Decision 46 COM 7B.31

Angkor (Cambodia) (C 668)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/24/46.COM/7B.Add,
2. Recalling Decision 45 COM 7B.152 adopted at its extended 45th session (Riyadh, 2023),
3. Expresses its concern about third-party reports concerning possible forced population displacements;
4. Acknowledges the State Party’s report on the current population relocation programme, which also explains the historical context and legal basis for the zoning management scheme for the property, and presents management tools and laws, media materials and related documents in annexes;
5. Recognizes the complexity of managing this vast World Heritage property, with living resident communities and over 100 fragile temples and other ancient structures while also making substantial efforts to ensure the sustainable development of local communities;
6. Recommends that the State Party accurately and effectively communicate regarding the zoning regulations and the on-going relocation programme to both national and local communities, notably by outlining:
   1. Clear means of identifying inhabitants having the rights to live within the property,
   2. Its commitment to ensuring that the conditions of relocated populations comply in all respects with the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other relevant human right normative instruments ratified by the State Party,
   3. A strategy for mitigating the demographic evolution of the villages within the property;
7. Also recommends the review and implementation of the policies for sustainable development and poverty alleviation outlined in the Angkor Heritage Management Plan 2013 towards developing a strategy for the broader distribution of economic benefit from the Angkor World Heritage property and address inequality among populations despite the flourishing tourism industry;
8. Requests the State Party to invite a joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS/ICCROM Reactive Monitoring mission to the property to assess the overall state of conservation of the property, including management issues related to the areas from which populations were relocated, reflecting on appropriate measures to prevent ongoing illegal settlements and analysing the conditions of the relocated communities;
9. Finally requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2025, an updated report on the state of conservation of the property and the implementation of the above, as well as on the matters requested by Decision 45 COM 7B.152, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 47th session.