Decision : 34 COM 7B.45
Aksum (Ethiopia) (C 15)
The World Heritage Committee,
1. Having examined Document WHC-10/34.COM/7B,
2. Recalling Decision 32 COM 7B.46 adopted at its 32nd session (Quebec City, 2008),
3. Urges the State Party to implement the recommendations of the February 2010 joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS monitoring mission;
4. Considers that the vulnerability of the property to urban encroachment and unregulated development needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency through the adoption of appropriate urban planning regulations and requests that the State Party put in place such regulations as soon as possible;
5. Reiterates its request to the State Party to finalize a draft Statement of Outstanding Universal Value including the conditions of integrity and authenticity as previously requested and submit it for review by the Advisory Bodies and for approval by the World Heritage Committee;
6. Also considers that there is a need for more structured management arrangements at the property which need to be encapsulated in a management plan based on an agreed Statement of Outstanding Universal Value;
7. Further considers that there is an urgent need to investigate the causes of the rising water table and to develop technical solutions to address them, and also reiterates its invitation to the State Party to submit a request for International Assistance for this study;
8. Also requests the State Party to pursue its efforts in consolidating the Stele 3 foundation in a sustainable manner and suggests that the State Party considers fundraising for the implementation of the consolidation works;
9. Further reiterates its request to the State Party to provide a map of the property of sufficient scale and detail to indicate clearly the boundaries of the World Heritage property and to submit a map of the proposed buffer zone, with details of protective arrangements to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies and for approval by the World Heritage Committee;
10. Further requests the State Party to keep the World Heritage Centre informed about changes and new construction within the property and its proposed buffer zone including the planned Church Museum, in accordance with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines, before any commitment is made;
11. Requests furthermore the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre by 1 February 2012, 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 36th session in 2012.
Original Decision Document