Decision 28 COM 15B.80

28 COM 15B.80

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Noting with appreciation the conservation efforts made by the national authorities and the Istanbul municipality as presented in the report submitted by the State Party, notably in establishing a World Heritage Unit within the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and an office in Istanbul for project coordination and monitoring, and the allocation of additional funds for the protection and conservation of the Historic Areas of Istanbul; and the completion of the draft 1/5000 scale Urban Conservation and Development Plan by the Istanbul Municipality currently being studied by the Board for Protection of Cultural Property,

2. Further noting, the recommendations of the UNESCO expert team regarding the importance of carrying out the preventive archaeology operation and planning for new urban projects in areas to be affected by the Marmaray Rail and Bosphorus Tunnel project,

3. Expressing appreciation for the launch of the public awareness raising campaign by the Turkish Timber Association and other NGOs for the protection and enhancement of the timber civil architecture of Istanbul that forms part of the World Heritage value of the property, and for the progress being made in the EU-funded urban rehabilitation project in Balat and Fener of Fatih District,

4. Bearing in mind the delays in the adoption of the Urban Conservation and Development Plan and the absence since 1996 of urban regulations,

5. Requests the following actions from the State Party:
a) urgent completion and enforcement of the Urban Conservation and Development Plan,
b) strengthening of the Istanbul Board of Protection of Cultural Property and the special project design and monitoring unit to ensure compliance with the conservation plan,
c) develop a more proactive urban management plan to maximize the opportunities presented by major urban infrastructure projects such as the Maramary – Bosphorus Rail Tunnel to carry out archaeological surveys and develop the urban archaeological itineraries and new urban projects,
d) greater national and local authority participation in the on-going EUfunded urban conservation and renewal project, especially by honouring the pledge made by the government social housing development agency (TOKI), to co-finance part of the project, hence paving the way for government subsidies to protected privately-owned listed buildings,
e) greater care in the conservation techniques applied in the consolidation of the Theodosian Walls in order not to undermine any further the authenticity;

6. Decides to defer consideration of the eventual inscription of the property on the List of World Heritage in Danger until 2006, hence allowing time for the new dispositions taken by the national and municipal authorities to become effective.

7. Further requests the State Party to submit, by 1 February 2005, a report on the progress achieved in the implementation of the above-mentioned recommendations for examination by the Committee at its 29th session in 2005.