Palmyra was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1980:

• for representing a masterpiece of human creative genius;
• for exhibiting an important interchange of human values, over a span of time and within a cultural area of the world, on developments in architecture or technology, monumental arts, town-planning or landscape design;
• and for being an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural or technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates a significant stage in human history.

Therefore, participants in the seminar agree that preserving the integrity of the archaeological site and its setting as an oasis in the desert is of a paramount importance for its stature as a remarkable site on the UNESCO world heritage list.

They also agree that the safeguarding of World Heritage should and can go hand-in-hand with sustainable development of the available resources which should be developed for the benefit of the local populations as well as for the overall benefit of the country.

The seminar’s recommendations can be briefed by the following:

1. The needs of development today should be met without compromising the ability of future generations to develop and flourish. Furthermore, such needs should also be met without irrevocably jeopardising the integrity and authenticity of the cultural and natural assets of the site, or adversely affect its fragility and integrity. To achieve this, due consideration needs to be given to conserving the area’s water resources, ensuring the survival of the natural oasis, the lifestyle of the local population and preservation of the ancient city and most importantly its setting as an ancient oasis in the desert

2. The development of tourism in Palmyra should be based on the value of cultural heritage as its prime asset, but extending outwards into eco-tourism based on its natural assets, health tourism utilising the local geothermal resources, and the sustainable cultural exploitation of the “desert experience” (local Bedouin culture, camel trekking, desert walks, etc.). To achieve this, regional tourism resources will need to be networked, so that Palmyra's position as a regional cultural tourism hub can be strengthened.

3. The attempts to preserve and develop Palmyra should not be isolated from the socio-economic development of the local inhabitants in the region. Efforts should be spent to cooperate with and benefit the local population throughout the processes of preservation and development. In conformity with the government’s vision, the Palmyra Region is expected to be developed as a cultural tourism destination with well-preserved and developed cultural and natural heritage and a diversified economic base by the year 2025. This is expected to create, for the region of Palmyra: an added value, provide employment and facilitate the socio-economic development of the population.

4. The seminar’s recommendations strongly agree with the suggestion made by UNESCO in highlighting the extreme necessity of ensuring that systematic independent Environmental Impact Assessment Studies are carried out prior to the implementation of any development plans and projects currently underway or being planned for the region of Palmyra and that an assessment is made as to the possible removal of buildings or structures that are already implemented and are jeopardising Palmyra’s cultural site and landscape.

5. The prevailing national and/or provincial plans should be carefully formulated with due respect to preserving the cultural and natural heritage. Decisions on the size, location and design of development areas and infrastructure facilities that are expected to contribute to the development of Palmyra as a cultural tourism destination (especially the proposed accommodation and commercial facilities, the existing and future airport, the proposed railway station, and the planned southern ring road) should only be considered after analysing alternative possibilities, and measuring and evaluating their impacts on the environment, including the setting of the World Heritage Site, the oasis and the salt lake and informing UNESCO of the findings. It is clear that some existing proposals will need to be significantly re-evaluated.

6. The seminar recommends that the World Cultural Heritage Site should be expanded and redefined as a cultural landscape. As the regional strategic action plan under preparation by the MAM Programme is expected to provide guidelines to meet such a possibility, with respect to the transitional zones around the archaeological site, the oasis and the city. These guidelines will identify areas where development would be acceptable, strictly in the North East region, and under what conditions.

7. The emphasis on the importance of developing effective institutional cooperation and defining local capacity-building measures for the region of Palmyra, taking into account the need to undertake comprehensive surveys, further planning and the precise monitoring of implementation. In this connection, the seminar’s recommendations acknowledges the legislative decree No. 34 (July 2006) that envisages establishment of a “public commission to manage and develop the steppe” with central headquarters in Palmyra and directly connected to the Prime Minister. It is proposed that this commission should also be authorised to coordinate, manage and supervise activities related to cultural and natural heritage preservation and tourism development in addition to its socio-economic objectives in light of the systematic independent Environmental Impact Assessment Studies.

8. In regards to the new protection zones of the archaeological site declared by the Ministry of Culture in January, the seminar’s recommendations agree that these protection zones are not sufficient and that they should be subject to further specialised research as to protect the natural setting of the oasis city. Moreover, it is strongly suggested that a nomination for a cultural landscape is made with new extended boundaries for the World Heritage Site that include, in addition to the archaeological remains of the city, all the tombs as well as the antique quarries and the most importantly the oasis located in the South West of the site.

9. Any planned or proposed development outside the new cultural landscape boundaries must only take place in the area to the north-east side of the existing town after carrying out the necessary aforementioned studies. Any development taking place elsewhere such as the planned "Palaces Zone" in the south west of the site as well as the rehabilitation of the road passing through the oasis and the construction of a ring road in the south of the oasis or the creation of a commercial shopping zone inside the oasis would break the visual link between the archaeological site and the desert and mostly threaten the exceptional archaeological ruins and necropolis situated in the underground western and southern area and the unique natural palm tree oasis; hence, damaging the authenticity of the setting and risking the inscription of Palmyra on UNESCO’s List of World Heritage in Danger.

10. In order to preserve the globally unique natural heritage of the Palmyra desert, the recently-established protected areas of al Talila, Abu Mingel and Sabkhat al Moh should be turned as soon as possible into operative protected areas according to international standards. It is therefore recommended to allow and facilitate the technical assistance by the competent international conservation organizations - already activated and very committed -  aimed at providing the protected areas with qualified staff, scientifically-based management plans and ensuring the involvement of the local communities.