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Sangha Trinational

Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo
Factors affecting the property in 2014*
  • Civil unrest
  • Ground transport infrastructure
  • Illegal activities
  • Major linear utilities
  • Mining
Factors* affecting the property identified in previous reports
  • Civil unrest
  • Poaching
UNESCO Extra-Budgetary Funds until 2014

Total amount granted: 250,000 Euros from 2008 to 2013 through the Central African World Heritage Forest Initiative funded by the European Commission 

International Assistance: requests for the property until 2014
Requests approved: 0
Total amount approved : 0 USD
Missions to the property until 2014**
Conservation issues presented to the World Heritage Committee in 2014

On 29 January 2014, the three States Parties submitted a joint report on the state of conservation, available at the following address: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1380/documents/.

The States Parties informed of the proliferation of firearms resulting from the state of unrest in the Central African Republic (CAR), and increased poaching due to strong international demand for ivory.

The following measures have been undertaken to restore the security of the property:

  • In CAR: establishment of an Inter-ministerial Anti-Poaching Unit; the signing of a cooperation protocol between the Ministry of Water, Forests, Hunting and Fishing and the Department of National Defence; a joint crackdown operation of the army and the guards; the stationing of 30 soldiers in the property to maintain security and strengthen surveillance.
  • In Cameroon and the Congo: mobilization of rapid and mobile intervention battalions at the check points at each frontier and a contingent of 450 soldiers at the frontier between Cameroon and the CAR; anti-poaching crackdown operations.
  • At the regional level: signing of a tripartite transboundary anti-poaching cooperation agreement between CAR, Cameroon and Chad and the adoption by the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) of a short-term Extreme Emergency Anti-Poaching Plan (PEXULAB) and a medium and long-term Emergency Anti-Poaching Plan (PAULAB).  

The report also mentions the granting of two mining exploration concessions in the Congo, and in the CAR a mining exploitation permit (gold and diamonds), all of which infringe on the property and its buffer zone, despite the legislation in force.  Artisanal gold exploitation works are also installed in the Cameroon part of the property and steps are underway to remove the people living at these work sites. The report indicates a road construction project between the Congo and the CAR as well as a project for the distribution of optical fibre in the Congo that could have an impact on the property.

Analysis and Conclusion by World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies in 2014

It is recommended that the World Heritage Committee commend the considerable efforts undertaken by the three States Parties to strengthen security at the frontiers of the Sangha Trinational (STN). These measures have enabled increased surveillance activities, thus avoiding major degradation of the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property following the impacts of the crisis in the CAR.  To be noted is the proliferation of firearms resulting from the state of unrest in the CAR and the increase in poaching linked to the strong international demand for ivory. The problem of poaching in Central Africa, notably elephant poaching for ivory by armed gangs, is beyond the capabilities of the services responsible for the protection of the protected areas and requires a concerted regional approach involving the different services of the States. In this respect, the tripartite transboundary anti-poaching cooperation agreement between the CAR, Cameroon and Chad is to be commended, and the adoption by the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) of the emergency anti-poaching plans that demonstrate the political will of the States of the sub-region to address this problem.  However, it is of prime importance to accelerate the implementation of these mechanisms and to mobilize technical and financial support from donors.

It is recommended that the World Heritage Committee express its deep concern as regards the granting of mining exploration and exploitation permits partially encroaching upon the property and its buffer zone in the Congo and the CAR, despite the legislation in force forbidding such activities. The limits of these mining permits should be reviewed to eliminate any encroachment of the property, as the Ministry of Mines of Cameroon has done, and the States Parties should submit to the World Heritage Centre environmental impact studies demonstrating that the mining activities outside the property do not impact on its OUV. The existence of artisanal gold exploitation works within the property in Cameroon is also noted, as well as the steps undertaken to close them down.

The Ouesso-Bangui road project and the project to distribute optical fibre around Ouesso could impact on the OUV of the property. Detailed environmental impact studies are needed to identify potential impacts on the OUV, in accordance with IUCN’s advice note on Environmental Assessments for World Heritage.

Decisions adopted by the Committee in 2014
38 COM 7B.87
Sangha Trinational (Cameroun/Central African Republic/Congo) (N 1380rev)

The World Heritage Committee,

  1. Having examined Document WHC-14/38.COM/7B,
  2. Recalling Decisions 36 COM 8B.8 and 37 COM 7B.2 adopted respectively at its 36th (Saint Petersburg, 2012) and 37th (Phnom Penh, 2013) sessions,
  3. Commends the States Parties of the Congo, the Central African Republic (CAR) and Cameroon for having taken measures to ensure security in the area of the property and to ensure the protection of the property and its adjacent areas and avoid the degradation of its Outstanding Universal Value (OUV);
  4. Notes with satisfaction the adoption by the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) of a short and long-term plan and of an Extreme Emergency Anti-Poaching action plan at the regional and international levels, as well as the signing of a tripartite transboundary anti-poaching cooperation agreement between the CAR, Cameroon and Chad;
  5. Requests the States Parties to accelerate the implementation of these mechanisms and launches an appeal to donors to assist in the mobilization of the necessary technical and financial support;
  6. Also requests the States Parties to continue their actions for the security of the property and to allocate the necessary technical and financial means to sustain them over the long-term;
  7. Expresses its grave concern with regard to the granting by the States Parties of the Congo and the CAR, of mining exploration and exploitation concessions encroaching upon the property and its buffer zone despite the legislation in force, and urges them to review the boundaries of these mining permits to eliminate any encroachment upon the property, in accordance with the position of the Committee that mining is incompatible with World Heritage status;
  8. Further requests the States Parties of the Congo and the CAR to submit to the World Heritage Centre environmental impact studies (EIS) demonstrating that the mining activities outside the property do not impact on its OUV, in accordance with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines and in conformity with IUCN’s advice note on Environmental Assessments for World Heritage;
  9. Notes with concern the multiplication of infrastructure development projects within and around the property that could impact its OUV, in particular the Ouesso-Bangui road project and the project to distribute optical fibre around Ouesso, and moreover requests the States Parties of Congo and the CAR to carry out detailed Environmental Impact Studies (EIS) to identify potential impacts on the OUV in conformity with the IUCN advice note on Environmental Assessments for World Heritage and to submit them to the World Heritage Committee  before the continuation of these projects;
  10. Requests furthermore the States Parties to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2015, an updated report including a one-page executive summary on the state of conservation of the property and the implementation of the above points for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 39th session in 2015.
Draft Decision:   38 COM 7B.87

The World Heritage Committee,

1.  Having examined Document WHC-14/38.COM/7B,

2.  Recalling Decisions 36 COM 8B.8 and 37 COM 7B.2 adopted respectively at its 36th (Saint Petersburg, 2012) and 37th (Phnom Penh, 2013) sessions,

3.  Commends the States Parties of the Congo, the Central African Republic (CAR) and Cameroon for having taken measures to ensure security in the area of the property and to ensure the protection of the property and its adjacent areas and avoid the degradation of its Outstanding Universal Value (OUV);

4.  Notes with satisfaction the adoption by the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) of a short and long-term plan and of an Extreme Emergency Anti-Poaching action plan at the regional and international levels, as well as the signing of a tripartite transboundary anti-poaching cooperation agreement between the CAR, Cameroon and Chad;

5.  Requests the States Parties to accelerate the implementation of these mechanisms and launches an appeal to donors to assist in the mobilization of the necessary technical and financial support;

6.  Also requests the States Parties to continue their actions for the security of the property and to allocate the necessary technical and financial means to sustain them over the long-term;

7.  Expresses its grave concern with regard to the granting by the States Parties of the Congo and the CAR, of mining exploration and exploitation concessions encroaching upon the property and its buffer zone despite the legislation in force, and urges them to review the boundaries of these mining permits to eliminate any encroachment upon the property, in accordance with the position of the Committee that mining is incompatible with World Heritage status;

8.  Further requests the States Parties of the Congo and the CAR to submit to the World Heritage Centre environmental impact studies (EIS) demonstrating that the mining activities outside the property do not impact on its OUV, in accordance with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines and in conformity with IUCN’s advice note on Environmental Assessments for World Heritage;

9.  Notes with concern the multiplication of infrastructure development projects within and around the property that could impact its OUV, in particular the Ouesso-Bangui road project and the project to distribute optical fibre around Ouesso, and moreover requests the States Parties of Congo and the CAR to carry out detailed Environmental Impact Studies (EIS) to identify potential impacts on the OUV in conformity with the IUCN advice note on Environmental Assessments for World Heritage and to submit them to the World Heritage Committee  before the continuation of these projects;

10.  Requests furthermore the States Parties to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2015, an updated report including a one-page executive summary on the state of conservation of the property and the implementation of the above points for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 39th session in 2015.

Report year: 2014
Central African Republic Congo Cameroon
Date of Inscription: 2012
Category: Natural
Criteria: (ix)(x)
Documents examined by the Committee
SOC Report by the State Party
Report (2014) .pdf
arrow_circle_right 38COM (2014)
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.


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