The World Heritage Committee,
1. Having examined Document WHC-08/32.COM/7B.Add,
2. Recalling Decision 31 COM 7B.97, adopted at its 31st session (Christchurch, 2007),
3. Strongly urges the State Party to immediately start preventive conservation work on the Bagrati Cathedral and Gelati Complex, as well as to develop, in coordination with the World Heritage Centre and Advisory Bodies, a long-term programme for the systematic conservation of the mural paintings and mosaics with the involvement and collaboration of international specialists in this domain;
4. Also recalling the earlier discussions among the Advisory Bodies, international experts and the World Heritage Committee, notes the State Party's intention to prepare a new reconstruction project for Bagrati Cathedral in order to recreate its initial religious use and functions, and underlines that in accordance with Paragraph 86 of the Operational Guidelines the reconstruction of historic buildings is justifiable only in exceptional circumstances;
5. Requests the State Party to provide assurances that no reconstruction work shall commence until the State Party has provided complete and detailed documentation concerning this project for review by the World Heritage Committee;
6. Also requests the State Party to urgently prepare, approve and provide to the World Heritage Centre and Advisory Bodies, the management plan of the Bagrati Cathedral and Gelati Complex, including the boundaries clarification document clearly indicating its buffer zones;
7. Encourages the State Party to organize an awareness-raising campaign for all World Heritage properties in Georgia;
8. Invites the State Party to prepare relevant documentation in order to initiate an international donors conference designed to address the major problems identified for all World Heritage properties in Georgia;
9. Further requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2009, a progress report, including the complete and detailed documentation concerning the new reconstruction project for Bagrati Cathedral, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 33rd session in 2009.