1. Having examined Documents WHC-04/7EXT.COM/2 and WHC-05/29.COM/INF.2,

2. Taking into consideration Rule 8 (Observers) of the Rules of Procedure of the Committee,

3. Notes the List of Participants included in Annex I,

4. Authorizes the participation in the 29th session as observers of the representatives of the international governmental organizations (IGOs), international non-governmental organizations (INGOs), non-governmental organizations (NGOs), permanent observer missions to UNESCO and non profit-making institutions having activities in the fields covered by the Convention and having, requested observer status at such session, who are and having, requested observer status at such session, who are listed in Section A of Annex II,

5. Confirms the participation in the 29th session as observers of all those invited by the Director-General of UNESCO in accordance with Rule 8.4 of the Rules of Procedure and as listed in Section B of Annex II.

1. Having examined Document WHC-05/29.COM/3A.Rev 3,

2. Adopts the agenda included in the above-mentioned document.

1. Having examined Document WHC-05/29.COM/3B.Rev 2,

2. Decides that the evening session indicated in such document for the 11 July(Monday) will take place from 18:00 to 19:30;

3. Also decides that each daily session of the 29th session of the Committee will start at 9:30;

4. Adopts the timetable included in the above-mentioned document, as amended.

1. Having examined Documents WHC-05/29.COM/4 and WHC-05/29.COM/INF.04,

2. Takes note with satisfaction of the Report of the Rapporteur of its 7th extraordinary session (UNESCO, 2004).

1. Having examined Documents WHC-05/29.COM/5 and WHC-05/29.COM/INF.5,

2. Recalling Decisions 27 COM 4 and 27 COM 5.1, adopted at its 27th session(UNESCO, 2003), and Decision 28 COM 9, adopted at its 28th session (Suzhou, 2004),

3. Notes with satisfaction the Report of the World Heritage Centre on its activities, which contributes to an adequate implementation of the four strategic objectives of the Committee.

1. Having examined Annex 1 of Document WHC-05/29.COM/5,

2. Approves the World Heritage Programme for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and the World Heritage Marine Programme;

3. Requests the Director of the World Heritage Centre to further explore the thematic initiative “Astronomy and World Heritage” as a means to promote, in particular, nominations which recognize and celebrate achievements in science;

4. Approves a biennial budget of US$20,000 for the World Heritage Programme for Small Island Developing States and US$50,000 for the World Heritage Marine Programme, to be financed through the World Heritage Fund, as proposed in Document WHC-05/29.COM/16.

1. Having examined Annex 2 of Document WHC-05/29.COM/5,

2. Takes note of the Recommendations of the “World Heritage Forest Meeting” held in Nancy, France, on 9-11 March 2005, included in the referred Annex;

3. Encourages the World Heritage Centre to work closely with States Parties towards the implementation of such Recommendations;

4. Approves a biennial budget of US$ 20,000 for the World Heritage Forest Programme, to be financed through the World Heritage Fund, as proposed in Document WHC-05/29.COM/16.

1. Having examined Annex 2 of Document WHC-05/29.COM/5,

2. Expresses its sincere appreciation to the State Party of Austria, the City of Vienna, the World Heritage Centre, ICOMOS and ICCROM, and to the partner organizations: Organization of World Heritage Cities (OWHC), International federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA), International Union of Architects (IUA) and International Federation for Housing and Planning (IFHP), for their successful collaboration in the organisation of the international conference on “World Heritage and Contemporary Architecture - Managing the Historic Urban Landscape” (Vienna, 12 -14 May 2005);

3. Takes note of the report and welcomes the Vienna Memorandum adopted at the above-mentioned international conference;

4. Encourages States Parties to integrate the notion of historic urban landscape in nomination proposals and in the laboration of management plans of properties nominated for inscription on the World Heritage List;

5. Also encourages States Parties to integrate the principles expressed in the Vienna Memorandum into their heritage conservation policies;

6. Requests the Advisory Bodies and the World Heritage Centre to take into account the conservation of the historic urban landscape when reviewing any potential impact on the integrity of an existing World Heritage property, and during the nomination evaluation process of new sites;

7. Recommends that the General Assembly of States Parties to the Convention at its 15th session (UNESCO, 2005) adopt, on the basis of the Vienna Memorandum, a Declaration on the Conservation of Historic Urban Landscapes;

8. Also recommends that the General Conference of UNESCO adopt a new recommendation to complement and update the existing ones on the subject of conservation of historic urban landscapes, with special reference to the need to link contemporary architecture to the urban historic context.

1. Having examined Document WHC-05/29.COM/6,

2. Requests the Director of the World Heritage Centre to transmit the Report included in such document, as amended, to the Secretariat of the General Conference, so that it can be submitted to the General Conference of UNESCO at its 33rd session;

3. Decides, in accordance with Rule 14.1 of the Rules of Procedure of the General Assembly of States Parties to the Convention, to reserve one seat in the World Heritage Committee to be elected by the General Assembly at its 15th session (UNESCO, 2005), for a State Party which does not have any properties on the World Heritage List.

1. Having examined Document WHC-05/29.COM/7A,

2. Recalling Decisions 28 COM 15.1, adopted at its 28th session (Suzhou, 2004), and 25 COM VIII.3, adopted at its 25th session (Helsinki, 2001),

3. Requests the Chairperson of the Committee and the Director of the World Heritage Centre to transmit on behalf of the Committee their heartfelt condolences to the families of the game scouts who lost their lives in the antipoaching activities to protect the values of the property;

4. Regrets that the monitoring mission to the property could not take place due to the security situation in the region and reiterates its request for the World Heritage Centre and IUCN to undertake this joint mission as soon as the security situation allows;

5. Commends the European Union for its ongoing efforts to conserve the property and the natural resources in the areas adjacent to the property, in particular the development and implementation of the anti-poaching strategy;

6. Urges IUCN and the World Heritage Centre to cooperate closely with the “Conservation et Utilisation rationelle des ecosystems forestières de l’Afrique centrale” (ECOFAC) programme as well as with other organisations active in the region to get more details on the state of conservation of the property and on the urgent measures to be implemented in order to ensure the recovery of the property;

7. Further urges the State Party of Central African Republic to establish a dialogue with the Governments of Sudan and Chad in order to prevent transborder poaching activities, as requested by the Committee at its 25th session, and to provide adequate means to the game scouts to combat poaching;

8. Requests the State Party to submit a report by 1 February 2006 on the state of conservation of the property, in particular indicating the progress made in implementing the recommendations of the joint 2001 UNESCO/IUCN mission, for examination by the Committee at its 30th session (Vilnius, 2006);

1. Having examined Document WHC-05/29.COM/7A,

2. Recalling its Decision 28 COM 15A.2, adopted at its 28th session (Suzhou, 2004),

3. Commends the State Party of Côte d’Ivoire for providing a report on the current situation in Comoé National Park;

4. Notes with great concern that only 20% of the property is at present directly under State Party control, and urges all parties engaged in the conflict to ensure the conservation of the property;

5. Recognizes the commitment shown by local communities in the conservation of the property;

6. Regrets that the requested monitoring mission could not take place and recommends that the World Heritage Centre and IUCN undertake the joint mission as soon as the security situation allows;

7. Requests the State Party to submit by 1 February 2006, an updated report on the state of conservation of the property for examination by the Committee at its 30th session (Vilnius, 2006);

1. Having examined Document WHC-05/29.COM/7A,

2. Recalling its Decision 28 COM 15A.5, adopted at its 28th session (Suzhou, 2004),

3. Regrets that no report was provided by the State Party of Guinea on the state of conservation of the property and on the status of the planned mining exploration activities;

4. Reiterates its request to the State Party of Guinea to report on the status of the restarting of mining activities in the mining enclave by the Euronimba consortium, including relevant information on the potential impacts of such activities to the integrity of the property;

5. Commends the State Party of Guinea, UNDP, GEF, the World Heritage Centre and Fauna and Flora International for their efforts in the development and approval of project "Conservation of the Biodiversity of the Nimba Mountains through Integrated and Participatory Management";

6. Expresses its concern that the part of the property located in Côte d’Ivoire is no longer under the control of the State Party and urges all parties engaged in the conflict in Côte d’Ivoire to ensure the conservation of the property and its effective transboundary management, as soon as the current situation allows it;

7. Requests the States Parties of Côte d’Ivoire and Guinea to submit by 1 February 2006 an updated report on the state of conservation of the property for examination by the Committee at its 30th session (Vilnius, 2006);

8. Decides to retain Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve (Côte d'Ivoire/Guinea) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.

1. Having examined Document WHC-05/29COM/7A and the Draft Decision 29COM 7A.4.Rev,

2. Recalling its Decision 28 COM 15A.3 adopted at its 28th session (Suzhou, 2004),

3. Reiterates its serious concern about the continuing threats to the five World Heritage properties in DRC, especially encroachment and extraction of natural resources, including mining, poaching and ivory trafficking by armed groups, inter alia, elements of the regular army, the national police and former rebel, elements of the regular army, the national police and former rebel troops that are awaiting demobilization or integration into the national army;

4. Expresses its utmost concern about the continued poaching in the Garamba National Park, that will lead to the imminent extinction of the northern white rhino in the wild and jeopardize the outstanding universal value for which the property was inscribed on the World Heritage List;

5. Commends the DRC management authority, the Congolese Institute for the Conservation of Nature (ICCN) and especially its dedicated field staff, UNESCO and its partners in the project “Biodiversity Conservation in Regions of Armed Conflict”, as well as other organizations cooperating with ICCN, for their on-going efforts to protect the integrity and the World Heritage values of the five properties;

6. Thanks the World Heritage Centre for the organization of the international conference on the conservation of the DRC World Heritage properties in September 2004 and the Governments of Belgium, Germany, Italy, and the United States of America, the European Union, the World Bank, the United Nations Development Programme and the United Nations Foundation for their support announced for the conservation of the DRC World Heritage properties, announced at such international conference;

7. Urges the State Party of the Democratic Republic of Congo to respect the clear commitment it made during the international conference on the conservation of the DRC World Heritage properties, and which was followed by the installation of an inter-ministerial follow up committee under the presidency of the Vice President;

8. Also urges the State Party to implement immediately the measures announced at the international conference to guarantee the integrity of the properties, in particular the evacuation of all armed troops from the properties;

9. Further urges the multilateral donor agencies and bilateral donor governments to honour their commitments, towards the conservation of the DRC World Heritage properties, pledged at the international conference;

10. Strongly urges the State Party to authorize the translocation of a limited number of specimens of northern white rhino to an appropriate safe location, as recommended by the IUCN African Rhino Specialist Group;

11. Requests the cooperation of the State Party of Sudan to ensure, in accordance with Art. 6.3 of the Convention, that the State Party does its best to prevent transborder poaching activities and that no action will be taken that threatens the value or integrity of a property located on the territory of another States Party to the Convention;

12. Invites the Director-General of UNESCO to contact the President of DRC to express his serious concern over the situation in Garamba National Park and to contact the Government of Sudan to seek its cooperation in addressing the poaching threat originating from its territory;

13. Also invites the Director-General of UNESCO to use his good offices to sensitize all the parties concerned about the real risk to the outstanding universal value of Garamba National Park and to engage such parties in a dialogue leading to avoid the loss of such value;

14. Strongly urges the State Party to take all necessary measures to guarantee the in-situ conservation of the northern white rhino and to secure the Garamba conservation of the northern white rhino and to secure the Garamba National Park, in particular by reinforcing the guard staff with an army brigade, as announced by the Government, and by providing the necessary financial support and equipment for the ICCN anti-poaching operations;

15. Regrets that the monitoring missions to Kahuzi-Biega National Park, Virunga National Park, Okapi Wildlife Reserve and Garamba National Park could not take place due to the security situation in the region and reiterates its request for the World Heritage Centre and IUCN to undertake these joint missions as soon as the security situation allows;

16. Requests the State Party to submit by 1 February 2006 an updated report on the state of conservation of the properties, the status of the northern white rhino in the Garamba National Park, mitigation measures taken to prevent its extinction and progress made in securing the integrity of the DRC World Heritage properties for examination by the Committee at its 30th session (Vilnius, 2006);

17. Decides to retain the Garamba, Salonga, Kahuzi Biega and Virunga National Parks and the Okapi Wildlife Reserve (Democratic Republic of Congo) on the List of World Heritage in Danger;

18. Considers that, if by 1 February 2006 the presence of the northern white rhino in the Garamba National Park has not been established, the property is no longer of outstanding universal value and the Committee will consider deleting it from the World Heritage List.

1. Having examined Document WHC-05/29.COM/7A,

2. Recalling its Decision 28 COM 15A.4, adopted at its 28th session (Suzhou, 2004),

3. Congratulates the State Party of Ethiopia and in particular the Amhara National Regional State Government for the considerable efforts undertaken to improve the state of conservation of the property and on the progress made in addressing the issues requested by the Committee at its 28th session (Suzhou, 2004);

4. Takes note of the State Party’s concern that the reduction of the human population within the park is very difficult to achieve under the prevailing conditions, despite efforts to initiate a voluntary resettlement programme;

5. Encourages the State Party to continue its efforts to develop an alternative livelihood strategy to address this issue and invites the State Party to complete its request for international assistance from the World Heritage Fund;

6. Requests the State Party to undertake the following additional steps:

a) map the extent of the agricultural encroachment within the park and monitor the level of encroachment annually;

b) restrict use of the area by domestic livestock;

c) undertake a household by household census of the people living within the park;

d) continue the policy of zero tolerance of domestic dogs;

e) set up a system to continuously monitor the human population in the property; and

f) consider strategic extensions to the park or its buffer zone to ensure that no further increase in agriculture, livestock and human populations occur;

7. Also requests the State Party to continue to cooperate with the Canid specialist group of IUCN’s Species Survival Commission as well as other organizations (such as WildCODE, the Ethiopian Wolf Conservation Programme, the Frankfurt Zoological Society and Ethiopian Universities) to survey the population of Simien Fox at the property;

8. Further requests the State Party to invite a joint mission of UNESCO and IUCN to the property to assess progress and review the possibility of removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger at its 30th session (Vilnius, 2006);

9. Further requests the State Party to submit by 1 February 2006 a report on progress towards the achievement of the benchmarks set by the Committee for a removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger as well as on the implementation of additional recommendations by the Committee and to provide information on the development of a tourist lodge in the property;

10. Decides to retain Simien National Park (Ethiopia) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.

1. Having examined Document WHC-05/29.COM/7A and the Draft Decision 29 COM 7A.6.Rev,

2. Recalling Decision 28 COM 15A.6 adopted at its 28th session (Suzhou, 2004), as well as Decision 27 COM 7A.5 adopted at its 27th session (UNESCO, 2003),

3. Taking note of the report of the 2005 IUCN monitoring mission, presented by IUCN during the 29th session (Durban, 2005),

4. Notes the information in the report provided by the State Party concerning the stolen vehicles;

5. Expresses its utmost concern over the findings of the 2005 IUCN monitoring mission, in particular the continuing deterioration of the World Heritage value of the property, the on-going poaching of wildlife, land degradation as a result of significant commercial extractions of natural resources, as well as a lack of progress in the implementation of the rehabilitation plan;

6. Encourages the State Party of Niger and UNDP/GEF to expedite the approval and implementation of the project “Co-management of Natural Resources in Aïr and Ténéré Natural Reserves and adjacent areas” (COGERAT);

7. Urges the State Party to implement the recommendations by the 2005 IUCN monitoring mission, with a view to addressing urgent threats to the property, in particular:

a) re-establish physical presence of the management authority in Iférouane and provide adequate resources to the management authority in order to allow a better control of natural resource use within the property;

b) establish Land Commissions (Commissions foncières) in the four Municipalities and clarify respective land-use and resource access rights for local residents;

c) significantly improve monitoring and surveillance of the property in order to address poaching and illegal commercial natural resource extraction issues;

d) immediately halt all commercial collection of timber and hay from the property; and

e) initiate soil and vegetation stabilization actions to control soil erosion, and measures to reduce corollary destabilization of soils by motorized traffic;

8. Requests the State Party to submit by 1 February 2006 a report on the state of conservation of the property and on progress in the implementation of the recommendations of the 2005 monitoring mission, for examination by the Committee at its 30th session (Vilnius, 2006);

1. Having examined Document WHC-05/29.COM/7A and the Draft Decision 29COM 7A.7.Rev,

2. Recalling Decision 28 COM 15A.7 adopted at its 28th session (Suzhou, 2004),

3. Takes note of the report of the joint 2005 UNESCO-IUCN monitoring mission, presented by IUCN at its 29th session (Durban, 2005),

4. Commends the State Party of Senegal on the progress made regarding the control of the invasive species (Salvinia molesta and Pistia stratiotes) within the Park and on the protection of the values for which the site was inscribed;

5. Expresses serious concern over the fact that the systematic water management system which addressed regulation of water flows, hydrological monitoring, and other factors and which was put in place in the property with assistance of IUCN Senegal, is no longer operational, leading to salinization of soils, increased sedimentation and an increasing impact of invasive species;

6. Notes the other threats and issues observed by the joint 2005 UNESCO/IUCN monitoring mission, in particular cattle grazing and hunting in the property and buffer zone, lack of a management plan and sustained funding for the management of the property and constant changes in staff, resulting in a loss of capacity to manage the property;

7. Urges the State Party to take necessary measures to restore systematic hydrological monitoring and proper water management, as well as other habitat management measures identified by the joint 2005 UNESCO/IUCN monitoring mission;

8. Requests the State Party to implement the other recommendations of the monitoring mission with regard to visitor management, access management, management of the buffer zone and re-organisation of the National Park Authority;

9. Invites the State Party to organize as soon as possible a multi-stakeholder workshop to discuss the implementation of the recommendations of the mission, create new partnerships with local stakeholders for the management of property and its buffer zone and update the 2002 management plan;

10. Requests the State Party to submit by 1 February 2006 a report on the state of conservation of the property and on progress in the implementation of the recommendations of the 2005 monitoring mission, for examination by the Committee at its 30th session (Vilnius, 2006);

1. Having examined Document WHC-05/29COM 7A,

2. Recalling its Decisions 28 COM 15A.9 and 27 COM 7(a) 8 respectively adopted at its 28th session (Suzhou, 2004) and its 27th session (UNESCO, Paris, 2003),

3. Takes note of the progress achieved in the ecological restoration of the property, as detailed in the scientific monitoring report submitted by the State Party;

4. Notes that the last two hydrological years (2002-2003 and 2003-2004) have provided very favourable climatic conditions for the rehabilitation of the park, allowing an adequate release of fresh water from the dams and resulting in the beginnings of the recovery of the ecosystem;

5. Commends the State Party of Tunisia for its commitment to the rehabilitation of the property;

6. Urges the State Party to report on the status of the management plan for the park and on the process of development of an autonomous and permanent management structure which would ensure an efficient implementation of this plan for the park;

7. Reiterates its request to the State Party to confirm officially its commitment to an average annual release of 80 to 120 million cubic metres of freshwater into the Ichkeul National Park, in view of consideration by the Committee, based on the outcomes of a monitoring mission, of the possible removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger;

8. Requests the State Party to report on progress made on the state of conservation of the property by 1 February 2006, for examination by the Committee at its 30th session (Vilnius, 2006);

1. Having examined Document WHC-05/29.COM/7A,

2. Recalling its Decision 28 COM 15A.10, adopted at its 28th session (Suzhou, 2004),

3. Welcomes the cessation of conflict at this property and the positive measures undertaken by the State Party of India to improve its state of conservation, including ecotourism initiatives in Kokilabari which involve the Bodo people and the re-building of park infrastructure;

4. Notes that the impacts of the conflict still exist, in particular in relation to wildlife populations (rhino, tiger and swamp deer) and timber removal in the Panbari Range;

5. Urges the State Party of India, in view of the possible removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger, to meet the following benchmarks identified by the monitoring mission:

a) accelerate efforts to re-build park infrastructure;

b) take prompt measures to fill vacant positions within the park;

c) ensure timely release of funds to the park, in compliance with the recent Supreme Court ruling of the State Party; and

d) undertake a comprehensive wildlife survey in the park, which could act as a future baseline for monitoring recovery of the property;

6. Requests the State Party to work with the Royal Government of Bhutan to have the contiguous Royal Manas National Park inscribed on the World Heritage List as a transboundary property; and to expedite its approval of the World Heritage Biodiversity Programme of India that has provision for crucial support for conservation of the property;

7. Also requests the State Party to submit by 1 February 2006 a report on progress in the implementation of the recommendations of the 2005 monitoring mission and in particular on the results of the status survey of wildlife in the park and progress in re-building park infrastructure, including a time-table for its completion, for examination by the Committee at its 30th session (Vilnius, 2006);

1. Having examined Document WHC-05/29.COM/7A and having noted the conclusions of Document WHC-05/29.COM/11A,

2. Recalling its Decision 28 COM 15A.11, adopted at its 28th session (Suzhou, 2004),

3. Notes the detailed report by the State Party of United States of America provided on 27 January 2005 on the progress made on the different programmes to restore and conserve this property;

4. Commends the State Party for efforts made in enhancing the state of conservation of Everglades National Park and for securing additional financial resources to address the threats to the property;

5. Requests the State Party to report by 1 February 2006, for examination of the Committee at its 30th session (Vilnius, 2006), on how the threats have been met, in order to guide the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger;