State of Conservation (SOC)

Requests Approved: 0 (from1982-1993)
Total Amount Ap proved: 256,450USD

Need to review the boundaries; Possible oil exploitation (issue resolved); Road construction proposal

The Bureau was informed that the Costa Rican authorities were not in agreement with all the boundary modifications recommended by the Committee, at its fifteenth session. The Bureau noted that the Ministry of Natural Resources, Energy and Mines, which is responsible for the management of the Talamanca - La Amistad Reserves, and the general public, as well as the indigenous people resident within the site, were not in favour of all proposed modifications of the boundary suggested by the Committee.

A representative of IUCN informed the Bureau that specialists from IUCN's Regional Office in Costa Rica are discussing the boundary modifications proposed by the Committee with the Costa Rican authorities. These discussions have taken into consideration the need to accommodate the socio-economic aspirations of indigenous people in the Biosphere Reserve whilst protecting the World Heritage values of the site. The Bureau requested the World Heritage Centre to continue dialogue with the Costa Rican authorities in this important matter and report on the outcome during the forthcoming session of the Committee in December 1993.

On 10 September 1993 the Permanent Delegation of Costa Rica informed the World Heritage Centre that the observations made by the Bureau were transmitted to the competent national authorities.

According to information received by IUCN, on 8 October 1993 a tentative agreement on the La Amistad boundaries was reached through discussion with the Vice Minister who was formally responsible for the area. Following these discussions, the proposed boundaries have been transmitted to the Costa Rican authorities by IUCN. We are waiting for confirmation of these revised boundaries.