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Archaeological Site of Cyrene

Libya
Factors affecting the property in 2015*
  • Crop production
  • Deliberate destruction of heritage
  • Governance
  • Housing
  • Interpretative and visitation facilities
  • Livestock farming / grazing of domesticated animals
  • Management activities
  • Management systems/ management plan
  • Surface water pollution
Factors* affecting the property identified in previous reports
  • Need to complete the Conservation and Management Plan in order to co-ordinate actions in the short- and medium-term
  • Need to provide a detailed map at the appropriate scale showing the boundaries of the property and buffer zone, as well as regulatory measures foreseen to ensure the protection of the property
  • Inadequate protection leading to threat to rock-hewn monumental tombs, vandalism and the development of agricultural activities in the rural zone
  • Urban encroachment and uncontrolled building construction leading to destruction of archaeological areas
  • Inappropriate earlier restoration work
  • Problem of discharge of sewage from the modern town into the Wadi Bel Ghadir
  • Inadequate on-site security and control systems
  • Need for a presentation and interpretation system for visitors and the local population
International Assistance: requests for the property until 2015
Requests approved: 0
Total amount approved : 0 USD
Missions to the property until 2015**

January 2007: Joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring mission; August 2008: World Heritage Centre mission.

Conservation issues presented to the World Heritage Committee in 2015

The State Party did not provide a report on the progress in implementing the recommendations adopted in Decision 37 COM 7B.53, which was requested by the Committee at its 37th session (Phnom Penh, 2013). No recent information on the state of conservation of the property is available.

Analysis and Conclusion by World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies in 2015

Other sources report that the property has suffered from vandalism, as well as looting, and is at risk due to the presence of armed groups only 80 kilometers far from the site. They also report that the urban encroachment has increased with more illegal constructions within the boundaries of the site.

The prevailing situation in the country raises a high concern about the capacity of the responsible authorities to ensure the protection and conservation of the property. It is recommended that the World Heritage Committee request the State Party to submit information about the situation at the property as soon as the security situation permits and foresee to examine the state of conservation of the property at its 40th session in 2016.

Decisions adopted by the Committee in 2015
39 COM 7B.56
Archaeological Site of Cyrene (Libya) (C 190)

The World Heritage Committee,

  1. Having examined Document WHC-15/39.COM/7B.Add,
  2. Recalling Decision 38 COM 7B.2, adopted at its 38th session (Doha, 2014),
  3. Takes note with great concern of the information provided by the State Party in its report on the state of conservation of the property;
  4. Urges the State Party to reinforce the protection of the property by implementing, to the best extent possible, the recommendations of the technical workshops organized by UNESCO and its partners in order to define emergency protection and risk mitigation measures for the safeguarding of Libya’s cultural heritage;
  5. Requests the State Party to provide the World Heritage Centre, as soon as the security situation permits, with more detailed information on the state of conservation of the property as well as with a precise mapping of the different violations at the site, and notably the urban encroachment, looting and vandalism;
  6. Also requests the State Party to pursue the establishment of a dialogue between the responsible national and local authorities as well as the involvement of local communities in the protection of the property, in addition to the development of awareness raising initiatives at national level;
  7. Further requests the State Party to invite a joint UNESCO/ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring mission to the site as soon as possible and make sure that the elements requested in paragraph 5 of the present decision are submitted to the World Heritage Centre before the visit of the mission;
  8. Requests furthermore the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2016, an updated report, including a 1-page executive summary, on the state of conservation of the property and the implementation of the above, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 40th session in 2016.
Draft Decision: 39 COM 7B.56

The World Heritage Committee,

  1. Having examined Document WHC-15/39.COM/7B.Add,
  2. Recalling Decision 37 COM 7B.53, adopted at its 37th session (Phnom Penh, 2013),
  3. Regrets that the State Party did not submit a report on the state of conservation of the property, as requested by the Committee at its 37th session in 2013;
  4. Expresses its high concern regarding the absence of information on the state of conservation of the property in the prevailing situation;
  5. Requests the State Party to submit information on the state of conservation of the property as soon as the security situation permits, and notably concerning the urban encroachment and the protection of the site from looting and vandalism;
  6. Also requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2016, an updated report, including a 1-page executive summary, on the state of conservation of the property and the implementation of the above, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 40th session in 2016.


REVISED DECISION SUBMITTED ON 30/06/2015 BY THE WORLD HERITAGE CENTRE, ICOMOS AND ICCROM

Draft Decision: 39 COM 7B.56 Rev

The World Heritage Committee,

  1. Having examined Document WHC-15/39.COM/7B.Add,
  2. Recalling Decision 38 COM 7B.2, adopted at its 38th session (Doha, 2014),
  3. Takes note with great concern of the information provided by the State Party in its report on the state of conservation of the property;
  4. Urges the State Party to reinforce the protection of the property by implementing, to the best extent possible, the recommendations of the technical workshops organized by UNESCO and its partners in order to define emergency protection and risk mitigation measures for the safeguarding of Libya’s cultural heritage;
  5. Requests the State Party to provide the World Heritage Centre, as soon as the security situation permits, with more detailed information on the state of conservation of the property as well as with a precise mapping of the different violations at the site , and notably the urban encroachment, looting and vandalism;
  6. Also requests the State Party to pursue the establishment of a dialogue between the responsible national and local authorities as well as the involvement of local communities in the protection of the property, in addition to the development of awareness raising initiatives at national level;
  7. Further requests the State Party to invite a joint UNESCO/ICOMOS reactive monitoring mission to the site as soon as possible and make sure that the elements requested in paragraph 5 of the present decision are submitted to the World Heritage Centre before the visit of the mission;
  8. Request furthermore the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2016, an updated report, including a 1-page executive summary, on the state of conservation of the property and the implementation of the above, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 40th session in 2016.
Report year: 2015
Libya
Date of Inscription: 1982
Category: Cultural
Criteria: (ii)(iii)(vi)
Danger List (dates): 2016-present
Exports

* : The threats indicated are listed in alphabetical order; their order does not constitute a classification according to the importance of their impact on the property.
Furthermore, they are presented irrespective of the type of threat faced by the property, i.e. with specific and proven imminent danger (“ascertained danger”) or with threats which could have deleterious effects on the property’s Outstanding Universal Value (“potential danger”).

** : All mission reports are not always available electronically.


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