Decision 45 COM 7B.53

Paris, Banks of the Seine (France) (C 600)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/23/45.COM/7B.Add,
2. Recalling Decision 44 COM 7B.46 adopted at its extended 44th session (Fuzhou/online, 2021),
3. Commends the State Party for the efforts made to safeguard Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral and for the successful completion of the security and consolidation work;
4. Thanks the State Party for the successful organization of the joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS/ICCROM Advisory mission;
5. Welcomes the compatibility of the modalities for the implementation of the restoration of the exterior of the Cathedral as well as the projects related to the liturgical layout and surroundings, as presented to the mission team, with the Outstanding Universal Value of the property and its attributes;
6. Notes that the mission took place at a time when some decisions concerning the restoration of the Cathedral and its surroundings had already been taken, while other decisions, based on information that was not available at the time of the mission, were to follow in the coming months;
7. Endorses the recommendations of the joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS/ICCROM Advisory mission and invites the State Party to implement them, notably by submitting as soon as possible and in accordance with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines:
   1. A clear timetable of the works planned and carried out for the reconstruction and restoration of the roofs, the restoration of the façades and the interiors, specifying the options for cleaning techniques and the justification for the choice of the expected result (particularly in relation to the historical frame of reference and any specific findings) and identifying the moments when key decisions will have to be taken concerning the restoration options and the actors involved,
   2. The technical information about the restoration of the façade before the start of the works,
   3. The outcome of the competitive process on the design of the Cathedral’s surroundings and the final design of the liturgical arrangement,
   4. A strategy for managing the public use of the Cathedral’s surroundings from 2024 onwards, pending completion of the restoration work on the building,
   5. The new finalized risk prevention and management plan;
8. Requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre a progress report on the works since the submission of its last state of conservation report and the joint Advisory mission in March 2022, including detailed information on the progress of the reconstruction and restoration work on the Cathedral as well as the details of the project retained for the redevelopment of the surroundings of Notre-Dame and the planned timetable for its validation by the competent national bodies and its implementation;
9. Welcomes the development of a fire defence and safety project for Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral;
10. Notes the need to create an integrated management plan for the “Paris, Banks of the Seine” property, while recognizing the systems in place and the complexity of the task, and recommends the creation of interim management plans specific to each component of the property, followed by an integrated management plan for the entire property;
11. Also recommends that the new risk prevention and management plan should form part of the integrated management plan for the property;
12. Also requests the State Party to strengthen coordination with the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies in order to maintain a regular dialogue and ensure a clear understanding of the various restoration actions planned for the Cathedral, as well as other actions planned for the redevelopment of the Cathedral square and its surroundings and for the property as a whole;
13. Further requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2024, an updated report on the state of conservation of the property and the implementation of the above, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 46th session.