Decision : 38 COM 7A.13
Historic Town of Zabid (Yemen) (C 611)
The World Heritage Committee,
- Having examined Document WHC-14/38.COM/7A,
- Recalling Decision 37 COM 7A.28, adopted at its 37th session (Phnom Penh, 2013),
- Acknowledges with great concern, the extreme conditions that have prevailed in Zabid over the past three years and the way this has hindered external donors from fulfilling their pledges, and notes the major impact that this had had on the availability of resources and on progress with regeneration and conservation projects;
- Also notes with concern the lack of support for conservation initiatives from some inhabitants of Zabid;
- Nonetheless welcomes the positive progress that has been possible and in particular the adoption of a new law in August 2013 on the protection of historic sites, monuments, cities and their urban and cultural heritage and further notes the submission of an International Assistance Request to develop local awareness-raising activities for the conservation of the property;
- Also welcomes the continuing support of the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) and the proposed collaboration of the World Heritage Category 2 centre (ARC-WH) in Bahrain and calls on the wider international community to offer what support it can to allow progress in halting deterioration and violations to be sustained and over time to allow sustainable development to be achieved;
- Requests the State Party to submit revised information on the definition of the boundaries at the time of inscription, and to finalise the delineation of the buffer zone and submit a minor boundary modification proposal by 1 February 2015 for review by the World Heritage Committee at its 39th session in 2015,
- Also requests the State Party to pursue all necessary efforts to raise the awareness of local communities on the values of the property and the importance of their engagement in its preservation;
- Further requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2015, 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 39th session in 2015;
- Decides to retain the Historic Town of Zabid (Yemen) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
Original Decision Document
Themes: List of World Heritage in Danger
States Parties: Yemen
Properties: Historic Town of Zabid
Year: 2014
Decision Code: 38 COM 7A.13
