Decision 40 COM 7B.99

Virgin Komi Forests (Russian Federation) (N 719)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/16/40.COM/7B.Add,
2. Recalling Decision 39 COM 7B.23, adopted at its 39th session (Bonn, 2015),
3. Reiterates its established position that mining exploration and exploitation are incompatible with World Heritage status, and requests the State Party to ensure that no mining exploration or exploitation will be permitted within the boundaries of the property as established at the time of inscription;
4. Reiterates its requests to the State Party to revoke the mining exploration and exploitation licenses granted for the Chudnoe gold mine and urges the State Party to restore the areas damaged by the mining-related activities, which were undertaken in 2011 and 2012;
5. Notes the information provided by the State Party regarding the management plan for the property, but considers that the submitted individual business plans prepared for Yugyd Va National Park and Pechoro-Ilychsky State Nature Reserve do not constitute an integrated management plan for the property and also requests the State Party to develop such a plan for the property as a whole and submit it to the World Heritage Centre, for review by IUCN;
6. Also notes the information on activities undertaken by the State Party in the field of tourism management and monitoring, expresses its concern over the high number of registered violations of the protection regime within the property and also urges the State Party to develop a comprehensive sustainable tourism management strategy for the entire property;
7. Also requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 December 2017, an updated report on the state of conservation of the property and the implementation of the above, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 42nd session in 2018.