Decision 45 COM 7B.19

Dong Phayayen-Khao Yai Forest Complex (Thailand) (N 590rev)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/23/45.COM/7B.Add.2,
2. Recalling Decisions 41 COM 7B.32 and 44 COM 7B.97 adopted at its 41st (Krakow, 2017) and extended 44th (Fuzhou/online, 2021) sessions respectively,
3. Appreciates the continued commitment of the State Party to lead international cooperation and carry out activities within the property to address illegal logging and trade of Siamese Rosewood and other precious wood species, and strongly encourages the State Party to further strengthen this cooperation with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and bilaterally with Cambodia, particularly to retain momentum despite the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic;
4. Takes note that the State Party is considering the possible modification of some areas of Thap Lan National Park by revising its boundaries and reminds the State Party that a modification with the potential to have a significant impact on the extent of the property or affect its Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) would require a significant boundary modification, in line with the Operational Guidelines;
5. Also notes the 2019 amendment of the National Park Act and Wildlife Protection and Reservation Act, through which the State Party will accommodate local communities pursuing their livelihoods in a sustainable manner, and requests the State Party to continue close consultations with the communities and critically monitor the effects of the legislation for communities and conservation;
6. Takes note that the construction of all dams proposed within and adjacent to the property is suspended pending completion of a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) for the property and its river basin and, recalling its previously stated position that dams with large reservoirs within the boundaries of properties are not compatible with World Heritage status, also requests the State Party to:
   1. Seek early technical inputs from IUCN on the SEA,
   2. Cancel plans for any construction of dams with reservoirs inside the property’s boundaries, independent of the results of the SEA,
   3. Ensure the suspension of dam proposals around the property remains in place until the final SEA has been reviewed by IUCN to assess any impact on the OUV;
7. Notes that the nationwide 2020-2022 Action Plan on the Protection of Protected Forest Areas and Forest Fire Control is being implemented at the property and includes Key Performance Indicators, and further requests the State Party to submit revised indicators that demonstrate adequate means of verification to objectively and accurately measure the effectiveness of its implementation, in line with the recommendations of the 2016 Reactive Monitoring mission;
8. Notes with concern that the budget for activities to protect Siamese Rosewood and other precious wood species within the property has been significantly reduced for the fiscal year 2022, requests furthermore the State Party to ensure that sufficient funds are allocated for the implementation of the 2020-2022 Action Plan for the continued protection of the property’s OUV;
9. Requests moreover the State Party to provide an update on the resolution that was passed to halt the expansion of Highway 348 and on progress to seek an alternative to the expansion proposal;
10. Finally requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 December 2024, 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 47th session.