Implementation of resolution and decision on Ascent to Mughrabi Gate in Old City of Jerusalem – UNESCO document

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PARIS, 11 August 2014

Original: English

 Item 9 of the provisional agenda

JERUSALEM AND THE IMPLEMENTATION

OF 37 C/RESOLUTION 44 AND 194 EX/DECISION 11

1. As indicated in the previous documents on this item, only one project, concerning the conservation of the church of St John Prodromos, is being funded by the A.G. Leventis Foundation of Cyprus under the Action Plan for the safeguarding of the cultural heritage of the Old City of Jerusalem (2007). A mission by the World Heritage Centre to Jerusalem was carried out from 27 November to 1 December 2013 in order to proceed with the closure of the project on the Church of St John the Baptist, which was launched in 2009. Based on UNESCO's study and project design for the restoration of the Church, the A.G. Leventis Foundation and the Greek-Orthodox Patriarchate are cooperating in the implementation of the restoration works.

2. The agreement for the third phase of the project "Ensuring the sustainability of the Centre for the Restoration of Islamic Manuscripts of the Haram al-Sharif in Jerusalem" funded by Norway was signed by the Director-General and the donor in December 2011. The activity started in September 2012 and is progressing well. Five additional staff members financed by the project have been recruited and 10 training sessions on conservation and restoration techniques have already been held. Conservation material has been shipped and study field trips to restoration centres in Paris and Florence were organized for the staff members in December 2013.

3. Within the framework of the project "Safeguarding, Refurbishment and Revitalization of the Islamic Museum of the Haram al-Sharif and its Collection" funded by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the premises of the Islamic Museum have been repaired and the necessary equipment has been purchased in order to help the inventory process and the digitization of the collections. From 2011 to present, nine training sessions were held and the permanent staff members recruited were trained in conservation and museum management, English language and computer programmes. In addition, a storage room was set up and the archives were digitized. The electronic and photographic inventory was completed. The museological phase started in September 2012 with the consultant team, selected by UNESCO, which proposed a plan of action and the scientific conception of the museum. The artefacts are being cleaned and conserved, in view of the re­opening of the Museum on the basis of a new architectural plan, museographical itinerary and display of selected artefacts. An audience development team produced a report on the expectations of the public and the restoration of the artefacts to be exhibited. .

4. The state of conservation reports on the World Heritage property of the Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls, inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger, were received by the World Heritage Centre and the working documents were reviewed by the 38th session of the World Heritage Committee (Doha, June 2014).

5. During the 38th session of the World Heritage Committee, Decision 38 COM 7A.4 on the state of conservation of the Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls was adopted following a vote by secret ballot. By this decision, the World Heritage Committee expressed inter alia its deep concern over the persistence of the Israeli illegal excavations and works conducted by settler groups in the Old City of Jerusalem and on both sides of its Walls; as well as its concern on Israel's plan to build a two-line cable car system to connect the Mughrabi Quarter with the Mount of Olives. The World Heritage Committee also decided to implement paragraph 11 of Decision 34 COM 7A.20 adopted at its 34th session as follows:

(a) Phase I: the dispatch, as soon as possible, of the joint World Heritage Centre/ICCROM/ICOMOS reactive monitoring mission to the Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls to assess, as a first phase, the 18 sites included in the Action Plan as pilot sites,

(b) Phase II: the dispatch of the joint World Heritage Centre/ICCROM/ICOMOS reactive monitoring mission to the Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls, to assess, as second phase, the major monumental complexes designated in the Action Plan (i.e. the Haram-es-Sharif, the Citadel, the Western Wall, the Holy Sepulchre and the City walls).

The World Heritage Committee requested that the report and recommendations of the mission be presented to the concerned parties before the 195th session of the Executive Board.

6. At the time of the preparation of this document, it has not been possible to schedule the mission as per Decision 38 COM 7A.4.

7. Should additional information become available to the Secretariat, the Director-General is prepared to publish an addendum to this document before the 195th session of the Executive Board in order to inform the Members of the Executive Board of any new developments in that regard.

http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0022/002291/229195e.pdf