Aapravasi Ghat

• Restoration works (issue resolved)
• Visitor pressure (issue resolved)
• Management systems/Management Plan (need for an updated Management Plan)
• Urban development (issue resolved)
• Commercial development
• Transport infrastructure

N/A

On 31 December 2022, the State Party submitted a state of conservation report, which is available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1227/documents/. Progress in a number of conservation issues addressed by the Committee at its previous sessions is presented in this report, as follows:

• The archival survey of the Parc à Boulets in the buffer zone has been completed and a copy was included in the State Party’s report. An archaeological survey should be completed by the second quarter of 2023 and the report on its findings will be submitted to the Committee;
• In regard to the buffer zone developments, an overarching Heritage Impact Assessment and Visual Impact Assessment (HIA/VIA) was completed by independent consultants in November 2022. The process included stakeholder engagement. The overarching HIA/VIA is currently under consideration by the State Party;
• No construction has commenced on any of the projects in the buffer zone considered in the overarching HIA/VIA;
• Individual HIA/VIAs will be conducted on the individual projects within the framework of the overarching HIA/VIA:
  • Redevelopment of the Granary building and associated infrastructure,
  • Redevelopment, modernisation and operation of the Immigration Square Urban Terminal at Port Louis,
  • The Metro Express project and end station at the Immigration Square,
  • The Intercontinental Slavery Museum,
  • The Beekrumsing Ramlallah Interpretation Centre – Phase II,
  • Upgrading/ Reconstruction of the Fish, Meat and Poultry Section of the Central Market at Port Louis,
  • Public Walkway project,

• In regard to stakeholder engagement and management, a Consultative Committee, as provided for under the Planning Policy Guidance 6, which is comprised of 96 members from the local community and governmental institutions is functioning. This platform will be further developed as a platform that will facilitate more frequent and comprehensive stakeholder consultations;
• A Management Plan Committee (MPC), established under the provisions of the Management Plan 2020-2025, is likewise functioning to monitor the implementation of the Management Plan, including and not limited to Action Area Plan 1 for the buffer zone and assesses HIAs and VIAs, amongst others.

The State Party has made much progress in improving the protection and management of this property over the last couple of years. Commitment to the overarching HIA/VIA process is commendable as is its commitment to complete individual HIAs and VIAs on the component projects.

The Committee may wish to request the State Party to submit the individual HIA/VIAs with the designs that they assess for review by the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies before the conclusions of the HIAs and VIAs are adopted.

The State Party’s further reports of its stakeholder engagement mechanisms and management structure are likewise welcome, as is the submission of the archival survey of the Parc à Boulets and the commitment to forward to the Committee a report on the foreseen archaeological survey.

Due to the scale of the development proposal in the buffer zone of the property and the complexity of the impact assessment process required to safeguard the property’s Outstanding Universal Value, it is recommended that the State Party should be requested to submit a state of conservation report in December 2024.