Decision 29 COM 7A.6

Air and Ténéré Natural Reserves (Niger)

The World Heritage Committee,

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);