Decision 45 COM 7B.110

Churches of Chiloé (Chile) (C 971bis)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/23/45.COM/7B,
2. Recalling Decision 44 COM 7B.164 adopted at its extended 44th session (Fuzhou/online, 2021),
3. Welcomes the progress on the preparation of the “Comprehensive Plan for the Protection of the Churches Environments”, and requests the State Party to complete the procedure for Achao, Rilan, Dalcahue, consider resuming Caguach for the submission of Minor Boundary Modifications to the proposed buffer zones and to submit “Intervention Guidelines” for all Typical Zones of the property for review by the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies;
4. Also welcomes the advances made to achieve the “Integrated Management Plan” (IMP), of the property, notes with satisfaction that the establishment or the “Cuidemos Chiloe Plan” is coordinated through an intra-ministerial committee and urges the State Party to complete the draft IMP and submit it for review by the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies before its approval;
5. Notes the progress made by the State Party in conservation actions, as well as the conclusion of the “Inventory of Religious Imagery”, the “Public Areas Program” and the “Small Towns Program” but regrets that the “Castro by-pass Project” still suffers delays for its completion and also requests the State Party to conclude its execution;
6. Further requests the State Party to conclude the “Risk Management Plan” and submit it for review by the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies before approval;
7. Regrets the lack of progress, since the 2013 Reactive monitoring mission, on mitigation measures and in the legal protection of the wider settings of the property, and reiterates its request to the State Party to urgently submit effective mitigation measures, including the expansion of the Typical Zone, for review by the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies, prior to their implementation;
8. Considers that in the absence of any mitigation measures for the shopping mall, the actual threats to its Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) caused by its construction persist;
9. Finally requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2024, a progress report on the state of conservation of the property and the implementation of the above, particularly regarding the shopping mall in Castro, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 46th session, considering that the urgent conservation needs of this property require a broad mobilization to preserve its OUV, including the possible inscription on the List of World Heritage in Danger.