Salonga National Park

• Armed conflict, lack of security and political instability
• Poaching by the army and armed groups
• Conflicts with local communities concerning Park boundaries
• Impact of villages located within the property

• Impact due to conflict
• Increased poaching and illegal encroachment affecting the integrity of the site

Adopted, see page https://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/4575 

Not yet identified

Total amount granted: USD 320,000 from the United Nations Foundation and the Governments of Italy and Belgium 

On 15 February 2018, the State Party submitted a state of conservation report of the property, available at http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/136/documents/, which provides the following information:

• Improvement in the security situation has enabled the resumption of surveillance activities. Some elements of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC), having participated in the ‘Operation Bonobo’, support the Park and participate in the mixed patrols. A military training for 140 guards is foreseen in 2018;
• The meetings of the Site Coordination Committee (CoCoSi) continue to involve the provincial authorities and other stakeholders in the management of the property. Awareness-raising campaigns have been carried out in the different provinces to involve authorities in the anti-poaching combat (LAB), agricultural development, breeding and tourism;
• A participatory Development and Management Plan (PAG) was developed and approved, as well as a surveillance strategy and a triennial action plan (2017-2019), that define the priority activities for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger. Surveillance has been strengthened thanks to the acquisition of equipment and the construction of infrastructures. The area covered represents 56.2% of the property, demonstrating progress since 2015 (42%) and 2016 (52%). The LAB has led to the arrest of 81 persons, the destruction of 513 camps and 8,144 traps, the seizure of eleven fire arms, 20 spears and 114 machetes, as well as 20 pirogues and 86 nets. In 2017, ten guards were sworn in as police officers;
• The biological inventory for the northern block was terminated in 2017; those for the southern block and the corridor are ongoing. The bonobo populations in the northern block are provisionally estimated at 8,746 and those of the elephants at 767;
• The demarcation of the boundaries will resume in 2018. A Memorandum of Understanding must been signed in 2018 with the fishermen to guarantee the sustainable management of the activity. 172,807 hectares of communal forests have been created in the south-east part of the property, acting as a buffer zone;
• Although there has not been an official census for several years, the demographic data available at Monkoto indicates an increase in the population of 130,610 inhabitants in 2017, 80% of which live in the biological corridor. This increase has caused the slight increase in deforestation, fishing and strong pressure on bush meat poaching. Several economic development programmes are being implemented to reduce pressure on the property;
• The participatory process for the clarification of customary land has enabled the preparation of proposed boundaries for the ecological continuum of the corridor;
• The managers of the property, with support from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), have begun a process for the voluntary relocation of the Yaelima communities outside the Park ;
• The ecological monitoring of the baïs, and the placing of cameras have enabled sighting of most of the flagship species, including the buffalo and the elephant.

The State Party notes that on 1 February 2018, oil exploration permits were attributed in the Central Basin by Presidential decree.

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.

The efforts of the State Party to ensure the involvement of the different stakeholders in the management of the property and the increase in level of coverage are warmly welcomed. However, it should be noted that during the 41st session of the Committee in 2017, the State Party had reported a 60% level of surveillance coverage in 2016, while it is now 56.2%. The implementation of the surveillance strategy and the triennial action plan are positive signs of progress.

The attribution of three petroleum exploration concessions in the Central Basin is extremely worrying. Other blocks could also be attributed which would mean that the property would be covered by petroleum concessions. It is therefore recommended that the Committee express its utmost concern with regard to this matter and that it reiterates its position regarding the incompatibility of oil exploration and exploitation with World Heritage status. It is also recommended that the Committee urgently request the State Party to cancel these licenses and not to attribute new ones within the property and its periphery, as it could cause negative and irreversible impacts on its Outstanding Universal Value (OUV).

The preliminary results of the biological inventories in the northern block are encouraging. However, it is clear that the elephant population has been greatly reduced, the potential population of the property being estimated at 14,000. As the inventories are still ongoing, it is not possible to draw definite conclusions. Therefore, it is recommended that the Committee reiterate its request to the State Party to submit the final results of the inventories, as and when they are available, and also to submit a Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger (DSOCR) that quantifies the indicators.

The clarification provided by the State Party as regards the demographic explosion in the biological corridor of the property is noted. The State Party notes that in the region of Kasaï, the arrival of outside poachers has increased bush meat traffic. It is recommended that the Committee request the State Party to continue the local development programmes to reduce this pressure and strengthen surveillance at Kasaï, notably by installing a permanent patrol post.

The proposed boundaries for the ecological continuum in the corridor, respecting the customary land, reflect positive progress. It is recommended that the Committee request the State Party, as soon as these boundaries have been legally determined, to undertake the necessary measures to protect the ecological corridor. It is also recommended that the Committee reiterate its request to the State Party to study other possibilities to improve the connectivity between the “sustainable conservation zones” and the southern components of the property.

The efforts of the State Party and the WCS to initiate a displacement process of the Yaelima communities outside of the Park are noted. It is important that it ensures that this process is voluntary and in accordance with the provisions of the Convention and the relative international standards, including the principles of prior consent, given freely and with full knowledge of the facts (CPLCC), fair compensation, access to social services and the preservation of cultural rights.

It is recommended that the Committee reiterates its request to the State Party to invite a joint World Heritage Centre/IUCN Reactive Monitoring mission to assess the state of conservation of the property, update the corrective measures, establish a timetable for their implementation and finalize the 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.