The Bureau recalled the Committee's request at its sixteenth session that the Centre undertake a mission to review the state of conservation of the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus following the information received on reconstruction works being undertaken at the main entrance of the Mosque. It expressed its regret that certain factors had precluded this mission from taking place and requested that ICOMOS undertake a general monitoring mission to Syria to review not only progress made in the works at the Mosque, but also the state of conservation of the Old City of Damascus.