UNESCO to conduct an Advisory mission to Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris
UNESCO, the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) and the International Center for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM) will undertake a joint Advisory mission to Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, a component of the World Heritage site "Paris, banks of the Seine", from 28 to 29 March 2022, in order to assess the works in progress following the fire of 15 April 2019, as well as its current state of conservation.
The main objective of this mission, conducted at the invitation of France in response to the World Heritage Committee's recommendations (Decision 44 COM 7B.46), will be to assess the restoration and redevelopment programme.
Consultations are planned between the experts of the mission and the French national and local authorities, the representatives of the Diocese of Paris as well as the institutions responsible for the restoration of the Cathedral and the development of its surroundings.
The recommendations resulting from the mission will provide France with guidance in the continuation of the work. The conclusions will feed the report on the state of conservation of the World Heritage site "Paris, banks of the Seine", which will be examined by the World Heritage Committee during its next session.
France
Decisions (1)
The World Heritage Committee,
- Having examined Document WHC/21/44.COM/7B,
- Recalling Decision 43 COM 7B.82 adopted at its 43rd session (Baku, 2019),
- Notes the information provided by the State Party concerning the work to secure and consolidate Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, and commends the State Party for the efforts undertaken to ensure the safeguarding of the property;
- Recommends that the securisation-consolidation works continue to be carried out with the greatest attention in order to preserve the damaged materials and fragments as much as possible, to ensure that future conservation is not predetermined by emergency interventions;
- Also recommends, as work progresses towards the restoration phase, that the State Party strengthen the current coordination with UNESCO, ICOMOS, and ICCROM, which will provide three experts to assist the State Party, and engage in regular and enhanced dialogue with the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies, thus promoting a clearer understanding of the different restoration options that are being debated or considered and how they take into account the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property;
- Encourages the State Party to invite a joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS/ICCROM Advisory mission as soon as circumstances permit, and in the meantime invites the State Party to submit exhaustive graphic and photographic documentation of the interventions already carried out and in progress, describing all stages of these interventions, before, during and after the work;
- Invites the State Party, in accordance with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines, to inform the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies of proposals for the restoration of the damaged parts before irreversible decisions are made, as well as the system for monitoring the structural stability of the cathedral and preventive measures and actions to avoid future fire risks;
- Requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2022, a detailed updated report on the state of conservation of the property, in particular the measures taken for its consolidation, as well as the guidelines envisaged for its restoration, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 45th session.