The World Heritage Committee,
1. Having examined Document WHC-08/32.COM/7A,
2. Recalling Decision 31 COM 7A.5, adopted at its 31st session (Christchurch, 2007),
3. Acknowledges with appreciation the positive efforts made by the State Party in addressing the challenges facing the property;
4. Also acknowledges the great financial and technical support provided for the conservation of the property by various partners;
5. Recognizes that challenges for the conservation of the property remain numerous;
6. Notes with concern the results of the preliminary inventory for the lowland sector, indicating the quasi-disappearance of the elephant, a 25% reduction in the gorilla population, continued poaching and artisanal mining operations in all the areas visited, as well as militia presence;
7. Requests the State Party, in consultation with ICCN, the management body for the protected areas, to continue with the implementation of the corrective measures adopted by the World Heritage Committee at its 30th session (Vilnius, 2006), in close cooperation with the local communities surrounding the property;
8. Urges the State Party, in cooperation with MONUC, to implement the Act of Engagement adopted on 23 January 2008 following the Goma Peace and Development Conference in the two Kivu that foresees the disarmament of all national and foreign armed groups in this region;
9. Reiterates its request for the immediate withdrawal of all mining concessions that have been granted within the property;
10. Also requests the State Party to transmit to the World Heritage Centre the revised version of the Environmental Impact Study concerning the refurbishment of the RN3 road containing new proposals on mitigation measures, before taking a final decision with regard to the project, in conformity with paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines;
11. Further requests the State Party, in consultation with the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies, to develop a draft Statement of Outstanding Universal Value, including conditions of integrity, as well as a proposal for the Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 33rd session in 2009;
12. Requests moreover the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, before 1 February 2009 a detailed report on the state of conservation of the property, including an update on the disarmament of armed groups within the property, the road refurbishing project, as well as progress achieved in the implementation of the corrective measures, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 33rd session in 2009;
13. Decides to continue to apply the Reinforced Monitoring mechanism to the property;
14. Decides to retain Kahuzi-Biega National Park (Democratic Republic of the Congo) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.