Fray Bentos Industrial Landscape

• Insufficient legislative protection of the entire buffer zone
• Incomplete Management Plan
• Need to complete the arrangements for representation of the local communities on the Management Committee

On 29 November 2016, the State Party submitted a state of conservation report that is available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1464/documents/. The report responds to the recommendations and requests made by the World Heritage Committee at the time of the inscription of the property on the World Heritage List in 2015, as follows:

• Legislative protection of the entire buffer zone: The highest possible protection has been given to the entire buffer zone at the national and local level by Act Number 14040(2016), Act N. 16466 and Fray Bentos Local Plan (Decree 222/013). All interventions and actions in this area are under the supervision, and require the approval of the Fray Bentos Industrial Landscape Site Committee. In addition, the declaration as national monuments of the Stella Movie Theater and Constitution Square, both in the buffer zone of the property, is underway. Furthermore, the Departmental Government of Rio Negro (IDRN) has passed a Heritage Departmental Law and will annually allocated USD 35,000 to the site;
• Representation on the Management Committee: In June 2016, the Fray Bentos Industrial Landscape Site Committee was established with the participation of local authorities, national ministries and representatives of educational institutions, local communities and commerce sector. An Executive Board was created and a site manager appointed. Functions and responsibilities for the property and its buffer zone are defined in formal agreements between parties;
• Completion of the Management Plan: In November 2016, a technical cooperation agreement was signed between the Departmental Government of Rio Negro (IDRN) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) for an amount of USD 546,000, for a duration of 30 months and with the objective to prepare and implement a strategic plan for the management and sustainable development of the property and the City of Fray Bentos. Following the implementation of this project and other cooperation agreements, the State Party will submit in November 2017 a conservation plan, an impact assessment plan, guidelines regarding new functions and a monitoring plan. Specific recommendations of the World Heritage Committee on these issues will be incorporated in the mentioned instruments. Progress was also noticed in the inventory of the machinery and in the enhancement of archaeological research;
• In accordance with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines, the State Party indicated its intention to undertake restoration and rehabilitation works and the potential installation of educational institutions in some of the buildings within the property.

The actions taken by the State Party concerning the protection of the buffer zone and the arrangements for the management of the property are satisfactory. It is recommended that the Committee congratulate the State Party for the creation of the Fray Bentos Industrial Landscape Site Committee, its broad composition and the appointment of dedicated staff.

The management and sustainable use and development of the industrial landscape, its buffer zone, the surrounding landscape and the City of Fray Bentos are challenging tasks. The great number of cooperation agreements with universities, educational and other institutions, as well as the technical cooperation agreement with the IADB should provide a firm basis for such endeavour. The completion/revision of the Management Plan with all its new instruments should be a priority task. It is recommended that the Committee request the State Party to keep the World Heritage Centre informed on the progress and results of the IADB technical cooperation and that the new instruments of the Management Plan be submitted as soon as it becomes available for review by the Advisory Bodies.