Congo: Heritage in Danger
Programme of the Workshops and Conference
- Ensuring the protection of sites in DRC: An Experts’ Workshop 13-14 September 2004
- Partners for Heritage in DRC: a meeting between the public and private sector 15 September 2004
- Promoting and Preserving Congolese Heritage: linking biological and cultural diversity International Donors’ Conference 16-17 September 2004
Ensuring the protection of sites in DRC: An Experts Workshop
13 September 2004
9:30 – 10:00 Opening
- Mr Francesco Bandarin, Director of the World Heritage Centre, UNESCO
- Mr Natajaran Ishwaran, Director, Division of Ecological Sciences, UNESCO
- Ms Eulalie Bashige, Director-General of Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature (ICCN)
10:00 – 13:00 Session I: Evaluation of the first phase of the UNESCO/UNF Project
Introduction and Chairmanship:
Mr Jean-Pierre d’Huart, Consultant, UNESCO
Keynote presentations:
- Are severely impoverished World Heritage sites still conservation priorities in DRC?
Mr John Hart, Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and Mr Bernard Iyomi-Iyatshi, ICCN, Kahuzi-Biega NP - The strong coalition between ICCN and NGOs generated by the war must survive in time of peace
Ms Annette Lanjouw, International Gorilla Conservation Programme (IGCP) and Mr Norbert Mushenzi, ICCN, Virunga NP - The post-conflict situation leaves many priorities for action and reaction
Ms Eulalie Bashige and Ms Terese Hart, Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) - Preserving World Heritage Sites in times of conflict
Mr Conrad Aveling Consultant, mission of evaluation and Mr. Henri Paul Eloma Ikoleki, Project coordinator of the UNESCO-UNF project
Questions and answers
Discussion:
Moderator:
Mr Jean-Pierre d’Huart
Conclusion
14:30 – 17:30 Session II: Assisting with remote sensing tools for monitoring World Heritage Sites in DRC
Introduction and Chairmanship:
Ms Brigitte Decadt, Federal Office for Science Policy, Belgium
Keynote presentations:
- Use of space technologies to monitor gorilla habitat in DRC
Mr Diego Fernández Prieto, European Space Agency (ESA) - Deriving cartography for World Heritage Sites
Mr Philippe de Maeyer, University of Gent, Belgium - The need for good tools for monitoring biodiversity in WH sites in DRC
Mr John Hart, Wildlife Conservation Society
Questions and answers
Round table:
The use of satellites images and high technologies is crucial for monitoring but capacity building and a minimum of infrastructure is needed as well.
Moderator:
Mrs Brigitte Decadt
Panellists include:
- Mr Carlos de Wasseige (UCL)
- Mr Marc Languy (WWF)
- Mr Mirindi Jobogo (ICCN)
Conclusion
17:30 – 18:00 Conclusions of day 1
Mr Jean-Pierre d’Huart, Consultant, UNESCO
14 September 2004 Morning session
9:30 – 10:00 Session III: The importance of the DRC World Heritage Sites for the conservation of great apes
Introduction and Chairmanship:
Mr Jean Ngog Nje, Regional School for the Integrated Management of Tropical Forests (ERAIFT)
Keynote presentations:
- The perception of great ape conservation in different historical, political and socio-cultural contexts
Mr Frédéric Joulian, Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales - Mountain gorillas in the Virunga National park: State of conservation and eco-tourism.
Ms Annette Lanjouw, International Gorilla Conservation Programme (IGCP) - The bonobos in Salonga National Park: prospects for conservation.
Dr Gay Reinartz, Zoological Society of Milwaukee (ZSM) - Great apes and bush meat trade in Central Africa: current state and need for a regional cooperation strategy
Mr Jean Bihini won wa Musiti, World Conservation Union (IUCN) - Epidemiological aspects: the case of Ebola fever in the region of the Odzala Biosphere Reserve
Mr Mathieu Ebéké, GRASP Cameroon - Role of the press in awareness raising for great apes conservation
Ms Rachel Fléaux-Mulot, Sciences et avenir
Questions and answers
Round table:
The importance of DRC World Heritage Sites for the conservation of great apes
Moderator:
Mr Jean Ngog Nje
Panellists include:
- Mr Bernard Fosso, GRASP Focal point Cameroon
- Mr Dieudonné Ankara, GRASP Focal point Republic of Congo
- Ms Melanie Virtue, UNEP – GRASP Team leader
- Ms Annette Lanjouw, International Gorilla Conservation Programme
- Dr Gay Reinartz, Zoological Society of Milwaukee
Conclusion
14:00 – 17:00 Session IV: The implication of local communities in the Conservation of World Heritage Sites in DRC: lessons learned and future perspectives
Introduction and Chairmanship:
Mr Marc Languy, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)
Keynote Presentations:
- Experiences with Community Conservation around the Kahuzi-Biega National Park
Mr Georges Bakongo, PNKB/GTZ Project, Kahuzi-Biega National Park - Conservation and zoning in the buffer zone : the case of the Okapi Wildlife Reserve
Mr Richard Tshombe, Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), CEFRECOF - Establishment of green belts by local communities around the Virunga National Park: successes, failures, costs and benefits
Mr Bisidi Yalolo, WWF, programme DRC - Participatory boundary demarcation in the Virunga National Park: with, without, in favour of or against the local communities?
Mr Bisidi Yalolo, WWF, programme DRC - Legal and institutional framework for participatory management of natural resources in DRC in 2004 : analysis and perspectives
Mr Léonard Muamba Kanda, Secretary-General of the Ministry for Environment, DRC
Questions and answers
Discussion:
The implication of local communities in the conservation of World Heritage sites in DRC: lessons learned and future perspectives Moderator: Mr Marc Languy, WWF
Conclusion
17.00 – 18.00 Conclusions of the day 2 and closing remarks
Mr Jean-Pierre d’Huart, Consultant UNESCO
Partners for World Heritage in the Democratic Republic of Congo : a meeting between the public and private sector
15 September 2004
Chairmanship: Mr Grégoire Bakandeja wa Mpungu, Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Kinshasa and President of the National Commission for Economics and Finances, DRC
10:30 – 10:50 Introduction to the World Heritage Convention
- The World Heritage Convention and sites under its protection
Mr Themba P. Wakashe, Chairperson of the World Heritage Committee
10:50 – 11:20 UNF Commitment to the World Heritage Convention
- UNF’s Commitment to World Heritage Sites in DRC
Mr David Carter, Vice-President for Finance, United Nations Foundation
11:10 – 12:00 Biodiversity Conservation in Regions of Armed Conflict: Preserving World Heritage Sites in DRC
- Evaluation of the UNESCO – UNF project
Mr Jean-Pierre D’Huart, Consultant, UNESCO - The work of the Insitut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature (ICCN)
Mrs Eulalie Bashige, Director General of ICCN
12:00 – 13:00 The relationship between business and the natural environment
- Corporate environmental responsibility – does it matter?
Mr Michael Golden, Publisher, International Herald Tribune - Sustainable Finance & Private Sector Partnerships for Conservation
Ms Melissa Moye, Director, Centre for Conservation Finance, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) - Reconciling conservation with economic development in DRC
Mr Jefferson Hall, Deputy Director Africa Program, Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)
14:00 – 14:20 The business context in DRC
The changing face of DRC’s business environment
Mr Emmanuel Mbi, World Bank
14:20 – 15:40 Challenges and opportunities in DRC: Case studies
- Developing & implementing corporate responsibility policy & practice in DRC
Ms Kate Harcourt, Social & Environmental Manager, Adastra - The Congolese business community’s perspective
Mr Victor Kasongo, Director General, Centre d’Evaluation, d’Expertise et de Certification - Presentation of the Interafrican Forest Industries Association’s action
Mr Jean – Pierre Landrot, General Secretary, IFIA - Artisanal mining in the DRC
Ms Jackie Damon, Coordinator, Initiative for Central Africa, OECD
15:40 – 16:20 Discussion panel
An open forum for representatives from Governments, the business sector, NGOs, the World Bank, UNESCO and other partners to react to presentations and explore possible areas of co-operation.
Moderator: Mr Grégoire Bakandeja wa Mpungu
16:20 – 16:30 Closing remarks
Mr Francesco Bandarin, Director of UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre
Followed by a Guided tour of the exhibition "Congo: Nature and Culture in the Democratic Republic of Congo" curated by the Royal Museum for Central Africa of Tervuren (Belgium).
Promoting and Preserving Congolese Heritage Linking Biological and Cultural Diversity
16 September 2004
10:00 – 11:30 Inauguration ceremony
Speeches by:
- Mr Koïchiro Matsuura, Director-General of UNESCO
- Mr Arthur Z’Ahidi Ngoma, Vice-President of the Democratic Republic of Congo
- Mr Eric Gauer, Ambassador for the Environment, France
- Mr Eric Duchêne, Ambassador, Deputy Director General of the Belgian Cooperation
11:30 – 13:00 Theme I: Promoting and Preserving Congolese Heritage
Introduction and Chairmanship by:
Mr Walter Erdelen, Assistant Director-General for Natural Sciences, UNESCO
Keynote presentations:
- Biodiversity Conservation: a Concern for All
Mr Claude Martin, Director General, WWF international - The World Heritage Convention: a Flagship Programme for the Conservation of Biodiversity
Mr Themba P. Wakashe, Chairperson of the World Heritage Committee - Providing support to the reconstruction of DRC: a Joint Strategy Elaborated by UNESCO and DRC
Mr Komlavi Seddoh, UNESCO Task Force Director on DRC
Round table:
The Role of Local Knowledge in the Preservation of Congolese Heritage
Introduction and Moderation by:
Mrs Shaje Tshiluila, Director of the National Museums of the DRC
Panellists include:
- Mr Guido Gryseels, Director of the Royal Museum for Central Africa, Tervuren, Belgium
- Mr Camille Kuyu, Law Professor, University of Panthéon-Sorbonne, Paris, France
- Mr Théodore Trefon, Director of the Anthropology Centre, University of Brussels, Belgium
14:30– 16:00 Theme II: Protecting the Congo Basin Biodiversity
Introduction and Chairmanship by:
Mr Kalemani Jo Mulongoy, Head of the Division of Scientific, Technical and Technological Matters, Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity
Keynote presentations:
- The Congo Basin Forests: Critical for Biodiversity Conservation
Mr Olivier Langrand, Vice-President for Africa, Conservation International (CI) - The Conference on Central African Moist Forest Ecosystems (CEFDHAC): Towards the Conservation and Sustainable Use of the Forests of Central Africa
Mr Daniel Ngantou, Director, Central Africa Office, World Conservation Union (IUCN) - The Yaoundé Declaration and the Conference of Ministers for the Forests of Central Africa (COMIFAC): a Commitment by the Governments of the Central African Countries to Conserve Biodiversity
Mr Henri Djombo, Minister for the Forestry Economics and the Environment, former President of COMIFAC (Republic of the Congo) - The Congo Basin Forest Partnership: an International Commitment to Assist Central African Countries in Protecting Biodiversity
Mr David Kaeuper, Ambassador, Facilitator of the Congo Basin Forest Partnership
15:45 Discussion and conclusion by the Chairperson
16:30 – 18:00 Theme III: The World Heritage of the Democratic Republic of the Congo: The Heart of Congo Basin
Introduction and Chairmanship by:
Mr Natajaran Ishwaran, Director of the Division of Ecological Sciences, UNESCO
Keynotes presentations:
- Biodiversity Conservation: the Environmental Context of the Democratic Republic of Congo
Mr Steven E. Sanderson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) - Preserving Biodiversity in the Democratic Republic of Congo through an Integrated Forest Policy Approach
Mr Anselme Enerunga, Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Forestry, Democratic Republic of the Congo - The Democratic Republic of Congo’s National Parks: a History of Conservation
Mr Mambaelele Mankoto, Programme Specialist, Division of Ecological Sciences, UNESCO for Mr Jacques Verschuren, Former Director of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s National Parks - The State of Conservation of the World Heritage Sites in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Ms Eulalie Bashige, Director-General of the Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature (ICCN)
17:45 Discussion and conclusion by Chairperson
18:00 Special Presentation:
Congo: Nature and Culture in DRC Mr Guido Gryseels, Director of the Royal Museum for Central Africa, Tervuren, Belgium
18:15 Cocktail and Guided Tour of the Exhibition Congo: Nature and Culture in the DRC
17 September 2004
10:00 – 13:00 Theme IV: Conserving World Heritage Biodiversity in Times of Conflict
Introduction and Chairmanship by:
Mr Noureini Tidjani-Serpos, Assistant Director-General, Africa Department, UNESCO
Keynote presentations:
- Lessons Learned from the project “Biodiversity Conservation in Regions of Armed Conflict: Protecting World Heritage Sites in DRC”
including a brief report from the experts workshop (13-14 September)
Mr Jean-Pierre d’Huart, Consultant and team leader of the evaluation mission - Conservation in Practice in Regions of Conflict:
The Work of the Guards by Mr Jobogo Mirindi, Virunga National Park
Wildlife: a Status Report by Mr Robert Mwinyihali, Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)
Diplomacy for Conservation by Mr Paulin Tshikaya Ngoy, Garamba National Park
11:45 Questions from the floor
12:15 Round table:
Looking ahead: Democratic Republic of Congo’s World Heritage in the Next Decade
Moderation by Mr Jean-Pierre d’Huart
Panellists include:
- Ms Eulalie Bashige, Director-General of the Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature (ICCN)
- Mr Jérôme Mabiala ma Khete, Director, Permanent Forest Management and Inventory Service (SPIAF)
- Mr Samy Mankoto, President of Réseau des Aires Protégées de l’Afrique Centrale (RAPAC), former DG of ICCN
- Mr John Lukas, President of the International Rhino Foundation, Director of Gilman International Conservation
- Ms Annette Lanjouw, Technical Advisor International Gorilla Conservation Programme (IGCP)
- Mr Guy Debonnet, Programme Specialist, UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre
14:30 – 18:00 Theme V: Partners for World Heritage in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Introduction and Chairmanship by:
Mr Francesco Bandarin, Director of UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre
14:45 Declaration by the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo Highlighting the Political Commitment for the Preservation of World Heritage Sites in Danger
Mr Anselme Enerunga, Minister for the Environment, Nature, Conservation and Forestry, Democratic Republic of Congo
Presentations by Donors Supporting the World Heritage in the Democratic Republic of the Congo:
15:00 Government representatives:
- Government of Belgium
Mr Eric Duchêne, Ambassador, Deputy Director General of the Belgian Cooperation - Government of Germany
Ms Gudrun Grosse Wiesmann, Deputy Director General for Africa, Ministry of Development Cooperation - Government of USA
Ms Ann Carson, Permanent Delegation of USA to UNESCO - Government of France
Ms Bérengère Quincy, Director for Technical Cooperation, DGCID - Government of Italy
Mr Roberto Tortoli, Under-Secretary for Environment
16:15 Intergovernmental agencies:
- World Bank / Global Environmental Facility
Mr Emmanuel Mbi, Country Director of Operation for the Democratic Republic of Congo - European Union
Mr Gilles Fontaine, Permanent Delegate of the European Union to UNESCO and OECD - United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) / Global Environmental Facility
Mr Abdoulaye Ndiaye, Regional Coordinator Biodiversity for West/Central Africa - European Space Agency (ESA)
Mr Jean-Charles Bigot, Director of International Relations, ESA
17:00 Non-governmental representatives:
- United Nations Foundation (UNF)
Mr David Carter, Vice President for Finance - Conservation NGO partners of UNESCO
- International Rhino Foundation (IRF)
- World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)
- Zoological Society of London (ZSL)
- Fauna and Flora International (FFI)
- African Wildlife Foundation (AWF)
- Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)
- Gilman International Conservation (GIC)
- Zoological Society of Milwaukee (ZSM)
- Frankfurt Zoological Society (FZS)
17:30 Discussion and conclusion by the Chairperson
17:50 Report from the workshop “Partners for Heritage in DRC”
Mr Grégoire Bakandeja wa Mpungu, Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Kinshasa and President of the National Commission for Economics and Finances, DRC
18:00 – 18:30 Closing ceremony
Speeches by:
Paris, France
Decisions (1)
The World Heritage Committee,
- Having examined Document WHC-14/38.COM/7A.Add,
- Recalling Decision 37 COM 7A.9, adopted at its 37th session (Phnom Penh, 2013) and reaffirming the need to implement the Kinshasa Declaration adopted in 2011,
- Notes that the security situation in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has improved since the last session but that it still remains unstable and commends the courage of the staff of the Congolese Institute for Nature Conservation (ICCN) and its efforts to protect the World Heritage properties;
- Urges the State Party to guarantee the implementation of the commitments undertaken in the Kinshasa Declaration and to ensure the execution of the Strategic Plan of Action and requests the State Party to approve the decree to officialise the creation of an inter-ministerial committee and allocate the necessary technical and financial means to ensure adequate monitoring in the implementation of the Kinshasa Declaration;
- Reiterates its utmost concern as regards the Hydrocarbons Code that could make possible oil exploitation activities in protected areas and also urges the State Party to ensure that the protection status of the World Heritage properties be maintained;
- Also requests the State Party to review the mining and oil exploration and exploitation titles to exclude the World Heritage properties and not to grant further titles within the boundaries of the properties of the DRC and recalls its position that mining and oil exploration is incompatible with World Heritage status;
- Congratulates the TOTAL Company for its commitment not to carry out oil or gas exploration and exploitation activities in properties inscribed on the World Heritage List, a principle to which the Shell Company has already subscribed;
- Takes note of the press statement of SOCO not to undertake or commission any exploratory or other drilling within Virunga National Park unless UNESCO and the DRC Government agree that such activities are not incompatible with its World Heritage status, not to conduct any operations in any other World Heritage site and to ensure that any current or future operations in buffer zones adjacent to World Heritage sites do not jeopardize the Outstanding Universal Value for which these sites are listed;
- Warmly welcomes the support of donor countries in the conservation of the five DRC properties, and calls on the international community to continue to provide support in the implementation of the corrective measures and the Strategic Action Plan to create the necessary conditions for the rehabilitation of the Outstanding Universal Value of the five DRC properties;
- Further requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2015, a detailed report, including a 1-page executive summary, on the implementation of the Kinshasa Declaration, the situation regarding mining and oil exploration and exploitation titles that encroach World Heritage properties, and the Hydrocarbons Code, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 39th session in 2015.