The World Heritage Committee,
Having examined Document WHC-15/39.COM/7B,
Recalling Decision 36 COM 7B.13, adopted at its 36th session (Saint-Petersburg, 2012),
Highly commends the State Party for its decision to fully close the entire area of Phoenix Islands Protected Area (PIPA) from commercial fishing;
Notes the information provided by the State Party on the currently available funds in the Trust Fund, and urges the State Party to continue its efforts to fully capitalize the Fund as a matter of priority;
Welcomes the involvement of international partners into securing additional ...
The World Heritage Committee,
Having examined Document WHC-15/39.COM/7B.Add,
Recalling Decision 38 COM 7B.69, adopted at its 38th session (Doha, 2014),
Notes with significant concern that the proposed East-West Electric Railway and Terai-Hulaki Highway, if constructed, would result in the fragmentation of the property in four locations, all of which contain important habitat for key species, including elephant, rhino, tiger and gaur, and increase the risk of poaching;
Requests the State Party to undertake an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the proposed Suspension Bridge ...
Sites: Chitwan National Park
The World Heritage Committee,
Having examined Document WHC-15/39.COM/7B,
Recalling Decision 38 COM 7B.70, adopted at its 38th session (Doha, 2014),
Commends the State Party for the significant progress achieved in improving the management of the property and in completing the Survey and Registration of Protected Area Occupants (SRPAO), which would allow for clarification of on-going land claims, and requests the State Party to submit the report of the completed SRPAO to the World Heritage Centre, along with a report outlining actions taken in the case of illegal occupants and/or land ...
The World Heritage Committee,
Having examined Document WHC-15/39.COM/7B,
Recalling Decision 38 COM 7B.71, adopted at its 38th session (Doha, 2014),
Commends the State Party for its efforts to prevent and suppress illegal logging in the property, including the development of an Action Plan, welcomes the international cooperation with Cambodia, China, Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Viet Nam in controlling illegal logging and trade of Siamese rosewood, and encourages the State Party to continue these efforts;
Notes the State Party’s efforts to address encroachment and the ...
The World Heritage Committee,
Having examined Document WHC-15/39.COM/7B.Add,
Notes that the World Heritage Centre has received a petition submitted by the Mikisew Cree First Nation expressing their concern about the state of conservation of the property, as well as a response from the State Party;
Notes with concern the environmental impacts on the Peace-Athabasca Delta from hydro-electric dams, oil sands development, and proposed open-pit mining in the vicinity of the property, which could negatively impact its Outstanding Universal Value (OUV);
Also notes with concern the lack of ...
Sites: Wood Buffalo National Park
39 COM 7B.19
Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and the Ancient Beech Forests of Germany (Ukraine, Germany, Slovakia) (N 1133bis)
The World Heritage Committee,
Having examined Document WHC-15/39.COM/7B,
Recalling Decision 38 COM 7B.75, adopted at its 38th session (Doha, 2014),
Commends the States Parties of Germany, Slovakia and Ukraine for their cooperation concerning the protection and management of the property and for signing the Joint Declaration of Intent and encourages the States Parties to continue their efforts;
Welcomes the progress achieved by the State Party of Slovakia towards enhancing cooperation between relevant Ministries responsible for the management of Slovak components of the property, but ...
The World Heritage Committee,
Having examined Document WHC-15/39.COM/7B.Add,
Recalling Decision 37 COM 7B.21, adopted at its 37th session (Phnom Penh, 2013),
Regrets that the State Party did not submit a report on the state of conservation of the property, as requested by Decision 37 COM 7B.21, and did not provide detailed information on the plans for hydropower projects on the Zhupanova River, nor copies of Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) for these projects, and reiterates its request to the State Party to provide this information, as a matter of priority, including a ...
Sites: Volcanoes of Kamchatka
The World Heritage Committee,
Having examined Document WHC-15/39.COM/7B.Add,
Recalling Decision 37 COM 7B.25, adopted at its 37th session (Phnom Penh, 2013),
Regrets that the State Party did not submit a report, as requested by its Decision 37 COM 7B.25, as well as information requested by the World Heritage Centre on activities and signed agreements between the Governments of the Russian Federation and China on gas delivery via the western route, which includes the Altai pipeline;
Expresses its utmost concern about Government Order N° 1416-r of August 2013, which includes the Altai ...
Sites: Golden Mountains of Altai
The World Heritage Committee,
Having examined Document WHC-15/39.COM/7B.Add,
Recalling Decision 38 COM 7B.76, adopted at its 38th session (Doha, 2014),
Regrets that the State Party of the Russian Federation did not submit the state of conservation report, as requested by its Decision 38 COM 7B.76;
Reiterates its requests, expressed in Decision 38 COM 7B.76, to the State Party of the Russian Federation:
To develop a detailed Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) on the future use of the Baikal Paper and Pulp Mill site and its impact on the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the ...
Sites: Lake Baikal
The World Heritage Committee,
Having examined Document WHC-15/39.COM/7B.Add,
Recalling Decision 38 COM 7B.78, adopted at its 38th session (Doha, 2014),
Regrets that the State Party did not submit the state of conservation report, as requested by its Decision 38 COM 7B.78;
Welcomes the latest decisions of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation and its Board of Appeal which invalidated the boundary changes made to Yugyd Va National Park and confirmed that the Chudnoe deposit area forms part of the national park and therefore effectively reversed the boundary changes, as was ...
Sites: Virgin Komi Forests
The World Heritage Committee,
Having examined Document WHC-15/39.COM/7B.Add,
Recalling Decision 36 COM 8B.11, adopted at its 36th session (Saint-Petersburg, 2012),
Regrets that the State Party did not submit a report on the state of conservation of the property, as requested by the Committee at its 36th session in 2012;
Takes note of the submission of a proposal for a minor boundary modification to include the Sinyaya component, as requested by the Committee in Decision 36 COM 8B.11;
Notes the medium-term management plan provided is lacking a strong programme for awareness raising, ...
Sites: Lena Pillars Nature Park
The World Heritage Committee,
Having examined Document WHC-15/39.COM/7B.Add,
Recalling Decision 36 COM 7B.20, adopted at its 36th session (Saint-Petersburg, 2012),
Expresses its concern that the construction of a military base appears to have started within the property, with potential to impact significantly on its Outstanding Universal Value (OUV), regrets that the State Party did not provide any information on this matter, as required by Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines, nor a response to requests from the World Heritage Centre, and urges the State Party to immediately ...
The World Heritage Committee,
Having examined Document WHC-15/39.COM/7B,
Recalling Decision 38 COM 7B.79, adopted at its 38th session (Doha, 2014),
Welcomes the decision by the Supreme Court of Spain to cancel the dredging project to deepen the Guadalquivir River, and urges the State Party to make a permanent commitment to cancel the project and not permit any future plans to deepen the Guadalquivir River;
Notes with appreciation the temporary suspension to the issuing of a Unified Environmental Authorization for gas extraction and storage projects in the immediate vicinity of the ...
Sites: Doñana National Park
39 COM 7B.27
Cerrado Protected areas: Chapada dos Veadeiros and Emas National Parks (Brazil) (N 1035)
The World Heritage Committee,
Having examined Document WHC-15/39.COM/7B.Add,
Recalling Decision 37 COM 7B.29, adopted at its 37th session (Phnom Penh, 2013),
Reiterates its concern that the majority of the Chapada dos Veadeiros component of this serial property continues to no longer benefit from National Park status, and that its integrity is therefore no longer guaranteed;
Notes with concern the lack of significant progress to address the lack of protection of parts of the property, as requested by the World Heritage Committee;
Recognizes the actions recently undertaken by the ...
39 COM 7B.28
Talamanca Range-La Amistad Reserves / La Amistad National Park (Costa Rica/Panama) (N 205bis)
The World Heritage Committee,
Having examined Document WHC-15/39.COM/7B,
Recalling Decision 37 COM 7B.30, adopted at its 37th session (Phnom Penh, 2013),
Commends the States Parties for the progress achieved in strengthening transboundary cooperation and reducing the threats to the property’s Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) originating from encroachment of agriculture and cattle grazing and potential road construction;
Strongly regrets that, despite the Committee’s previous decisions, construction of the Bonyic dam has been completed without prior consideration of the results of a ...
The World Heritage Committee,
Having examined Document WHC-15/39.COM/7B.Add,
Requests the State Party to undertake an assessment of current and potential impacts on the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) and integrity of the property of already existing and planned infrastructure of the Las Pailas geothermal project and its expansion located outside and adjacent to the property in line with IUCN’s World Heritage Advice Note on Environmental Assessment, and urges the State Party to finalize such an assessment by 1 February 2016 and submit it to the World Heritage Centre for review by ...
The World Heritage Committee,
Having examined Document WHC-15/39.COM/7B.Add,
Regrets that the State Party did not provide completed Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) for the two geothermal production wells, nor the feasibility study or an EIA for the construction of a Small Geothermal Power Plant adjacent to the property, and requests the State Party to provide all available documentation on the project as a matter of urgency, including an assessment of potential impacts of the project on the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property, in line with IUCN’s World Heritage ...
The World Heritage Committee,
Having examined Document WHC-15/39.COM/7B.Add,
Recalling Decision 35 COM 7B.32, adopted at its 35th session (UNESCO, 2011),
Expresses its utmost concern about the reported decline in the overwintering population of Monarch butterfly in the property, notwithstanding the increase recorded in 2014-2015;
Commends the States Parties of Mexico, Canada and the United States of America for their considerable efforts to address the decline of the Monarch butterfly population, including through the establishment of the Trilateral High Level Working Group;
Notes ...
The World Heritage Committee,
Having examined Document WHC-15/39.COM/7B,
Recalling Decision 38 COM 7B.59, adopted at its 38th session (Doha, 2014),
Commends the decision of the State Party to progress a bypass for National Highway 3 to the north of the property; however, notes that the four possible route options might pass through sensitive archaeological areas, and urges the State Party to undertake a detailed Heritage Impact Assessments (HIAs) in line with ICOMOS’ guidance on HIAs, including an assessment of impacts on the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property, as a ...
The World Heritage Committee,
Having examined Document WHC-15/39.COM/7B,
Recalling Decision 37 COM 8B.18, adopted at its 37th session (Phnom Penh, 2013),
Welcomes the commencement, by the State Party of Lesotho, of new research and documentation of rock art within Sehlabathebe National Park, building on the Analysis of Rock Art in Lesotho (ARAL) project, as well as the study on the landscape elements, encompassing both ethnographic research and oral history, in order to identify their potential contribution to Outstanding Universal Value (OUV), and encourages the State Party of ...
Sites: Maloti-Drakensberg Park