Decision 38 COM 7A.32

Los Katios National Park (Colombia) (N 711)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC-14/38.COM/7A,
2. Recalling Decision 37 COM 7B.17, adopted at its 37th session (Phnom Penh, 2013),
3. Welcomes the progress reported by the State Party in the implementation of the updated corrective measures and towards achieving the indicators established for the Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger (DSOCR);
4. Requests the State Party to make a clear commitment to the long-term securing of adequate funding, management and staffing levels, in order to ensure that progress in restoring and securing the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property can be sustained beyond the eventual achievement of the DSOCR;
5. Encourages the State Party to formalize a buffer zone around the property according to paragraphs 163-165 of the Operational Guidelines , as a minor boundary modification for review by the World Heritage Committee, and as a means to further embed the conservation and management of the property into a broader landscape approach;
6. Notes with appreciation the external support already granted to the property, invites the international community to further support the State Party to effectively address the existing and potential threats to the property, and urges the States Parties of Colombia and Panama to ensure enhanced coordination and cooperation between the property and the contiguous World Heritage property of Darien National Park in Panama;
7. Also requests the States Parties of Colombia and Panama to ensure that the ongoing Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) of the electricity transmission corridor include a specific assessment of potential impacts on the OUV of the property, as well as the OUV of the contiguous Darien National Park in Panama, in line with IUCN’s World Heritage Advice Note on Environmental Assessment, and to submit the results of the ESIA to the World Heritage Centre as soon as they are available, in line with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines ;
8. Further requests the State Party to invite an IUCN reactive monitoring mission to the property, in order to assess progress with the implementation of the corrective measures and towards achieving the indicators of the DSOCR, and regarding the status of the property on the List of World Heritage in Danger;
9. Requests furthermore the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2015, a detailed report, including a 1-page executive summary, on the state of conservation of the property and the implementation of the above, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 39th session in 2015;
10. Decides to retain Los Katíos National Park (Colombia) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.