VII.14 Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve (Honduras)
The Committee recalled that the Bureau at its nineteenth session took note of a report received from the Fundaci6n Rio Platano concerning the site, inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1982. The report concerned the agricultural intrusion at the south and western borders of the site and on the land reform programme and its implementation in north-eastern Honduras. The Bureau at its nineteenth session requested IUCN to verify the situation and to report back to the nineteenth session of the World Heritage committee. Subsequently, the Centre received a letter from the Minister for the Environment requesting a mission to the site to evaluate the situation.
The mission was carried out by the IUCN Regional Office based in Costa Rica in November 1995. The report of the mission outlines the major threats and concludes with eleven follow-up actions, including the inscription of the site on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
The Committee took note of the report and requested the Centre to contact the authorities to obtain an official letter on the actions to be taken to protect the site.