Stakeholders consultation meeting on East Rennell

1. Having examined Document WHC-15/39.COM/7A.Add,
2. Recalling Decision 38 COM 7A.29, adopted at its 38th session (Doha, 2014),
3. Regrets that the State Party did not submit a report on the state of conservation of the property, as requested by the Committee in Decision 38 COM 7A.29;
4. Notes that the World Heritage Centre has the resources to assist with the development of a proposal for the Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger (DSOCR) and encourages the State Party to invite an Advisory mission in the autumn of 2015 to perform this task;
5. Reiterates its requests to the State Party to:

   1. Undertake rigorous Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) for any plans for bauxite mining on West Rennell to demonstrate that they will not have an impact on the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property, in conformity with IUCN’s World Heritage Advice Note on Environmental Assessment, and to defer consideration of bauxite mining license applications until the new management plan has been approved and is being implemented;
   2. Put in place interim measures to mitigate the impact of existing logging operations and halt new logging operations until the new management plan has been approved and is being implemented;
   3. Undertake urgent action to halt the further spread of rats on Rennell Island and prevent them from entering the property, to put in place the biosecurity controls necessary to prevent further introductions of invasive species to the island, and apply for International Assistance to support this work;
6. Urges the State Party to expedite the completion and implementation of the revised management plan for the property and requests the State Party to submit an electronic and three printed copies of the draft revised management plan to the World Heritage Centre for review by IUCN;
7. Also requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2016, an updated report, including a 1-page executive summary, on the state of conservation of the property and the implementation of the above, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 40th session in 2016;
8. Decides to retain East Rennell (Solomon Islands) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined document WHC-14/38.COM/7A,
2. Recalling Decision 37 COM 7B.14, adopted at its 37th session (Phnom Penh, 2013),
3. Notes with appreciation that some progress has been achieved in the implementation of the recommendations of the Committee and the 2012 IUCN reactive monitoring mission;
4. Welcomes the assessment of threats to the property undertaken with support from the Government of Australia, and considers that the findings and recommendations of this assessment could provide a basis for the State Party to develop, in consultation with the World Heritage Centre and IUCN, a proposal for the Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger, as well as a set of corrective measures;
5. Notes with concern the reported plans to commence bauxite mining in West Rennell in 2014, which is likely to have similar impacts to the Outstanding Universal Value of the property as logging, and requests the State Party to undertake rigorous Environmental Impact Assessments for these plans to demonstrate that they will not have an impact on the property, in conformity with IUCN’s World Heritage Advice Note on Environmental Assessment;
6. Also requests the State Party to urgently put in place interim measures to mitigate the impact of existing logging operations, halt new logging operations, and to defer consideration of bauxite mining licence applications until the new management plan has been approved and is being implemented;
7. Further requests the State Party to undertake urgent action to halt the further spread of rats on Rennell Island and prevent them from entering the property, and to put in place the biosecurity controls necessary to prevent further introductions of invasive species to the island, and reiterates its invitation to the State Party to apply for International Assistance to support this work;
8. Acknowledges the State Party’s concern of climate induced sea level rise affecting the insular Lake Tegano and notes that the Climate Change Division of the Ministry of Environment will work with the Provincial Government on climate change adaptation and mitigation methods to address these concerns;
9. Further notes that the State Party acknowledges that the property should be declared under the East Solomon Islands’ Protected Areas Act (2010);
10. Urges the State Party to expedite the completion and implementation of the revised management plan for the property, and requests furthermore the State Party to provide an electronic and three printed copies of the draft revised management plan for review by the World Heritage Centre and IUCN;
11. Requests moreover the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2015, an updated report, including a 1-page executive summary, on the state of conservation of the property and the implementation of the above, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 39th session in 2015;
12. Decides to retain East Rennell (Solomon Islands) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.

The World Heritage Committee,

1.         Having examined Document WHC-13/37.COM/7B,

2.         Recalling Decision 36 COM 7B.15, adopted at its 36th session (Saint-Petersburg, 2012),

3.         Commends the State Party for passing the Protected Areas Act 2010 and for drafting the 2009 Rennell-Bellona Province Lake Tegano Heritage Park Ordinance, and urges the State Party to apply both of these instruments to the East Rennell property as soon as possible to ensure full and strict legal protection of the property;

4.         Reiterates its request to the State Party to immediately ban all commercial logging from East Rennell to avoid loss of  the property’s Outstanding Universal Value;

5.         Also reiterates its request to the State Party to urgently undertake an assessment of the impact of invasive species, especially of associated introduction of rats  and invasive snails, to institute control and eradication measures as a matter of utmost priority, and to assess the feasibility of a long-term biosecurity programme to prevent reinvasion, and encourages the State Party to apply for International Assistance to support these actions;

6.         Requests the State Party to address the over-exploitation of coconut crab and other marine resources and to apply harvesting regimes based on traditional resource management practices, and including the restrictions recommended by the mission;

7.         Also requests the State Party to take full account of the impacts of climate change on the property and the livelihoods of the East Rennell community, and make provisions in the Management Plan for climate change adaptation and mitigation measures;

8.         Further requests the State Party to undertake an assessment to ascertain whether on-going logging of forests in West Rennell could have severe adverse impacts on the forests within the property, the fact that the property is not strictly protected against logging, and the introduction of invasive species represent a clear ascertained and potential danger respectively to the ecological integrity of the property and its Outstanding Universal Value, in conformity with Paragraph 180 of the Operational Guidelines;

9.         Decides to inscribe East Rennell (Solomon Islands) on the List of World Heritage in Danger;

10.      Requests furthermore the State Party, in consultation with the World Heritage Centre and IUCN and with both in-country and other international partners’ support, to develop and implement an Emergency Action Plan to remove the threats and provide support to the customary owners to enable them to protect the property to World Heritage standards and in accordance with traditional management practices;

11.      Requests moreover the State Party, in consultation with the World Heritage Centre and IUCN, to develop a proposal for the Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger and a set of corrective measures, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 38th session in 2014;

12.      Finally requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2014, an updated report on the state of conservation of the property, including a report on the progress made in the implementation of the above recommendations, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 38th session in 2014.