Decision 46 COM 7B.26

Historic Cairo (Egypt) (C 89)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/24/46.COM/7B,
2. Recalling Decisions 44 COM 7B.13 and 45 COM 7B.38 adopted at its extended 44th (Fuzhou/online, 2021) and extended 45th (Riyadh, 2023) sessions,
3. Welcomes the creation of a new, temporary, Historic Cairo Regeneration Unit to manage projects of the Urban Development Fund for the regeneration of Historic Cairo, in relation to urban regeneration and sustainable development in priority areas of the property;
4. Requests the State Party to clarify how this new Unit relates to the Steering Committee for the property and its associated board that were both established in 2021;
5. Also welcomes the commitment to develop Heritage Impact Assessments for all regeneration and development projects within the property, and requests the State Party to extend the use of this tool to major conservation projects;
6. Notes that the Conservation Management Plan (CMP) is still a work in progress with its completion now being the responsibility for the new Regeneration Unit, recommends it be in line with the implementation of the UNESCO 2011 Recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape (HUL Recommendation), and also acknowledges the importance of the Plan in relation to setting out how the Egyptian Antiquities Protection Laws relate to heritage assets of the property;
7. Also notes that the University Heritage Forum implemented with the UNESCO Office in Cairo is foreseen to contribute to the process of preparing the CMP and Sustainable Development Plan for the property;
8. Urges the State Party to give priority to completing both the Sustainable Development Plan and the CMP as both are needed to frame the development of urgently needed regeneration projects and the vision for regeneration;
9. Also requests the State Party to submit drafts of both plans for review by the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies before they are finally approved and also, to submit the regeneration vision for review;
10. Acknowledges the engagement of the State Party with the World Heritage Centre in providing responses to reported damage to the property, nevertheless, expresses strong concern regarding the continued reported damage and reiterates its request to the State Party to submit technical information on any major restoration or new project at the property, or its buffer zone, in line with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines;
11. Finally requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 December 2025, 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 48th session.