National History Park – Citadel, Sans Souci, Ramiers

• Management systems/ management plan (lack of conservation, management and risk preparedness plans)
• Water damage (issue resolved)
• Vandalism (issue resolved)
• Earthquake (vulnerability)
• Impacts of tourism / visitor / recreation
• Ground transport infrastructure
• Effects arising from use of transportation infrastructure
• Major visitor accommodation and associated infrastructure

Total amount granted: USD 14,780 for the July 2010 Technical Mission partially funded by the Spanish Funds-in-Trust for World Heritage

On 22 March 2022, the State Party submitted a state of conservation report which is available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/180 and addresses the issues raised by the Committee in its Decision 44 COM 7B.68:

• The preparation of the conservation and management plans and the definition of the buffer zone are part of the technical assistance programme implemented by the UNESCO Office in Port au Prince in the framework of the project “Preservation du Patrimoine et Appui au Secteur Touristique” (PAST) that is financed by the World Bank. The implementation of this project was interrupted but the UNESCO Office has now retaken the activities with a team of international and national consultants. In this context, the mission to the property of an expert in management plans was undertaken in the framework of the PAST project in February 2022. The present status of the management plan is provided as an annex to the State Party report (complementary information to be provided in April 2022 – see below);
• The management structure will be reinforced as part of the management plan. The financing of the management authority will be the responsibility of the Ministry of Culture and Communication, once the PAST project is concluded;
• It is stressed that all works of the Route RN003 within the park (a stretch of 5,8 km) have been halted for the past three years and that alternative solutions are still under consideration, particularly option 2 at the east of the park from Dondon via Gran Riviere du Nord. Recently traffic on RN003 increased due to safety issues on RN001 but this road is now operational again for 70%. The State Party recognizes that the temporarily traffic increase put a pressure on the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property. The impact will be assessed and submitted to the World Heritage Centre;
• The European Union (EU) undertook a study on the construction of the alternative road east of the park (option 2). Preliminary costs estimates have been made for road improvement through the park and the alternative route option 2. A phased implementation of works could be considered taking into account that all documentation that is necessary for the bidding process for the improvement of the ‘Park Road’ is available, with the exception of the agreement of UNESCO;
• It is recalled that in 2019 a technical ICOMOS mission was requested to advise the State Party on the means to improve this road. This mission had to be cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the State Party now reiterates its request for this mission;
• The project that the State Party submitted in 2020 had the aim to improve the road through the park. As no improvement has been undertaken over the past three years, the conditions of the dirt road continue to deteriorate and pressure from the population is increasing. A joint mission by the World Heritage Centre, ICOMOS, the Institute for the Preservation of National Heritage (ISPAN), the EU, the Ministry of Public Works, Transport and Communications (MTPTC) and the BON (Bureau de l’Ordonnateur National) is requested to look into the necessary improvement of the road through the park. It is also reiterated that ISPAN does have the capacity to study and implement the improvement of this road based on earlier experiences in the execution of the park road Sans Souci – Choiseul – Citadelle during 1982-1991;
• The secondary road from Carrefour Seize at the RN003 to the Choiseul parking area would constitute a very interesting access to the Citadelle that would substantially benefit the inhabitants of Dondon. This road is intended to be used exclusively by foot or by horses. Due to socio-political and economic circumstances, to date no further studies could be undertaken;
• Regarding the Church of Milot, several technical missions have been undertaken and monitoring devices have been installed to evaluate the structural stability of the surviving structures. Emergency conservation measures will be financed by the PAST project, in the framework of a broader study of the Sans Souci area. A detailed technical report is provided in an annex to the state of conservation report.

On 19 April 2022, the State Party submitted the following additional documentation:

• A preliminary version of the management plan 2023-2028;
• A report on the financial estimates for the improvement of RN003 St. Rafael – Barrière Battant. This report estimates the costs of the improvement of the road through the park at approximately 70 million euros. With the addition of the deviation around the park the total would be approximately 120 million euros. The report proposes a phased approach that would allow the works through the park to be initiated while the necessary further studies for the deviation are undertaken. If this were approved by UNESCO, the bidding process for the road through the park could be initiated.

The extensive state of conservation report is appreciated, and the State Party should be commended that it has continued management and conservation actions at the World Heritage property, in spite of extremely complex circumstances. The programme for awareness raising among the population of seismic risks and preventive measures of vernacular architecture is equally commended.

It is noted that the international assistance through the UNESCO Office in Port au Prince has been retaken and that the preparation of the management and conservation plans is now underway with the assistance of a team of international and national experts. The submission of the preliminary thorough version of the management plan is acknowledged. For the Advisory Bodies to be able to undertake a review, it is recommended that the State Party be urged to conclude these plans within the shortest time-frame possible and that the finalized documents be transmitted to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies.

If the state of conservation report and additional documentation are understood correctly, the State Party maintains its position that the section of the road RN003 that passes through the park needs to be improved as a ‘Park Road’ as was proposed in the state of conservation report of 2020. This is in spite of the severe reservations expressed by the Committee at its last session that the proposed mitigation measures associated with proposed amendments cannot be seen to mitigate the adverse impacts arising from the rehabilitation of the RN003 and would pose an imminent danger to the OUV of the property, and, moreover, that no decision on the upgrading of the road within the limits of the property should be taken until all alternative solutions have been duly studied and a mission has been undertaken as soon as circumstances allow. At the same time, it appears that alternatives to the RN003 outside the property, particularly option 2 from Dondon via Gran Rivière du Nord, are still being explored. The State Party requests a joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS Advisory mission together with the EU, ISPAN and other national agencies involved (MTPTC and BON). It is recommended that the State Party be requested to invite a Reactive Monitoring mission to address both matters: how proposals for the road through the park (as a ‘Park Road’) might be amended to avoid danger to OUV, and the study of possible alternative routes to the RN003 around the park, in particular option 2. These matters are inseparable, and the risk should be avoided that only a damaging ‘Park Road’ is executed, and the deviation road is discarded or postponed at a later stage.

It is recommended that the Committee reiterate its position that the impacts arising from the rehabilitation of the RN003 road through the property that have been reflected in decisions of the Committee since 2010, and confirmed in the recent Environmental Impact Assessment and Heritage Impact Assessment, would pose an imminent danger to the OUV of the property. This road should not be substantially improved and should be used exclusively for local traffic and access to the park and its monuments, while the deviation around the park is a necessity to preserve the OUV of the property. The fact that all the works related to the RN003 have been suspended for three years and that a mission has been proposed by the State Party to provide orientations prior to any decision and possible developments should be noted.

It is noted that further studies on the upgrading of the secondary road from Carrefour Seize to the parking area at Choiseul are pending. It is recommended that the Committee reiterate its request to the State Party to submit detailed documentation on this project, including an analysis of its potential impact on the OUV of the property, to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies.

ISPAN is commended for the emergency intervention at the church of Milot to secure the remaining structure of the church, including the construction of a temporary roof, as well the monitoring programme that has been put in place.