Historic Centre of Macao
Factors affecting the property in 2011*
- Housing
Factors* affecting the property identified in previous reports
The proposed high-rise buildings were threatening to affect the visual integrity of the property (issue resolved)
International Assistance: requests for the property until 2011
Total amount approved : 0 USD
Missions to the property until 2011**
January 2009: Joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS reactive monitoring mission
Conservation issues presented to the World Heritage Committee in 2011
The World Heritage Committee in Decision 33 COM 7B.67 noted, inter alia, the apparent inadequacy of the current management system and requested the State Party to develop a draft Statement of Outstanding Universal Value and appropriate legal and planning tools, including a comprehensive urban plan.
On 21 January 2011, the State Party submitted a brief state of conservation report on the progress made in response to the Committee Decision.
a) Statement of Outstanding Universal Value
In January 2011, the State Party submitted a Statement of Outstanding Universal Value to the World Heritage Centre.
b) Management system
The State Party reports that two studies completed in April 2010 ‘will form the basis of Macao’s Urban Plan’, and goes on to describe the characteristics of the existing urban plan. It therefore appears that the changes requested by the World Heritage Committee are or may be in process, but have not yet been implemented. Only when these changes have been finalised will the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies be in a position to assess their adequacy.
The State Party reports that ‘several detailed studies on building control of districts around the property’ were conducted in 2010. It appears that the intention is to develop District Plans based upon the detailed studies referred to. Again, only when these changes have been finalised will the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies be in a position to assess their adequacy.
c) Legal and regulative measures
The State Party also reports upon certain legal and regulative measures. These include the Urban Plan previously referred to, which is ‘in drafting process’; regulation 01/DSSOPT/2009, which would have been in place on or about the time of the World Heritage Committee’s request, and is therefore not new; and the new ‘law to safeguard Macao’s World Heritage’ which is ‘now in the final stages due to be reviewed by the Legislative Assembly in the fall of 2011’.
There are no specific indications as to when these plans and regulatory measures are expected to be put into force.
Analysis and Conclusion by World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies in 2011
The World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies are concerned that none of the conservation measures requested by the World Heritage Committee in Decision 33 COM 7B.67 have yet been completed and put into force. Once they are in place, the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies would be able to review their appropriateness and adequacy.
In view of the considerable potential threats identified by the 2009 Joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS reactive monitoring mission, the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies urge the State Party to fully implement all legal planning and management recommendations made.
Summary of the interventions
Decisions adopted by the Committee in 2011
35 COM 7B.64
Historic Centre of Macao (China) (C 1110)
The World Heritage Committee,
1. Having examined Document WHC-11/35.COM/7B,
2. Recalling Decision 33 COM 7B.67, adopted at its 33rd session (Seville, 2009),
3. Notes the initiatives taken by the State Party towards the development of the Urban Plan, District Plans, and a proposed law to safeguard Macao's World Heritage;
4. Expresses its concerns at the continuing inadequacy of the current management system, the buffer zone and legal provisions, to protect effectively the very important visual and functional linkages between the inscribed monuments and the wider urban land and seascape of Macao;
5. Reiterates its request to the State Party to develop appropriate legal and planning instruments comprising the Urban Plan as developed so far, and to submit to the World Heritage Centre when they are finalised, so that they can be assessed by the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies;
6. Requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2013, a report on the state of conservation of the property and the progress made in the implementation of the above, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 37th session in 2013.
Draft Decision: 35 COM 7B.64
The World Heritage Committee,
1. Having examined Document WHC-11/35.COM/7B,
2. Recalling Decision 33 COM 7B.67, adopted at its 33rd session (Seville, 2009),
3. Notes the initiatives taken by the State Party toward the development of the Urban Plan, District Plans, and a proposed law to safeguard Macao’s World Heritage;
4. Expresses its concerns at the continuing inadequacy of the current management system, the buffer zone and legal provisions, to protect effectively the very important visual and functional linkages between the inscribed monuments and the wider urban land and seascape of Macao;
5. Reiterates its request to the State Party to develop appropriate legal and planning instruments comprising the Urban Plan as developed so far, and to submit to the World Heritage Centre when they are finalised, so that they can be assessed by the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies;
6. Requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2013, a report on the state of conservation of the property and the progress made in the implementation of the above, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 37th session in 2013.
ChinaExports
* :
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.
