or options for review by the Advisory Bodies before any irreversible decision is made;
6. Welcomes the organization of the 14th Bamiyan Technical Working Group meeting, held in December 2017, which set the priorities for future activities;
7. Expresses its concern over lack of on-going resources which has led to disruption in the deployment of on-site guards since April 2017, and the absence of significant conservation efforts for several components of the property which are in imminent danger of collapse;
8. Encourages the State Party to prepare a long-term strategy to ensure that the necessary resources for the most important operations are reliably and continuously available, taking into account the existing financial constraints;
9. Calls upon the international community to provide technical and financial support, notably to other components of the serial property in the Bamiyan Valley, such as Shahr-i-Zohak, Kakrak and Fuladi Valleys, in order to assist the State Party in reaching the adopted Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger (DSOCR);
10. Further notes that the Cultural Master Plan is used as a tool to protect the OUV of the property, in consultation with national and local stakeholders, and further welcomes the State Party’s efforts to promote a closer synergy between this instrument, the upcoming Strategic Master Plan for Bamiyan and the City Master Plan;
11. Noting nevertheless that industrial development and uncontrolled urban growth in the buffer zone could represent a potential threat to conservation in the future, requests moreover that the State Party closely monitor these activities within the framework of the implementation of the CMP and supports the State Party’s commitment to proceed with a boundary modification and the revision of national legislation, in an effort to enhance the permanent protection of heritage resources, notably the cultural landscape of the Bamiyan Valley that is not currently included in protected zones and its setting;
12. Encourages the State Party to continue capitalizing on various capacity-building activities for national heritage experts by encouraging their participation in international projects, which also strengthens national and local capacities for heritage conservation and management, notably by developing the local communities’ capacity to contribute to the safeguarding of the property;
13. Notes with concern that little progress has been achieved with the implementation of corrective measures due to the lack of human and financial resources, and urges again the State Party to review, in consultation with the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies, the timeframe for the implementation of the corrective measures and to submit it to the World Heritage Centre, for examination by the Advisory Bodies;
14. Finally requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2019, an updated report on the state of conservation of the property and the implementation of the above, including a revised timeframe for the implementation of the corrective measures, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 43rd session in 2019;
15. Decides to retain the Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley (Afghanistan) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.