CO N F I D E N T I A L   UNESCOPARI   06090766 
VZCZCXYZ0001
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHFR #0766/01 1601306
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 091306Z JUN 09
FM UNESCO PARIS FR
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC
INFO RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV
RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO
RUEHMD/AMEMBASSY MADRID

C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS FR 000766 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958:  DECL: 6/08/2019 
TAGS: PREL UNESCO KWBG JO IS
SUBJECT: MUGHRABI GATE: FROM UNESCO'S EXECUTIVE BOARD TO THE SEVILLE 
WORLD HERITAGE MEETING 
 
REF:  (A) PARIS FR 000319 
      (B) AMMAN 000669 
 
CLASSIFIED BY CDA STEPHEN ENGELKEN. FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D). 
 
¶1.  (C) SUMMARY:  ARAB STATES ARE LIKELY TO RAISE ONCE AGAIN AT THE 
JUNE 22-30 WORLD HERITAGE COMMITTEE MEETING IN SEVILLE ISRAEL'S PLAN 
TO RECONSTRUCT THE ASCENT TO THE MUGHRABI GATE ON JERUSLAEM'S TEMPLE 
MOUNT.  THE DECISION ADOPTED AT UNESCO'S APRIL 2009 EXECUTIVE BOARD 
REQUESTS THAT THE DESIGN OF THE RAMP "BE INCLUSIVE OF ALL PARTIES 
CONCERNED," "AFFIRMS THE NECESSITY OF COOPERATION IN ORDER TO ARRANGE 
ACCESS TO THE MUGHRABI ASCENT SITE," AND "REAFFIRMS THAT THE PROCESS 
FOR THE DESIGN OF THE MUGHRABI ASCENT, WHICH ALLOWS FOR THE TAKING 
INTO CONSIDERATION OF THE DESIGNS SUBMITTED . . . IS STILL UNDER 
WAY."  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  (C) UNESCO'S APRIL 14-30 (181ST) EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING WAS 
DOMINATED ONCE AGAIN BY CONTENTION BETWEEN ISRAEL ON ONE HAND AND 
JORDAN AND THE PALESTINIAN OBSERVER DELEGATION ON THE OTHER OVER 
ISRAEL'S PLAN TO RECONSTRUCT THE RAMP LEADING TO THE MUGHRABI ASCENT 
ON JERUSALEM'S TEMPLE MOUNT, A WORLD HERITAGE SITE.  THINGS BEGAN ON 
A DIFFICULT NOTE.  UNESCO DIRECTOR-GENERAL MATSUURA (JAPAN) ASKED 
DEPUTY DIRECTOR-GENERAL MARCIO BARBOSA, UNESCO'S MEDIATOR ON THIS 
ISSUE IN PAST BOARD MEETINGS, TO STEP ASIDE.  MATSUURA FELT BARBOSA'S 
WELL-KNOWN AMBITION TO ENTER THE RACE TO SUCCEED MATSUURA AS 
DIRECTOR-GENERAL WHEN THE LATTER'S TERM EXPIRES NEXT AUTUMN WOULD 
CAUSE MANY TO INTEPRET HIS ACTIONS AS POLITICALLY MOTIVATED AND COULD 
BRING HIM INTO CONFLICT WITH EGYPT, WHICH WAS CAMPAIGNING HARD TO 
HAVE ITS CULTURE MINISTER, FAROUQ HOSNI, ELECTED TO UNESCO'S TOP JOB. 
 MATSUURA'S DECISION, HOWEVER, LEFT A BIG HOLE THAT WAS DIFFICULT TO 
FILL.  THE FIRST TEN DAYS OF THE BOARD SESSION WAS SPENT IN AN EFFORT 
TO FIND A MEDIATOR ACCEPTABLE TO BOTH SIDES.  AFTER REJECTING 
PROPOSALS THAT THE JAPANESE AND SWISS AMBASSADORS UNDERTAKE THE ROLE, 
ISRAEL FINALLY AGREED TO ACCEPT CANADIAN AMBASSADOR GILBERT LAURIN. 
JORDAN AND PALESTINE POSED NO OBJECTION, AND EVENTUALLY AFTER SEVERAL 
DAYS OF HESITATION THE CANADIAN GOVERNMENT AGREED TO PERMIT LAURIN TO 
DO THE JOB. 
 
¶3.  (C) LAURIN DID HIS JOB WITH EXEMPLARY PROFESSIONALISM.  IT WAS 
NOT EASY.  JORDAN ARGUED THAT THE ISRAEL-JORDAN PEACE TREATY GAVE IT 
RIGHTS ON THE TEMPLE MOUNT AND THAT DECISIONS BY THE WORLD HERITAGE 
COMMITTEE AT ITS 2007 MEETING IN CHRISTCHURCH AND ITS 2008 MEETING IN 
QUEBEC GAVE IT THE RIGHT TO VISIT THE SITE, TAKE DETAILED 
MEASUREMENTS, AND PRESENT A RIVAL PLAN TO THE PLAN ISRAEL IS 
DEVELOPING.  JORDAN ENVISIONED REFERRING BOTH ISRAELI AND JORDANIAN 
PLANS TO THE WORLD HERITAGE COMMITTEE WHICH WOULD SELECT THE BEST. 
WHICHEVER ONE WAS CHOSEN, JORDAN WOULD PAY FOR ITS CONSTRUCTION. 
JORDAN DRAFTED A PROPOSED DECISION WHICH WOULD HAVE ALLOWED FOR IT TO 
DO THESE THINGS. 
 
¶4.  (C) ISRAEL STRONGLY OBJECTED TO JORDAN'S INTERPRETATION OF ITS 
RIGHTS UNDER THE ISRAEL-JORDAN PEACE TREATY AND OF PAST WORLD 
HERITAGE DECISIONS.  ISRAELI AMBASSADOR KORNBLUTH TOLD CDA ENGELKEN 
THAT THERE COULD BE NO QUESTION OF ISRAEL ACCEPTING LANGUAGE THAT 
WOULD CALL INTO QUESTION ISRAEL'S SOVEREIGNTY AND CONTROL OVER ALL OF 
JERUSALEM.  ISRAEL COULD, THEREFORE, NOT AGREE TO TWO PLANS, AND IT 
COULD NOT AGREE UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES THAT JORDAN WOULD PAY FOR 
CONSTUCTION OF WHATEVER RAMP IS EVENTUALLY BUILT.  KORNBLUTH ADDED 
THAT ISRAEL FELT THE JORDANIAN DEMAND TO TAKE MEASUREMENTS OF THE 
SITE WAS A RED HERRING.  JORDAN, HE CLAIMED, ALREADY HAS DETAILED 
MEASUREMENTS THAT ISRAEL HAS PASSED TO IT IN EARLIER PROFESSIONAL 
ENCOUNTERS.  KORNBLUTH AND VISITING ISRAELI MFA IO DAS-EQUIVALENT 
TIBOR SCHLOSSER STRESSED TO CHARGE THAT JORDAN COULD BE ALLOWED TO 
HAVE INPUT INTO THE ISRAELI DESIGN.  SCHLOSSER SAID JORDANIAN 
COMMENTS ON THE ISRAELI DESIGN HAVE ALEADY RESULTED IN SIGNIFICANT 
MODIFICATIONS.  ISRAEL NOW PLANS TO BUILD THE RAMP LARGELY ALONG THE 
PATH OF THE ORIGINAL RAMP WHICH COLLAPSED IN 2004.  IT WILL BE MUCH 
LOWER TO THE GROUND AND WILL MAKE USE OF LOCAL STONE RATHER THAN THE 
RELY ON ALL-METAL CONSTRUCTION AS PREVIOUSLY PROPOSED.  THERE WILL BE 
REGULAR SPOTS AT WHICH VISITORS WILL BE ABLE TO SEE THE UNDERLYING 
OTTOMAN-ERA ARCHAEOLOGICAL REMAINS.  FINALLY AND MOST IMPORTANT, THE 
RAMP WILL HAVE STEPS AT PLACES AND WILL THUS NOT/NOT BE PASSABLE FOR 
MOTOR VEHICLES, A KEY JORDANIAN DEMAND. 
 
¶5.  (C) GIVEN THE DISTANCE AND EMOTION SEPARATING THE PARTIES, IT IS 
NOT SURPRISING THAT LAURIN'S EFFORTS GOT OFF TO A ROCKY START. 
RATHER THAN AGREE TO NEGOTIATE ON THE BASIS OF JORDAN'S TEXT, LAURIN 
WORKED WITH THE SECRETARIAT TO DEVELOP A DRAFT DECISION TEXT BASED ON 
THE TEXT OF THE DECISION DRAFTED AT THE PREVIOUS EXECUTIVE BOARD IN 
OCTOBER 2008.  MAKING FULL USE OF THE FACT THAT HE HAD BEEN IN QUEBEC 
AND HAD PARTICIPATED IN THE NEGOTIATION OF THE JULY 2008 WORLD 
HERITAGE DECISION ON MUGHRABI GATE, LAURIN FIRMLY ASSERTED THE 2008 
WORLD HERITAGE DECISION DID NOT/NOT ENVISION THE WORLD HERITAGE 
COMMITTEE DECIDING BETWEEN TWO COMPETING DESIGNS.  (COMMENT:  THE 
WORLD HERITAGE COMMITTEE INCLUDES A MIX OF DIPLOMATS AND GENUINE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958:  DECL: 6/08/2019 
TAGS: PREL UNESCO KWBG JO IS
SUBJECT: MUGHRABI GATE: FROM UNESCO'S EXECUTIVE BOARD TO THE SEVILLE 
WORLD HERITAGE MEETING 
 
EXPERTS ON HISTORICAL PRESERVATION, BUT IT DOES NOT FUNCTION LIKE AN 
ARCHITECTURAL JURY.  ITS MANDATE IN THIS INSTANCE WOULD BE TO 
DETERMINE WHETHER A PROPOSED DESIGN DOES OR DOES NOT PRESERVE THE 
OUTSTANDING, UNIVERSAL VALUE OF THE SITE.  IT WOULD HAVE NO MANDATE 
TO CHOOSE BETWEEN DESIGNS IF BOTH PROPOSED DESIGNS MEET THE MINIMUM 
STANDARD OF PRESERVING THE SITE'S VALUE.  END COMMENT.)  CDA, WITH 
THE PERMISSION OF THE ISRAELI DELEGATION, BRIEFED THE JORDANIAN 
AMBASSADOR ON THE MODIFICATIONS ISRAEL HAD MADE TO ITS PLAN TO 
SATISFY JORDAN'S CONCERNS. 
 
¶6.  (C) FOR SEVERAL DAYS THESE EFFORTS PRODUCED LITTLE.  JORDAN 
INSISTED ON MEASURING THE SITE AND DEVELOPING TWO PLANS.  FINALLY, AS 
THE END OF THE MEETING LOOMED, AMB LAURIN APPEALED FOR ANY HELP THE 
U.S. COULD PROVIDE, AND CHARGE TELEPHONED AMBASSADOR BEECROFT IN 
AMMAN.  THE AMBASSADOR'S DISCUSIONS WITH THE FOREIGN MINISTER HAD AN 
IMMEDIATE IMPACT.  THE JORDANIAN DELEGATION CAME THE FOLLOWING 
MORNING WITH INSTURCTIONS TO SEEK AGREEMENT ON A CONSENSUS TEXT 
RATHER THAN FORCE AN OPEN DEBATE AND AN UNPREDICTABLE VOTE AT THE 
BOARD'S CLOSING PLENARY.  THERE WAS STILL DIFFICULT BARGAINING (E.G., 
ON THE MANNER IN WHICH THE DECISION WOULD REEFER TO THE 1954 HAGUE 
CONVENTION ON THE PROTECTION OF CULTURAL PROPERTY IN THE EVENT OF 
ARMED CONFLICT.) IN THE END, HOWEVER, ALL SIDES FINALLY AGREED ON A 
TEXT (SEE PARA 12 BELOW). 
 
¶7.  (C) FOLLOWING THE EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING, CHARGE MET IN EARLY 
MAY WITH CANADIAN AMBASSADOR LAURIN AND ISRAELI AMBASSADOR KORNBLUTH 
FOR A POST-MORTEM AND DISCUSSION OF HOW TO MANAGE THE MUGHRABI GATE 
ISSUE AT THE UPCOMING WORLD HERITAGE COMMITTEE MEETING IN SEVILLE 
JUNE 22-30.  (N.B. AS THE COMMITTEE HAS FOR MANY YEARS MAINTAINED THE 
TEMPLE MOUNT ON THE LIST OF WORLD HERITAGE SITES IN DANGER.)  AMB. 
KORNBLUTH BEGAN THE DISCUSSION BY SAYING THAT ISRAEL PLANNED TO 
INFORM THE COMMITTEE JUST PRIOR TO THE SEVILLE MEETING THAT IT HAD 
COMPLETED THE APPROVAL PROCESS FOR THE NEW RAMP AND INTENDED TO 
PROCEED.  HE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THIS WOULD GUARANTEE A CONTRE-TEMPS IN 
SEVILLE, BUT INITIALLY TOOK THE VIEW THAT ISRAEL WAS READY TO LET THE 
CHIPS FALL WHERE THEY MAY.  AMB. LAURIN CAUTIONED AGAINST THAT AND 
URGED ISRAEL TO LOOK CAREFULLY AT THE EXECUTIVE BOARD'S DECISION, 
ESPECIALLY PARAGRAPH 9 AND 12, TO SEE WHETHER IT COULD TAKE STEPS TO 
IMPLEMENT THEM.  THE DECISION CROSSED NONE OF ISRAEL'S RED LINES. 
THERE WAS NO CALL IN IT FOR TWO PLANS OR FOR JORDAN TO CONSTRUCT THE 
RAMP AT ITS OWN EXPENSE.  ISRAEL COULD PUT ITS CRITICS ON THE WRONG 
FOOT IF IT COULD COME TO SEVILLE AND SAY IT WAS TRYING IN GOOD FAITH 
TO DO WHAT THE BOARD ASKED IT TO DO.  KORNBLUTH WAS CLEARLY INTRIGUED 
BY THE LOGIC AND SAID HE WOULD NEED TO DISCUSS IT AT HOME.  THE 
ISRAELI AMBASSADOR SPENT MUCH OF THE LATTER PART OF MAY IN ISRAEL FOR 
VACATION AND CONSULTATIONS. 
 
¶8.  (C) THE ISRAELIS APPEAR TO BE FOLLOWING LAURIN'S ADVICE. 
KORNBLUTH CALLED ON CHARGE ON JUNE 3 TO SAY THAT ON MAY 31 ISRAEL HAD 
DELIVERED A DIPLOMATIC NOTE TO THE JORDANIAN EMBASSY IN TEL AVIV, 
INVITING JORDAN TO A MEETING ". . . TO REACH AGREEMENT THAT MAY ALLOW 
THE (UNESCO) DIRECTOR-GENERAL TO ORGANIZE A FOLLOW-UP MEETING OF 
EXPERTS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE."  KORNBLUTH HAD NO INFORMATION ON 
WHETHER THE JORDANIANS HAVE REPLIED TO THIS NOTE. 
 
¶9.  (C) AMBASSADOR KORNBLUTH REPORTED THAT HE HAD SPOKEN TO UNESCO 
DEPUTY DIRECTOR-GENERAL BARBOSA EARLIER ON JUNE 3 AND HAD FOUND HIM 
OPTIMISTIC THAT SERIOUS DISAGREEMENTS ON THE MUGHRABI GATE ISSUE 
COULD BE AVOIDED AT THE UPCOMING WORLD HERITAGE COMMITTEE MEETING. 
KORBLUTH REPORTED THAT BARBOSA APPEARS TO BE STILL REELING FROM 
BRAZIL'S REFUSAL TO NOMINATE HIM TO REPLACE DIRECTOR-GENERAL 
MATSUURA, BUT THAT BARBOSA APPEARED READY TO RESUME - AT LEAST 
PARTIALLY -- THE ACTIVE ROLE HE HAD PLAYED ON MIDDLE EAST ISSUES 
PRIOR TO THE LAST EXECUTIVE BOARD NOW THAT HE CANNOT BE A CANDIDATE 
FOR THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL'S JOB.  BARBOSA, FOR EXAMPLE, SAID THE 
SECRETARIAT WILL DRAFT AND CIRCULATE A PROPOSED TEXT FOR A MUGHRABI 
GATE RESOLUTION DURING THE WEEK OF JUNE 8.  ACCORDING TO KORNBLUTH, 
BARBOSA, HOWEVER, TOOK THE POSITION THAT THAT HE WOULD NOT ATTEND THE 
WORLD HERITAGE COMMITTEE MEETING UNLESS HIS PRESENCE WERE REALLY 
NECESSARY.  THIS LAST POSTION LEFT KORNBLUTH VERY UNEASY.  THE 
ISRAELI AMBASSADOR MAINTAINED THAT THERE REALLY IS NO ALTERNATIVE TO 
BARBOSA'S PERSONAL MEDIATION.  CANADIAN AMBASSADOR LAURIN DEPARTS 
POST FOR RETIREMENT ON JUNE 24, AND THERE WAS SIMPLY NO ONE ELSE WHOM 
KORNBLUTH TRUSTED. 
 
¶10.  (C) COMMENT:  KORNBLUTH IS RIGHT TO BE CONCERNED.  CHARGE RAN 
INTO JORDAN'S AMBASSADOR KAWAR AT A RECEPTION ON JUNE 2 AND FOUND HER 
UNWILLING TO GIVE ISRAEL AN EASY PASS AT THE UPCOMING MEETING.  SHE 
DID NOT, NOTABLY, TAKE AS HARD A LINE AS SHE DID BEFORE THE APRIL 
EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING.  SHE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT UNESCO IS NOT GOING 
TO SETTLE THE ISSUE OF SOVERIEGNTY IN JERUSALEM, BUT SHE ARGUED 
JORDAN'S TACTICS TO DATE HAVE SERVED ITS INTERESTS WELL.  "WE HAVE 
MADE SOME NOISE AND DELAYED A 'HORRIBLE' PROJECT BY SEVERAL YEARS," 
SHE CLAIMED.  SHE RECOUNTED THAT DDG BARBOSA HAD ASKED HER TO WRITE A 
LETTER SAYING THAT ISRAEL HAD INVITED JORDAN TO MEET AS REQUIRED BY 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958:  DECL: 6/08/2019 
TAGS: PREL UNESCO KWBG JO IS
SUBJECT: MUGHRABI GATE: FROM UNESCO'S EXECUTIVE BOARD TO THE SEVILLE 
WORLD HERITAGE MEETING 
 
THE APRIL EXECUTIVE BOARD DECISION AND THAT THIS SATISFIED JORDAN'S 
CONCERNS. SHE STRESSED, HOWEVER, THAT JORDAN ABSOLUTELY WOULD NOT DO 
SO.  THERE ARE UN RESOLUTIONS THAT SAY THE JERUSALEM IS OCCUPIED AND 
WE INTEND TO UPHOLD THEM, SHE DECLARED. 
 
¶11.  (C) COMMENT CONTINUED:  CHARGE WILL SEE BARBOSA LATER THIS WEEK 
AND URGE HIM TO ATTEND SEVILLE.  WE CAN SEE NO REASON WHY JORDAN 
WOULD NOT WANT TO "MAKE SOME NOISE," AS AMBASADOR KAWAR PUT IT. 
 
¶12.  FOLLOWING IS THE TEXT OF THE MUGHRABI GATE DECISION ADOPTED AT 
THE 181ST EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING IN APRIL: 
 
BEGIN TEXT. 
 
IMPLEMENTATION OF 34 C/RESOLUTION 47 AND 180 EX/DECISION 5 (11) 
RELATED TO THE ASCENT TO THE MUGHRABI GATE IN THE OLD CITY OF 
JERUSALEM 
 
THE EXECUTIVE BOARD, 
 
¶1. HAVING EXAMINED 180 EX/5 (II) AND DOCUMENTS 181 EX/5, AND ADD. 4, 
 
¶2. RECALLING 176 EX/SPECIAL PLENARY MEETING/DECISION, 177 EX/DECISION 
20, AND 179 EX/DECISIONS 9 AND 52, 
 
¶3. FURTHER RECALLING DECISIONS 31 COM 7A.18 AND 32 COM 7A.18 ADOPTED 
BY THE WORLD HERITAGE COMMITTEE RESPECTIVELY AT ITS 31ST SESSION 
(CHRISTCHURCH, 2007) AND 32ND SESSION (QUEBEC CITY, 2008), 
 
¶4. ALSO RECALLING THE RELEVANT PROVISIONS ON THE PROTECTION OF 
CULTURAL HERITAGE INCLUDING, AS APPROPRIATE, THE FOUR GENEVA 
CONVENTIONS (1949), THE HAGUE CONVENTION FOR THE PROTECTION OF 
CULTURAL PROPERTY IN THE EVENT OF ARMED CONFLICT OF 1954, THE 
CONVENTION FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE WORLD CULTURAL AND NATURAL 
HERITAGE OF 1972, THE INSCRIPTION OF THE OLD CITY OF JERUSALEM AND 
ITS WALLS AT THE REQUEST OF JORDAN ON THE WORLD HERITAGE LIST (1981) 
AND ON THE LIST OF WORLD HERITAGE IN DANGER (1982), AND THE 
RECOMMENDATIONS, RESOLUTIONS AND DECISIONS OF UNESCO, 
 
¶5. REAFFIRMING THE PURPOSE AND SPIRIT OF THE PROFESSIONAL ENCOUNTER 
AT THE TECHNICAL LEVEL OF 13 JANUARY 2008, AS WELL AS THE FOLLOW-UP 
MEETING OF 24 FEBRUARY 2008, 
 
¶6. NOTING THE SIXTH REINFORCED MONITORING REPORT (FEBRUARY 2009) 
PREPARED BY THE WORLD HERITAGE CENTRE, 
 
¶7. REGRETTING THE POSTPONEMENT OF THE FOLLOW-UP MEETING OF EXPERTS 
WHICH WAS SCHEDULED FOR NOVEMBER 12TH 2008, AS CALLED FOR IN DECISION 
32COM 7A.18 ADOPTED BY THE WORLD HERITAGE COMMITTEE IN QUEBEC CITY 
AND REITERATED IN 180 EX/5 (II), OWING TO CIRCUMSTANCES WHICH IMPEDED 
JORDANIAN EXPERTS FROM HAVING ACCESS TO THE MUGHRABI ASCENT SITE, 
 
¶8. RECOGNIZING THE EXISTENCE OF DEEP CONCERNS REGARDING THE DECISION 
TAKEN BY THE JERUSALEM DISTRICT PLANNING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION 
ON THE TOWN PLANNING SCHEME FOR THE MUGHRABI ASCENT, 
 
¶9. REQUESTS THAT, DESPITE THE DECISION MENTIONED IN PARAGRAPH 8, THE 
PROCESS FOR THE DESIGN OF THE MUGHRABI ASCENT BE INCLUSIVE OF ALL 
PARTIES CONCERNED, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SPIRIT AND CONTENT OF 
PREVIOUS WORLD HERITAGE COMMITTEE DECISIONS; 
 
¶10. REAFFIRMS IN THIS REGARD THAT NO MEASURES, UNILATERAL OR 
OTHERWISE, SHOULD BE TAKEN WHICH WILL AFFECT THE AUTHENTICITY AND 
INTEGRITY OF THE SITE, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONVENTION FOR THE 
PROTECTION OF THE WORLD CULTURAL AND NATURAL HERITAGE OF 1972 AND, AS 
NECESSARY, THE RELEVANT PROVISIONS ON THE PROTECTION OF CULTURAL 
HERITAGE OF THE HAGUE CONVENTION FOR THE PROTECTION OF CULTURAL 
PROPERTY IN THE EVENT OF ARMED CONFLICT OF 1954; 
 
¶11. REITERATES THE REQUEST MADE BY THE WORLD HERITAGE COMMITTEE AT 
ITS 32ND SESSION IN DECISION 32 COM 7A.18 THAT THE ISRAELI 
AUTHORITIES CONTINUE THE COOPERATION COMMENCED WITH ALL CONCERNED 
PARTIES, IN PARTICULAR WITH JORDANIAN AND WAQF EXPERTS; 
 
¶12. AFFIRMS THE NEED FOR COOPERATION IN ORDER TO ENSURE ACCESS TO THE 
MUGHRABI ASCENT SITE, AND CALLS ON THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL TO ORGANIZE A 
FOLLOW-UP MEETING OF EXPERTS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, ONCE THE PARTIES 
CONCERNED HAVE REACHED AN AGREEMENT; 
 
¶13. REAFFIRMS THAT THE PROCESS FOR THE DESIGN OF THE MUGHRABI ASCENT, 
WHICH ALLOWS FOR THE TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION OF THE DESIGNS 
SUBMITTED DURING THE AFOREMENTIONED PROFESSIONAL ENCOUNTER, IS STILL 
UNDER WAY, AND THAT THE WORLD HERITAGE CENTRE IS FOLLOWING CLOSELY 
THE DEVELOPMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS PROCESS THROUGH ITS REINFORCED 
MONITORING MECHANISM; 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958:  DECL: 6/08/2019 
TAGS: PREL UNESCO KWBG JO IS
SUBJECT: MUGHRABI GATE: FROM UNESCO'S EXECUTIVE BOARD TO THE SEVILLE 
WORLD HERITAGE MEETING 
 
 
¶14. EXPRESSES ITS THANKS TO THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL FOR THE ACTION HE IS 
TAKING TO FACILITATE THE DIALOGUE AND PROFESSIONAL EXCHANGES BETWEEN 
ALL THE PARTIES CONCERNED; 
 
¶15. INVITES THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL TO SUBMIT TO IT A PROGRESS REPORT 
THEREON AT ITS 182ND SESSION. 
END TEXT. 
 
ENGELKEN