Decision 44 COM 7B.36

Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras (Philippines) (C 722)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/21/44.COM/7B,
2. Recalling Decision 42 COM 7B.15 adopted at its 42nd session (Manama, 2018),
3. Welcomes the substantial efforts and progress made by the State Party to implement the Rice Terraces Master Plan 2015-2024 and improve the overall state of conservation and management of the property;
4. Encourages the State Party to continuously implement the Rice Terraces Master Plan 2015-2024 and take into account the outcomes of the 2020 midterm review;
5. Notes with satisfaction the establishment of inter-agency mechanisms between the Ifugao Rice Terraces Rehabilitation and Development Council and the Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) Sustainable Development Committee of FAO, along with the implementation of the Indigenous Peoples Education Program to support the integration of traditional knowledge systems in formal and informal education, and also encourages the State Party to enhance synergies with GIAHS programme and use these mechanisms to address emerging conservation issues, with consideration for the full participation of local communities and other stakeholders;
6. Further encourages the State Party to implement the Disaster Risk Preparedness Plan and climate change adaptation strategies as soon as possible, due to the possibility of major earthquakes and the increasing climate vulnerability of the region in the face of regular typhoons and floods;
7. Encourages furthermore the State Party to continue monitoring the implementation of regulations to control infrastructure and physical developments within the property, and strongly encourages the State Party to prepare Heritage Impact Assessments (HIAs) for the upcoming energy plant projects in the vicinity of the property, including a specific section on their potential impact on the Outstanding Universal Value of the property, and to submit these HIAs to the World Heritage Centre, for review by the Advisory Bodies;
8. Finally requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 December 2022, an updated report on the state of conservation of the property and the implementation of the above for review by the Advisory Bodies.