Take advantage of the search to browse through the World Heritage Centre information.

i
ii
iii
iv
v
vi
vii
viii
ix
x

Manovo-Gounda St Floris National Park

Central African Republic
Factors affecting the property in 2004*
  • Civil unrest
  • Financial resources
  • Illegal activities
Factors* affecting the property identified in previous reports
  • Mining;
  • Oil Gas and Exploration;
  • Fishing; Poaching/Hunting;
  • Lack of capacity in conservation techniques;
  • Lack of management mechanism (including legislation);
  • Lack of monitoring system;
  • Lack of presentation and interpretation;
  • Lack of human or financial resources;
  • Lack of institution coordination;
  • Civil unrest.
International Assistance: requests for the property until 2004
Requests approved: 2 (from 2001-2001)
Total amount approved : 170,000 USD
Conservation issues presented to the World Heritage Committee in 2004

At its 27th session, the Committee recommended that IUCN and the World Heritage Centre, in co-operation with the State Party, urgently undertake a mission to the property to evaluate the status of the outstanding value for which it was inscribed on the World Heritage List and the extent to which that value may have been irreversibly compromised by the prevailing threats to the property. The mission to the property was delayed, as there have been problems in identifying the lead person in the State Party for its organization. In the past, the Central African Republic had one single Ministry, which dealt with water and forestry, hunting, fisheries, tourism and the environment. The new Government has split up this Ministry into three Ministries: one for water, forest, hunting and fisheries, a second one for tourism and a third for environment, sustainable development and social economics. The Centre received a letter dated 31 March 2004 by the Minister of Waters, Forests, Hunting and Fisheries inviting the Centre and IUCN to undertake the mission as soon as possible.

The implementation of the US$150,000 Emergency Rehabilitation Plan of the property has remained under suspension following the unrest that followed the unseating of the Government in March 2003. In the letter from the Minister for Water, Forests, Hunting and Fisheries mentioned above, the Centre is informed on the improved political and security situation in the country and a revised Emergency Rehabilitation Plan is submitted as requested by the Committee. The plan will be implemented jointly between the Ministry for Water, Forests, Hunting and Fisheries, the European Union funded project “Conservation et Utilisation rationelle des Ecosystèmes Forestiers d’Afrique Centrale” (ECOFAC), which is in charge of a wildlife management project around the property, and the national non-governmental “Association Pour la Protection de la Faune Centrafricaine”(APFC). The revised plan foresees activities to reinforce surveillance, increase awareness of the local populations for the conservation of the property, an evaluation of the state of conservation of the property, the preparation of a management plan and some activities aiming at the revival of tourism activities. The implementation of the Emergency Rehabilitation Plan is foreseen from May 2004 to June 2005. Further investment will be critical to sustain and develop the activities after completion of this first phase and financial resources need to be mobilised for the continuation of such activities. On 9 April 2004, the Centre met at UNESCO headquarters the Minister of the newly created Ministry of Environment, Sustainable Development and Social Economics. The Minister further informed the Centre that the Central African Republic is in the process of creating an inter-ministerial committee that will oversee the implementation of the Emergency Rehabilitation Plan.

At the time of the 5th IUCN World Parks Congress in Durban, South Africa (September 2003), IUCN held an informal meeting with the technical advisor to the Ministry of Water, Forests, Hunting and Fisheries of the State Party, and a former consultant for the ECOFAC project. It was recommended that a mission alone will not be sufficient to overcome the problems at this property, but that a meeting between all stakeholders is required to facilitate the development of a major programme of action and fundraising strategy for the property. Stakeholders should include the relevant national Ministries, ECOFAC project coordinators, IUCN, the Centre and local associations, such as the hunting associations. In the mean time the IUCN Regional Office for Central Africa has developed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of Central African Republic, which is due to be signed in May 2004. This MoU seeks to provide support from IUCN Regional Office for Central Africa to the State Party in relation to programmes for the sustainable management of the natural resources of that country. Manovo-Gounda St. Floris National Park will be one of the sites targeted to be a beneficiary under the MoU.

Decisions adopted by the Committee in 2004
28 COM 15A.1
Manovo-Gounda St Floris National Park (Central African Republic)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Reiterates its serious concern for the state of conservation of Manovo-Gounda St. Floris National Park and the need for increased international support and co-operation, including that between the Central African Republic, Chad and Sudan;

2. Notes that the State Party has provided a revised Emergency Rehabilitation Plan and has invited the World Heritage Centre and IUCN to undertake a mission to evaluate the state of conservation of the property;

3. Requests the World Heritage Centre and IUCN, in consultation with the State Party, to undertake a mission to assess the state of conservation of the property, including the review of the implementation of the Emergency Rehabilitation Plan and to submit recommendations for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 29th session in 2005. This mission should include the organization of a stakeholder meeting to develop a major programme of action and fundraising strategy for the conservation of the property. The State Party may wish to seek international assistance for the organization of this meeting;

4. Recommends that the State Party and the World Heritage Centre cooperate to enable the start of the implementation of the Emergency Rehabilitation Plan;

5. Invites the State Party to cooperate with the World Heritage Centre, IUCN, the "Conservation et Utilisation rationelle des Ecosystèmes Forestiers d’Afrique Centrale" (ECOFAC) programme and other conservation agencies and donors

to mobilise the necessary resources to sustain and further develop the activities

foreseen under the revised Emergency Rehabilitation Plan and other activities that may be developed for implementation after the mission;

6. Decides to retain Manovo-Gounda St. Floris National Park on the List of World Heritage in Danger.

28 COM 15C.2
List of World Heritage in Danger

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Following examination of state of conservation reports of properties on the List of World Heritage in Danger (WHC-04/28.COM/15A Rev),

2. Decides to maintain the following properties on the List of World Heritage in Danger:

  • Minaret and Archaeological Remains of Jam, Afghanistan (Decision 28 COM 15A.21)
  • Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley, Afghanistan (Decision 28 COM 15A.22)
  • Butrint, Albania (Decision 28 COM 15A.28)
  • Tipasa, Algeria (Decision 28 COM 15A.16)
  • Walled City of Baku with the Shirvanshah's Palace and Maiden Tower, Azerbaijan (Decision 28 COM 15A.29)
  • Royal Palaces of Abomey, Benin (Decision 28 COM 15A.14)
  • Manovo-Gounda St Floris National Park, Central African Republic (Decision 28 COM 15A.1)
  • Comoé National Park, Côte d'Ivoire (Decision 28 COM 15A.2 )
  • Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve, Côte d'Ivoire/Guinea (Decision 28 COM 15A.5)
  • Okapi Wildlife Reserve, Democratic Rep. of the Congo (Decision 28 COM 15A.3)
  • Kahuzi-Biega National Park, Democratic Rep. of the Congo (Decision 28 COM 15A.3)
  • Virunga National Park, Democratic Rep. of the Congo (Decision 28 COM 15A.3)
  • Garamba National Park, Democratic Rep. of the Congo (Decision 28 COM 15A.3)
  • Salonga National Park, Democratic Rep. of the Congo (Decision 28 COM 15A.3)
  • Sangay National Park, Ecuador (Decision 28 COM 15A.12)
  • Abu Mena, Egypt (Decision 28 COM 15A.17)
  • Simien National Park, Ethiopia
  • (Decision 28 COM 15A.4)
  • Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve, Honduras (Decision 28 COM 15A.13)
  • Group of Monuments at Hampi, India (Decision 28 COM 15A.24)
  • Manas Wildlife Sanctuary, India (Decision 28 COM 15A.10)
  • Ashur (Qal'at Sherqat), Iraq (Decision 28 COM 15A.18)
  • Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls, Jerusalem (Decision 28 COM 15A.31)
  • Timbuktu, Mali (Decision 28 COM 15A. 15)
  • Kathmandu Valley, Nepal (Decision 28 COM 15A.25)
  • Air and Ténéré Natural Reserves, Niger (Decision 28 COM 15A.6)
  • Fort and Shalamar Gardens in Lahore, Pakistan (Decision 28 COM 15A.26)
  • Chan Chan Archaelogical Zone, Peru (Decision 28 COM 15A.30)
  • Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras, Philippines (Decision 28 COM 15A.27)
  • Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary, Senegal (Decision 28 COM 15A.7 )
  • Ichkeul National Park, Tunisia (Decision 28 COM 15A.9)
  • Everglades National Park, United States of America (Decision 28 COM 15A.11)
  • Historic Town of Zabid, Yemen (Decision 28 COM 15A.20)

Draft Decision28 COM 15A.1

 

The World Heritage Committee,

 

1.   Reiterates its serious concern for the state of conservation of Manovo-Gounda St Floris National Park and the need for increased international support and co-operation, including that between the Central African Republic, Chad and Sudan;

2.   Notes that the State Party has provided a revised Emergency Rehabilitation Plan and has invited the Centre and IUCN to undertake a mission to evaluate the state of conservation of the property;

3.   Recommends that the State Party, the Centre and IUCN cooperate to field a mission to assess the state of conservation of the property, including the review of the implementation of the Emergency Rehabilitation Plan and to submit the findings and recommendations of that mission for examination by the Committee at its 29th session in 2005. This mission should include the organization of a stakeholder meeting to develop a major programme of action and fundraising strategy for the conservation of the property. The State Party may wish to seek international assistance for the organization of this meeting;

4.   Recommends that the State Party and the Centre cooperate to enable the start of the implementation of the Emergency Rehabilitation Plan;

5.   Invites the State Party to cooperate with the Centre, IUCN, the ECOFAC programme and other conservation agencies and donors to mobilise the necessary resources to sustain and further develop the activities foreseen under the revised Emergency Rehabilitation Plan and other activities that may be developed for implementation after the mission;

6.   Decides to retain Manovo-Gounda St. Floris National Park on the List of World Heritage in Danger.

Report year: 2004
Central African Republic
Date of Inscription: 1988
Category: Natural
Criteria: (ix)(x)
Danger List (dates): 1997-present
Documents examined by the Committee
arrow_circle_right 28COM (2004)
Exports

* : The threats indicated are listed in alphabetical order; their order does not constitute a classification according to the importance of their impact on the property.
Furthermore, they are presented irrespective of the type of threat faced by the property, i.e. with specific and proven imminent danger (“ascertained danger”) or with threats which could have deleterious effects on the property’s Outstanding Universal Value (“potential danger”).

** : All mission reports are not always available electronically.


top