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.32, adopted at its 38th session (Doha, 2014),
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Highly commends the efforts made by the State Party in the implementation of the corrective measures and considers that the State Party has achieved compliance with the indicators set for the Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger (DSOCR);
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Decides to remove Los Katíos National Park (Colombia) from the List of World Heritage in Danger;
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Endorses the recommendations expressed by the Reactive Monitoring mission;
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Welcomes important support and cooperation by other States Parties and multilateral organizations and encourages additional support and cooperation;
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Notes, however, that the property continues to be vulnerable, and urges the State Party to:
- Further consolidate efforts to improve the security situation and ensure law enforcement across the property,
- Consolidate communication and cooperation with resource-dependent communities in and around the property and consider additional specialized staff to this effect,
- Consolidate the participatory monitoring and management of the fisheries and other freshwater biodiversity resources within and beyond the property building upon existing partnerships,
- Further consolidate the integration of the property into broader landscape management and land use planning, including the analysis of various conceivable scenarios to formalize or otherwise strengthen buffer zones,
- Make a clear commitment to the long-term securing of adequate funding, management and staffing levels in order to ensure adequate follow-up to the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger;
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Takes note of the progress on coordination with Community Councils in the areas surrounding the property and invites the State Party to finalize the definition of the property’s buffer zone and submit it to the World Heritage Centre as a minor boundary modification according to paragraphs 163-165 of the Operational Guidelines;
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Reiterates its request to the States Parties of Colombia and Panama to ensure that the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) of the electricity transmission corridor include a specific assessment of potential impacts on the Outstanding Universal Value of Los Katíos National Park (Colombia) and Darien National Park (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;
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Also encourages the State Party to:
- Remove the artificial connection between the Leon and Atrato Rivers through the freshwater lagoon system in the property,
- Consider the feasibility of extending the property so as to include the Serrania del Darien National Protection Forest Reserve and possibly other areas,
- Further consolidate coordination and cooperation with the neighboring State Party of Panama with the eventual vision to consider the possible formalization of a transboundary World Heritage property,
- Document and share the experience of the indigenous community within the property as a valuable case study;
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Requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 December 2016, an updated 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 41st session in 2017.