Decision 37 COM 7A.6

Garamba National Park (Democratic Republic of the Congo) (N 136)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC-13/37.COM/7A,
2. Recalling Decision 36 COM 7A.6 adopted at its 36th session (Saint-Petersburg, 2012),
3. Expresses its utmost concern regarding the alarming reduction of the elephant population by 85% compared to the number present at the time of inscription of the site on the World Heritage List, and the fact that the presence of the Northern White Rhinoceros in the property remains unconfirmed;
4. Regrets the increase in poaching due to persistent pockets of armed groups, notably the ”Lord’s Resistance Army” (LRA) as well as the network of well equipped and heavily armed professional poachers and notes that the lack of arms and amunition continues to pose important risks for the guards during patrols;
5. Commends the efforts of the management authority and its partners to extend the surveillance area  well as efforts to strengthen the guard numbers, provide equipment, train and establish a rapid intervention team to respond to the poaching crisis;
6. Recalls the commitments taken by the Congolese Government in the Kinshasa Declaration of January 2011, specifically regarding security of the World Heritage properties and strengthening of the operational capacities of the Congolese Nature Conservation Institute (ICCN), and the availability of arms and ammunitions for surveillance activities;
7. Requests the State Party to continue its efforts to implement the corrective measures to rehabilitate the Outstanding Universal Value of the property;
8. Also requests the State Party, based on the results of the survey of large mammal populations and in consultation with the World Heritage Centre and IUCN, to finalize the Desired State of Conservation of the property for removal from the List of World Heritage in Danger and update the required timetable, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 38th session in 2014;
9. Further requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre by 1 February 2014 , a detailed report on the state of conservation of the property, including an update of progress achieved in the implementation of the corrective measures, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 38th session in 2014;
10. Decides to continue the application of the Reinforced Monitoring Mechanism for the property;
11. Also decides to retain Garamba National Park (Democratic Republic of the Congo) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.