Decision 45 COM 7A.9

General Decision on the World Heritage properties in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/23/45.COM/7A.Add,
2. Recalling Decision 44 COM 7A.46 adopted at its extended 44th session (Fuzhou/online, 2021),
3. Regrets that the State Party did not submit a report on the implementation of this Decision, as requested by the Committee at its 44th extended session,
4. Notes with utmost concern the reports of alleged human rights abuses towards indigenous peoples and local communities during law enforcement operations and reiterates its requests to the State Party to take urgent measures to further strengthen efforts to address this issue, including by establishing and implementing a national code of conduct for eco-guards and a grievance mechanism for human rights abuses, and by training all staff on human rights issues as part of regular law enforcement training, as well as ensuring that management processes are founded on a rights-based approach that ensures full involvement of all stakeholders, in particular indigenous peoples and local communities, in line with relevant international norms, the 2015 Policy on World Heritage and Sustainable Development;
5. While noting the improved security situation in Salonga, Kahuzi-Biega and Garamba National Parks, notes with concern the continued security challenges in Okapi Wildlife Reserve and expresses its utmost concern about the situation in Virunga National Park, which is again partly situated in the territory controlled by rebel groups and has been the scene of heavy fighting since 2022, resulting again in park staff being tragically killed in the line of duty, strongly condemns this violence once again, addresses its sincere condolences to the families of the victims and all staff of the Congolese Institute for Nature Conservation (ICCN) and urges the State Party to continue to strengthen the capacity of ICCN to continue to ensure the management of the properties in the current difficult security situation and to take all measures to restore peace and security in and around the properties;
6. While stressing the importance of ensuring a sustainable financing mechanism, also urges the State Party to ensure the sustainability of the “Okapi Fund for Conservation – FOCON” as the Trust Fund for protected areas in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), encourages the donor community, to continue to provide adequate financial and technical support to effectively respond to the management needs of the DRC World Heritage properties;
7. Strongly regrets that the State Party has included in the public auction of oil blocks in 2022 two oil blocks overlapping with Virunga National Park, notes with utmost concern the semi-industrial mining activities in Okapi Wildlife Reserve, reiterates its clear position concerning the incompatibility of mining, oil exploration and exploitation with World Heritage status and urges once again the State Party to cancel all concessions for oil blocks and mining concessions that overlap with World Heritage properties;
8. Notes with appreciation the proposal of UNESCO to organise with the State Party a national workshop in the DRC to discuss challenges and provide recommendations on how to ensure the management and protection of heritage in conflict zones;
9. Finally requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2024, a detailed report on the implementation of the Kinshasa Declaration, the security situation in the properties, the measures taken to address human rights abuses and the actions undertaken to cancel all oil exploration and exploitation and mining concessions that encroach on World Heritage properties, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 46th session.