Okapi Wildlife Reserve

• Impact of the conflict : looting of the infrastructures, poaching of elephants
• Presence of gold mining sites inside the property

Adopted in 2009 and revised in 2014, see page  https://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/5983

Adopted in 2009 and revised in 2014, see page  http://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/5983   

Adopted, see page http://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/5983 

Total amount granted: USD 1,450,000, from the United Nations Foundation (UNF), Government of Belgium, the Rapid Response Facility (RRF) and the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund (UNPF)

On 15 February 2018, the State Party submitted a report on then state of conservation of the property, available at http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/718/documents/, that provides the following information:

• Cooperation between the Congolese Institute for Conservation of Nature (ICCN) and the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) continues and joint patrols are organized on a regular basis;
• The mining permit granted to the KiloGold Society has been cancelled. However, numerous artisanal mining exploitations continue to be active in several sectors of the property;
• Several meetings between the ICCN and the provincial authorities have been held regarding the control of illegal residents. It was decided to establish a permit system, using non-forgeable cards, and funds are being sought for its implementation. The National Road 4 (RN4) remains closed to night traffic;
• The preparation of a new Integrated Management Plan (PAG) is not finalized due to lack of funds and therefore remains a priority for 2018. The validation of the boundaries of the Central Integral Conservation Area (ZCIC) located on the Wamba and Watsa Territories was foreseen for February 2018;
• The Committees for Visits and Passage (CSP) ensure the respect of the Guidelines for Access to Natural Resources in the Delimited Agricultural Zones bounded by the property. They will constitute the means of management for the subsistence zones (agriculture, hunting) and will be indicated in the PAG. They have been jointly approved by the authorities and local communities and by ICCN in November 2017;
• Several efforts have been made to strengthen and revitalize the surveillance mechanisms, notably the training of Police Officers (OPJ), awareness-raising of justice stakeholders concerning the new law on nature conservation, the purchase of new uniforms and equipment, and the installation of two stations in the northern sector of the property;
• Due to lack of funding, no new recruitment of guards was undertaken. Nevertheless, the foot patrols covered 49.5% of the property in 2017 and were reinforced by two overflights that have confirmed the continuing illegal mining exploitation in the property;
• The creation of three Forestry Concessions for Local Communities (CFCL) in the periphery of the property is imminent, with the objective of reducing the negative impacts of the unsustainable exploitation of these forests and reduce pressure on the property.

Two murderous attacks have been perpetrated, respectively on 14 July 2017 and on 17 February 2018, against the ICCN teams. Unfortunately, eleven guards were killed and six others seriously wounded. They demonstrate the level of insecurity in and around the property and the difficulties encountered by the ICCN teams who exercise their functions too often endangering their lives.

52.       General Decision on the properties of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)

Current conservation issues

On 15 February 2018, the State Party submitted a report on the state of implementation of Decision 41 COM 7A.12. This report is available at the address: http://whc.unesco.org/en/sessions/42COM/documents/#state_of_conservationreports  and provides the following information:

• Progress accomplished in the implementation of the 2011 Kinshasa Declaration and the corrective measures for each property are described in the individual reports (see Documents WHC/18/42.COM/7A and WHC/18/42.COM/7A.Add);
• Collaboration between the Congolese Institute for Nature Conservation (ICCN) and the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) has been strengthened in order to increase security in the protected areas. Moreover, numerous measures have been undertaken by the Chief of State or other state institutions to reinforce ICCN’s institutional capacities, such as the revision of salary scales for the guards or the transfer of responsibility for the implementation of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species and Wild Fauna and Flora) to improve combat against the illegal traffic of wild species;
• A large quantity of law-enforcement equipment have been provided to ICCN to strengthen the operational capacities of the Park guards ;
• No petroleum activity is envisaged in Virunga National Park and the SOCO Society has closed down its office in the DRC. However, on 1 February 2018, the President of the Republic has approved, by presidential decree, petroleum exploration permits in the Salonga National Park; the three blocks concerned cover a part of the property;
• In December 2017, the Prime Minister approved authorization to activate the Trust Fund « Okapi Funds for Conservation – FOCON » for sustainable funding of the protected areas in the DRC;
• The Corps responsible for security of the National Parks (CorPPN) and the related natural reserves, created in June 2015, is not operational due to lack of financial resources, thus delaying approval of the presidential decree for its creation. The Ministry of Defence and ICCN have, nevertheless, appointed their representatives.

Insecurity in the region remains a permanent threat that continues to complicate the protection of the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property. The ambush at Eringeti is proof of this, and it is recommended that the Committee condemn these attacks and address its condolences to the families of the guards killed during operations to protect the property.

The coverage of the property by foot patrols (49.5% in 2017) has again diminished in comparison to 2016 (52%), highlighting their difficulty to fully access the property, notably due to insecurity. Moreover, the number of guards, 126 persons, does not enable ICCN to ensure an adequate surveillance of the property, slowing down patrol efforts to terminate poaching and artisanal mining exploitation in all sectors of the property. It is recommended that the Committee express its concern as regards the persistent insecurity that has led to a reduction in the surveillance coverage since 2015, and reiterates its request to the State Party to reinforce the number of guards as well as the budget for the property.

Efforts made to train the guards as OPJs and strengthen the capacities of the justice stakeholders are positive. These efforts have enabled ICCN to conclude four complaints to the justice. The implementation of most of the recommendations of the Mambasa Round Table (May 2013) is also to be welcomed and has enabled the tempering of relations between the inhabitants of the Okapi Wildlife Reserve (OWR) and ICCN. 

The continuing illegal artisanal mining exploitations in the property remain an important threat to the protection of its Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) and the urgent evacuation of the illegal occupants is a major priority.

The establishment of a permit system to control traffic of the RN4 and the migratory flux is warmly welcomed and should, beforehand, be accompanied by a census of the current residents in the property. However, the study requested by the Committee (40 COM 7A.39) to evaluate the impacts due to the increase in the number of inhabitants in the villages along the RN4, on the use of land around the villages has not yet been carried out.

The additional delay in the finalization of the PAG due to lack of funds is regrettable. It is recommended that the Committee request the State Party to update the PAG and implement it, integrating the provisions relating to the different zones in the property, including the ZCIC, the subsistence zones and the CFCLs.

No information has been communicated by the State Party as concerns the accomplishment of the indicators for the Desired state of conservation for removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger (DSOCR). It is recommended that the Committee maintain the property on the List of World Heritage in Danger and continue to apply the Reinforced Monitoring Mechanism.

52.       General Decision on the properties of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)

Analysis and conclusions of the World Heritage Centre and IUCN

The efforts of ICCN to implement the Kinshasa Declaration and the corrective measures in each of the properties as well as strengthening its collaboration with the FARDC and the different state institutions are favourably welcomed. Commendable progress has also been made with the law-enforcement equipment made available to improve security for the guards.

Insecurity caused by the presence of armed groups and various militia continue to threaten the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of most of the properties located in eastern DRC. In particular, it has a heavy human impact and in this respect, it is relevant to recall that the year 2017 was extremely tragic for ICCN staff. Twenty-one guards and a driver were killed in the Okapi Wildlife Reserve and in the Virunga National Park and many others were seriously injured. They were killed during attacks and ambushes deliberately targeting the ICCN staff. At the Kahuzi-Biega National Park, a team of 27 ICCN agents were kidnapped last March for more than a month by a group of militia. It is recommended that the Committee strongly condemn this violence, address its condolences to the families of the victims and ICCN staff and that it expresses its utmost concern as regards the continuing insecurity in and around most of the properties located in eastern DRC.

The delay engendered in the deployment of the CorPPN contingent is regrettable. It is recommended that the Committee reiterates its request to the State Party to provide human and financial means to enable it to become operational, and that it also requests the State Party to implement, in conformity with the Kinshasa Declaration, all means to establish security conditions for the ICCN staff to fulfil their mission under adequate conditions and without risk of life.

Concerning the issue of petroleum exploration, the State Party has informed the World Heritage Centre of the attribution of the three blocks that encroach a part of Salonga National Park. Other blocks should soon be attributed; if they were attributed, they would cover the total area of the property. Furthermore, the World Heritage Centre was informed in May of a proposal made in March 2018 by the Ministry of Hydrocarbons to its government of degazettement, at the national level of one or several zones of the Virunga and Salonga National Parks, to carry out petroleum explorations. It is noted that a partial reclassification of these Parks unilaterally decided by the State Party would question the legal protection of the properties. This legal protection is one of the three components of the OUV. Moreover, modifications to the boundaries of the World Heritage properties linked to extractive industries must be treated through the procedure applied for major modifications to boundaries, in conformity with Paragraph 165 of the Operational Guidelines, taking into account the potential impact of these projects on the OUV. Furthermore, this proposal is in contradiction to the Kinshasa Declaration that is committed to maintaining the protection status of the properties. It is therefore recommended that the Committee expresses its utmost concern regarding this issue and that it reiterates its position concerning the incompatibility of oil exploration and exploitation with World Heritage status. It is also recommended that the Committee urge the State Party to cancel these concessions and to attribute no new ones in Salonga National Park and its periphery. It is recommended that the Committee reiterates its deep concern as regards the proposal of degazettement one or several zones of the Salonga and Virunga National Parks to authorize petroleum exploration and that it recalls that modifications made to the boundaries of the World Heritage properties must be made in conformity with the provisions of the Operational Guidelines and must be based on strengthening the OUV of the properties, rather than facilitating extractive activities.

The efforts of the State Party to render the FOCON Trust Fund operational are warmly welcomed. It is recommended that the Committee congratulate the State Party for this important progress and encourages it, as well as the donors, to provide this Fund with adequate financial means to respond to the needs of the protected areas and the DRC World Heritage properties.