The World Heritage Committee,
1. Having examined Documents WHC-11/35.COM/8B and WHC-11/35.COM/INF.8B2,
2. Defers the examination of the nomination of the Pendjari National Park, Benin, as an extension of W National Park of Niger, Niger, under criterion (x);
3. Recommends the State Party of Benin to resubmit the nomination of Pendjari National Park, as an extension of W National Park of Niger (Niger) at its earliest opportunity, with the assistance of IUCN and the World Heritage Centre as required, and having considered the following points to:
a) Nominate the extension under identical criteria to the existing inscribed property, namely natural criteria (ix) and (x), and to provide a justification for inscription and comparative analysis in relation to each criterion,
b) Provide a proposed Statement of Outstanding Universal Value, agreed jointly with the State Party of Niger, that would relate to the property as a whole, including both serial components,
c) Confirm that there are effective means to provide connectivity and buffer zones between the Pendjari National Park, and W National Park of Niger, and to consider identifying relevant hunting zones and other protected areas as either part of the nomination, or as buffer zones to a serial property,
d) Establish and explain the overall management system that would be applied to the serial property, in conformity with paragraph 114 of the Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention which specifies the requirements for management systems for serial properties,
e) Propose an appropriate name for the property if extended that would be agreeable to both States Parties;
4. Encourages the States Parties of Benin, Burkina Faso and Niger, supported by international partners and donors, to continue the cooperation with the aim of establishing eventually an overall transboundary conservation programme for the W-Arli-Pendjari complex, as previously recommended by the World Heritage Committee;
5. Notes with appreciation the high quality of conservation management that has been achieved within Pendjari National Park, and the efforts of the State Party of Benin, supported by the State Party of Germany and other partners to achieve significant conservation success, and encourages these partners to continue their work, including through the establishment of the sustainable finance mechanisms for savannah areas in West Africa, and the building of protection and management capacity within all of the protected are as in the W-Arli-Pendjari complex.