The World Heritage Committee,
1. Having examined Document WHC-05/29.COM/7B.Rev,
2. Recalling its Decision 28 COM 15B.74, adopted at its 28th session (Suzhou, 2004),
3. Acknowledging with appreciation the information provided by the Latvian authorities on the progress in the preservation and development plan as well as the overall planning arrangements and international cooperation in the development of a planning strategy,
4. Encourages the State Party of Latvia to finalize and implement the preservation and development plan for the Historic Centre of Riga, in close cooperation with the City authorities, and to ensure an overall vision for the property, including the town planning strategy and comprehensive urban management;
5. Requests the State Party to carefully review all projects foreseen in the area and its buffer zone, and to conduct a visual impact study to ensure that the new and recently constructed buildings will fully respect, in accordance with the recommendations of the Vienna Memorandum on "World Heritage and Contemporary Architecture - Managing the Historic Urban Landscape" referred to in Decision 29 COM 5.3, adopted at its 29th session (Durban, 2005), the visual integrity of the Historical Centre of Riga as well as preserving the historical watercourses as open public space without any new buildings;
6. Also requests the State Party to submit a report to the World Heritage by 1 February 2007 Centre on the progress made in the implementation of the preservation and development plan as well as an update on the abovementioned study on projects which may have an impact on the visual integrity of the property, for examination by the Committee at its 31st session (2007), a year after the completion of Section II of the Periodic Report for Europe.