Decision 46 COM 7B.37

Lumbini, the Birthplace of the Lord Buddha (Nepal) (C 666rev)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/24/46.COM/7B,
2. Recalling Decision 45 COM 7B.46 adopted at its extended 45th session (Riyadh, 2023),
3. Urges the State Party to facilitate rapid implementation of the Integrated Management Framework (IMF) for the property and to submit the related Sector Strategies and the integrated Plan of Actions to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies;
4. Reiterates its previous requests to the State Party to:
   1. Fully implement the recommendations of the 2022 Reactive Monitoring mission and the 2023 International Scientific Committee meeting,
   2. Ensure that the draft procedures and format for Heritage Impact Assessments (HIAs) in Nepal are reviewed to be consistent with the Guidance and Toolkit for Impact Assessments in a World Heritage Context prior to being adopted,
   3. Undertake HIAs before any further work occurs within the property or in adjacent areas identified as having potential archaeological significance, and ensure that these HIAs and relevant project documentation are submitted to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies, in conformity with Paragraphs 118bis and 172 of the Operational Guidelines, before making any decision that would be difficult to reverse,
   4. Submit, in one of the working languages of the World Heritage Committee (English or French), the ‘Conference Centre Guidelines’ and other relevant information regarding preventive measures to reduce any negative impact of the Buddhist Meditation Hall on the property and its Outstanding Universal Value (OUV), the surrounding landscape and the environment;
5. Notes that the Lumbini World Peace City project is not currently proceeding, but reiterates its previous request that, if such a project were to be pursued, a comprehensive HIA should be prepared and submitted to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies prior to implementation and before any decision is made that would be difficult to reverse;
6. Notes the preparation of initial sector strategy documents and encourages the State Party to complete the full set of these documents and submit them for review by the International Scientific Committee (ISC) before they are finalised;
7. Notes the condition of the Sacred Garden and Mayadevi Temple Shelter, particularly in relation to potential for damage to the remains from the wet environment created by high water levels and water penetration in and around Mayadevi Temple Shelter, and requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, for review by the Advisory Bodies, the hydrological assessment report for the Temple Shelter and details of immediate measures to be undertaken to protect the deteriorating archaeological remains within the Mayadevi Temple Shelter, along with mid- to long-term protection goals, using the latest surveys and technologies available;
8. Requests the State Party to submit the draft strategy and action plan to protect the Greater Lumbini Area and its wider setting, including Tilaurakot and Ramagrama, to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies before it is finalised;
9. Regrets that the new developments within the Sacred Garden have been carried out without comprehensive HIA prior to implementation;
10. Requests the State Party to ensure that projects arising from the 2022 Review of the Kenzo Tange Master Plan for Sacred Garden and the 2023 Visitor Management Plan for the Sacred Garden in Lumbini be subject to HIAs, and that these HIAs and any other relevant project documentation be submitted to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies, in conformity with Paragraphs 118bis and 172 of the Operational Guidelines, before any decision is made that would be difficult to reverse;
11. Requests the State Party to submit a detailed plan and schedule for full implementation of the recommendations of the 2023 International Scientific Committee and the 2022 Reactive Monitoring mission which are yet to be fulfilled, and in particular that the condition of the Sacred Garden and the archaeological features within the Mayadevi Temple Shelter have not been adequately addressed, despite previous requests;
12. Finally requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2025, 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 47th session, considering that the urgent conservation needs of this property require a broad mobilization to preserve its Outstanding Universal Value, including the possible inscription on the List of World Heritage in Danger.