Okapi Wildlife Reserve

• Intensive poaching of large mammals, in particular elephants
• Mining activities inside the property
• Uncontrolled migration into the villages located within the property
• Illegal timber exploitation in the Ituri Forest, which might affect the property in the near future
• Planned rehabilitation of the National Road RN4 crossing the property, for which no proper Environmental Impact Assessment was conducted 

• 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   

In progress

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), USD 550,000 from the Government of Norway (2020- 2022)

On 26 March 2020, the State Party submitted a report on the state of conservation of the property, and additional information on 12 March 2021, available at: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/718/documents, containing the following information:

• Collaboration between the Congolese Institute for Nature Conservation (ICCN), the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC), local chiefs and authorities continues. Some active armed groups have surrendered. The pause in security issues has facilitated conservation activities in the property;
• Illegal mining persists due to continued insecurity in certain areas of the property and due to the complicity of some local authorities. Patrols identified 57 artisanal mining sites of which 30 active sites were closed by patrols. The closure of the illegal Bapela gold mining site resulted in the eviction of around 5,000 diggers and a rotational post of 15 eco-guards was set up there to prevent the site from reopening. Semi-industrial exploitation persists: 5 dredgers were evacuated but some remain operational in and around the property. The Muchacha mining site is transforming into a permanent settlement;
• To address poaching and trafficking, patrols, public awareness campaigns and road checks were undertaken. Intelligence networks were set up in surrounding villages to denounce illegal activities. A Centre for the Coordination of Operations (CCOPs) was established to improve surveillance coordination. A cell is in place to monitor legal cases. 151 arrests for illegal activities included trapping, logging and artisanal mining, of which 42 were transferred to judicial authorities and 3 convicted;
• Patrols covered 47.54% (19,030 km²) of the property (5% in 2017; 47.72% in 2018). Eco-guards were trained in Ebola response, judicial certification, Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool (SMART) and tactical response; technical, administrative and scientific officers were deployed across stations;
• Some infrastructures at the Reserve headquarters were rehabilitated;
• Economic development activities included the supply of agricultural materials to improve the livelihoods of local communities;
• The participatory boundary demarcation process in the north-west and east of the property has been initiated jointly with the local communities and will be continued in 2021;
• A socio-economic study was carried out in the Wamba sector in collaboration with the University of Kisangani, however no details were provided;
• It is planned to revive the Okapi breeding station by capturing some specimens, and to also promote tourism and contribute towards the financing of the property.

The World Heritage Centre received information from the Reserve authorities that a guard post was attacked by illegal miners on 21 April 2020, following an operation by these authorities to evacuate the illegal gold mining site of Bapela. Fortunately, there were no casualties. However, two ICCN guards were killed in another attack on 17 September 2020 at the Adusa post at the entrance to the property. UNESCO has officially condemned this attack. The World Heritage Centre also received a copy of the public-private partnership agreement (PPP) signed by the State Party with the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) in 2019 for the management of the property.

The reported improvement of the security situation in the property and the continued collaboration between ICCN, FARDC and authorities are encouraging. However, the incidents following the operation to close the Bapela mining site, reports of the fighting at the Muchacha mining site, as well as the assassination of two guards at the post of Adusa at the entrance to the property show that the security situation remains problematic and continues to impact the management of the property. It is recommended that the Committee extend its sincere condolences to the families of the guards killed.

While the on-going efforts to close down various illegal mining sites are welcome, the persistence of illegal mining activities within and around the property, and the reported involvement of some local authorities, remain issues for serious concern, particularly noting that some mining operations appear to have evolved from small-scale artisanal mining to large-scale semi-industrial operations using equipment like dredgers. The development of a permanent settlement at the Muchacha mining site, the largest illegal mining site in the Reserve, is also extremely worrying. It is clear that illegal mining in the property requires strengthened commitment, including at provincial and national levels in order to restore law and order. Overall limited management capacity remains highly concerning. Patrol coverage remains at less than half the property (47%), well below the 60% corrective measure threshold. This is coupled with a lack of new eco-guard recruitment and concerns over insufficient sustainable financing. Furthermore, no information is provided on the update of the Integrated Management Plan (PAG). It is hoped that with the signature of the PPP with WCS, it will be possible to raise additional financial resources for the property, to strengthen the management capacity and update the PAG.

The intention to rehabilitate the okapi breeding station is noted. However, it is recommended that no okapi should be captured before the security situation is stable, considering also that the revival of tourism will remain problematic whilst insecurity persists. It is also recommended that the State Party, as part of the update of the PAG, develop an integrated in-situ and ex-situ okapi conservation strategy and engage best practice expert guidance, such as through the IUCN Species Survival Commission Giraffe and Okapi Specialist Group.

The initiation of the participatory boundary demarcation and socio-economic study in the Wamba sector is welcomed. Noting that the unclear western boundary of the Reserve is linked to the numerous illegal mining sites in this area, and given the importance of clarifying this boundary, the World Heritage Centre of UNESCO, with financial support from the Government of Norway, support the demarcation activities (http://whc.unesco.org/en/activities/974/).

Although the State Party reports progress with regard to corrective measures, it again does not address various Committee concerns and requests, which are central to objectively assess progress achieved in relation to the indicators defined in the Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger (DSOCR). It is proposed that the Committee reiterate its request to the State Party to provide the SMART data collected in order to enable an assessment of the illegal activities on the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property and data concerning progress accomplished with regard to the indicators defined in the DSOCR.

Furthermore, despite requests, no data are provided concerning the number of residents in the property and the villages located along the National Road (RN4) to assess the impacts of the increase in populations on land-use within the property.

It is recommended that the Committee retain the property on the List of World Heritage in Danger and continue the application of the Reinforced Monitoring Mechanism.

46. General decision on the World Heritage properties of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Current conservation issues

On 26 March 2020, the State Party submitted a report on the implementation of Decision 42 COM 7A.52, available at: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/718/documents and providing the following information:

• Progress accomplished in the implementation of the 2011 Kinshasa Declaration and the corrective measures for each of the five properties of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is described (see Document WHC/21/44.COM/7A);
• A special army Corps responsible for security of the National Parks and relevant protected areas (CorPPN), which was created in June 2015, is now operational: a command structure was established in 2018, and in 2019 anti-poaching units were dispatched to six priority sites in the DRC, including all five World Heritage properties. Senior officers, logistics and operations rooms were put in place in the different sites;
• With regard to oil exploitation in Salonga and Virunga National Parks, the report states that oil exploitation, at this stage, does not threaten the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the two properties, as no exploration or exploitation activities are on-going. The report further states that “la volonté traduite à son temps par le gouvernement n’est plus à l’ordre du jour” (sic) (“the will expressed by the government at that time is no longer on the agenda”);
• A list of funding mobilised for the five properties for the period 2016 to 2023, totalling more than 100 million Euros, is provided. Key donors include the European Commission and the Government of Germany through the German Development Bank (KfW). No further information is provided on the status of the Trust Fund “Okapi Fund for Conservation – FOCON” for sustainable funding of the protected areas in the DRC;

The World Heritage Centre also received several letters on alleged human rights abuses by eco-guards in two properties (Salonga and Kahuzi-Biega National Parks). These were forwarded to the protected area authority, the Congolese Institute for the Conservation of Nature (ICCN). An Independent Review was initiated by WWF, and in Salonga National Park, a code of conduct for the eco-guards and a complaint mechanism were established, while guards have received training on human rights issues.

Analysis and Conclusions of the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies

The operationalization of the CorPPN at the level of each of the World Heritage properties, together with the creation of operational rooms and capacity building of the eco-guards, are important steps to further professionalize law enforcement in the properties and address the continuing threats of poaching, including by professional poaching groups. The reported alleged human rights abuses towards  indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs) are highly concerning, and it is crucial that the State Party urgently implement strong measures to ensure that the rights of IPLCs are fully respected in all management decisions. Measures should include the establishment of a code of conduct and provision of training on human rights issues for all patrol units that includes appropriate law enforcement techniques with regard to the use of force and forearms, to ensure law enforcement operations are conducted in a way that fully respects the rights of IPLCs, and avoids excessive use of force and loss of human lives, in full respect  of relevant international norms. Furthermore, management processes should follow a rights-based approach and ensure full involvement of all rightsholders and stakeholders, in particular IPLCs, in line with the Policy on World Heritage and Sustainable Development. It is encouraging that the protected area authority and its partners have already taken measures to address these issues and it is recommended that the Committee request the State Party to further strengthen these efforts including by establishing and implementing a national code of conduct for eco-guards and a grievance mechanism for human rights abuses, and by training all law enforcement staff on human rights issues as part of regular training. It is also recommended that the outcomes of the Independent Review are taken into consideration.

It is noted that the security situation is reported to have improved in most of the properties. It is important that the State Party takes advantage of this situation to address the drivers of fundamental threats impacting the different properties linked to insecurity and lawlessness. These include the closure of illegal mining operations and reclaiming parts of the properties occupied by armed forces since the start of the conflict. Encouraging achievements so far are the evacuation of illegal occupants in the corridor between the highland and lowland sectors in Kahuzi-Biega National Park and the closure of artisanal gold mines in the hunting areas surrounding Garamba National Park. It is crucial that the protected area authority receives the full support of all appropriate ministries and agencies, as well as traditional and political authorities to achieve this, in line with the 2011 Kinshasa Declaration.

It is concerning however, that issues of insecurity persist, noting particularly in Virunga National Park and Okapi Wildlife Reserve, where, since the previous session of the Committee, a further 25 park staff were killed in armed attacks. It is recommended that the Committee again strongly condemn this violence, address its condolences to the families of the victims and ICCN staff, and express its utmost concern regarding the continuing insecurity in and around Virunga National Park.

The confirmation by the State Party that there is currently no oil exploration or exploitation on-going in Virunga and Salonga National Parks and that the government is currently no longer pursuing oil development projects inside the two properties, is noted. However, as long as the concessions that have been attributed by Presidential Decree to companies for oil blocks overlapping with these properties are not revoked, the potential for oil projects to legally proceed in future remains, thereby continuing to impose a potential threat to the OUV of the properties, in line with Paragraph 180 of the Operational Guidelines. This potential for extractive activities to occur has been demonstrated again by the legal action taken by certain companies against the State Party, asserting their legal rights to activate concessions. It is therefore recommended that the Committee express its regret that the State Party has neither cancelled these concessions nor provided the Committee with an unequivocal commitment not to authorize any new oil exploration and exploitation within the boundaries of the DRC properties. The Committee should also reiterate its clear position concerning the incompatibility of oil exploration and exploitation with World Heritage status and urge once again the State Party to cancel all concessions for oil blocks that overlap with World Heritage properties. 

The important efforts to mobilize funding for the management of the properties of the DRC and the implementation of corrective measures, as well as the firm commitment of the various donors to provide substantial financial and technical support, are welcomed. However, it is noted that the funding situation remains precarious, in particular for Salonga and Kahuzi-Biega National Parks and Okapi Wildlife Reserve. The importance of a sustainable financing mechanism also needs to be stressed, as all properties currently fully depend on outside project funding supported by international donors, which can be unpredictable and is not sustainable in the long term. In this respect, it is regrettable that no further information was provided on the status and capitalisation of the FOCON Trust Fund.