Byblos

• Port expansion project (issue resolved)
• Need for a Management Plan and a Master Plan (issue resolved)
• Plans for an extension of the jetty (issue resolved)
• Tourism infrastructure: “Diplomatic Club” project with above ground structures of reinforced concrete built at the south of the property on potentially archaeologically sensitive grounds
• Management systems/ management plan: Unclear boundary definition of property and buffer zone
• Erosion and siltation/ deposition: Environmental risks - coastal erosion of the Byblos mound due to the heavy tidal impact of the sea.

N/A

On 23 December 2022, the State Party submitted a state of conservation report, available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/295/documents/. Progress in a number of conservation issues addressed by the Committee at its previous sessions is presented in this report, as follows:

• Very limited progress has been made on the conservation issues addressed by the Committee at its previous sessions due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the severe economic crisis;
• The State Party reaffirms that all construction and archaeological work related to the ‘Diplomatic Club’ project adjacent to the property remain suspended since April 2017;

• Current conservation issues relate to the protection of some walls and archaeological elements of the property, which are threatened due to their fragile construction techniques and exposure to the environment because of previous large-scale excavations;
• The consolidation of these structures continues based on recent (2018) documentation activities;
• Harmful vegetation is controlled in accordance with a plan developed by the Nature Conservation Centre of the American University of Beirut;

• Except for minor reinforcement work on the eastern exterior walls of the exposed 19th century house no further works are reported.

The World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies take note of the challenges currently faced by the State Party. The efforts of the Directorate General of Antiquities in this economically challenging and socially difficult context are highly commendable. However, under these circumstances, several issues raised by the 2018 joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring mission and reflected in previous Committee decisions, could not be followed up by the State Party and remain pending.

The State Party has reaffirmed the suspension of the ‘Diplomatic Club’ beach resort project and the associated archaeological investigations in the vicinity of the property. Given the potential impact that a project of such scale may have on the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property, it is crucial that any future project planned in this area is preceded by a Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) prepared in accordance with the new Guidance and Toolkit for Impact Assessment in a World Heritage Context, taking into account the results of thorough archeological investigations.

It is recommended that the Committee reiterate its invitation to the State Party to inform the World Heritage Centre of any future plans for major restoration or new construction projects that may affect the OUV of the property, in accordance with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines, before decisions are made that would be difficult to reverse.

It is further recommended that the Committee reiterate its request to the State Party to revise the boundary of the property, including a buffer zone, and to develop a Minor Boundary Modification proposal in consultation with the Advisory Bodies. The results of the archaeological investigations undertaken prior to 2017 should be considered in this proposal.

The findings and recommendations of the 2018 Reactive Monitoring mission are still relevant and need to be acted upon by the State Party. Therefore, it is recommended that the Committee urge the State Party for the implementation of the mission's recommendations which focus on the conservation and management of the property, exploration of ways to collaborate with other UNESCO conventions, and the development of a sustainable tourism plan. Creating a natural resource management plan is a crucial step towards establishing sustainable site maintenance practices, particularly given the challenging environmental conditions at the property.

The World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies recognize the challenges faced by the State Party following the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing national economic and social crisis. It is recommended that the Committee encourage the State Party to request international assistance to address these issues, including the development of a management plan and other management tools.