Decision 44 COM 7B.133

Ksar of Ait-Ben-Haddou (Morocco) (C 444)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/21/44.COM/7B,
2. Recalling Decision 43 COM 7B.51, adopted at its 43rd session (Baku, 2019),
3. Notes that the submitted 2020-2030 management plan meets the requests previously expressed by the Committee by covering a longer period than initially foreseen and by integrating the Historic Urban Landscape (HUL) approach as an additional tool for the sustainable management of the property, and provides a good basis for further work, and encourages the State Party to request the World Heritage Centre to provide technical support for the planned workshops in order to train and build the capacity of the participants in the management of the site with tools and guidance for the implementation of the HUL approach;
4. Also notes that the idea to create a special account for conservation has been abandoned due to the difficulties related to the diversity of ownership status and land tenure within the property;
5. Further notes that the footbridge received a positive evaluation from ICOMOS prior to its construction, and that the objectives of its construction are met, namely an increase in the number of residents living within the property, ease of access for tourists and for the installation of basic infrastructure for the community, the creation of income-generating activities for the population, and the opening up of the surrounding villages in the event the Wadi el-Maleh overflows;
6. Finally notes that the documents concerning the additional phases of the restoration project of the dwellings are being finalised, and requests the State Party to submit them to the World Heritage Centre prior to the start of the works, in accordance with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines, for examination by the Advisory Bodies;
7. Also encourages the State Party to complete the 2020-2030 management plan to:
   1. Integrate an assessment of the physical condition of the property,
   2. Clarify the specific management system between the stakeholders and decision making process,
   3. Highlight the policies used for the management and conservation of the property,
   4. Detail the action plans, assess the priorities of the timetable, refer to those responsible for each activity and to the budgets and resources associated with each activity and/or project, and notably specify whether the policy of territorial decentralisation allowing the development of local strategies for the protection of heritage resources and the renewed interest of investors and other planned activities provide adequate alternative financing solutions for the conservation of the property;
8. Recognizing the significant efforts made since 2006 to improve the conservation of the property and mitigate the factors affecting its Outstanding Universal Value, in particular the implementation of tools to ensure its proper management, nevertheless also requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 December 2022, an updated report on the state of conservation of the property.