The World Heritage Committee,
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Having examined Document WHC-15/39.COM/7A,
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Recalling Decision 38 COM 7A.38, adopted at its 38th session (Doha, 2014),
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Warmly welcomes the efforts of the State Party in securing the property, strengthening surveillance and closing down the artisanal mining quarries, in accordance with the Kinshasa Declaration of January 2011, and encourages the State Party to ensure the continuity of its efforts;
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Notes that the restoration of security is the pre-condition for the implementation of the corrective measures and the restoration of the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property;
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Notes with concern the lack of progress in the evacuation of the ecological corridor, crucial to ensure the ecological continuity between the highland and lowland sectors, and reiterates its request to the State Party to cancel the land permits illegally granted within the property, to evacuate the farms installed illegally and to restore the plant species and the connectivity;
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Takes note of the studies in progress on the zoning of the property and the convening of the “National Forum on Governance and Enhancement of the Property”, and requests the State Party to ensure that the recommendations issued and the options identified concerning the evacuation of the corridor and the zoning of the property guarantee the conservation of the OUV of the property;
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Welcomes the commencement of the inventory of large mammals throughout the property, permitting an assessment of the state of conservation of its OUV, but expresses its utmost concern concerning the quasi absence of the gorillas in the western Nzovu sector and the extremely low level of viewing of elephants that indicates that the impact of the presence of armed groups in the lowland sector has caused an important erosion of the OUV;
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Also reiterates its request to the State Party to invite a joint World Heritage Centre/IUCN Reactive Monitoring mission as soon as the results of the inventory are available, to assess its state of conservation, update the corrective measures, and establish a timeframe for the implementation and the Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger;
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Also requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2016, an updated report, including a 1-page executive summary, on the state of conservation of the property and the implementation of the above points, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 40th session in 2016;
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Decides to continue to apply the Reinforced Monitoring Mechanism to the property;
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Also decides to retain the Kahuzi-Biega National Park (Democratic Republic of the Congo) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.