The Bureau was glad to learn that, thanks in part to support provided under the World Heritage Fund, the situation of this site had greatly improved. The Bureau re-considered this matter under the agenda item concerning nominations/exclusion from the List of World Heritage in Danger (see paragraph XI.28.C.).
Sites: Ngorongoro Conservation Area
2) Garamba National Park (Zaire)
The joint project to rehabilitate this Park run by the Frankfurt Zoological Society/WWF/World Heritage Fund met with considerable success since no more rhinoceros have been poached in the last 5 years, the rhinoceros population has increased by 50% and a better management regime has been established. The Park recently celebrated the 50th anniversary since its foundation. The Bureau noted this situation with satisfaction and recommended that the property be re-examined in 1990: if the situation continued to show improvement, steps should be taken to ...
Sites: Garamba National Park
The Bureau recalled that IUCN had reported on the deteriorating situation of this site on several occasions and that the Committee had requested the Ivoirian authorities to propose its inscription on the List of World Heritage in Danger. It noted that the Secretariat had contacted the Ivoirian authorities, but that only recently a response had been obtained in the form of a request for preparatory assistance in order to prepare a technical cooperation request for an integrated project addressing the need for increased protection of the natural values of this Park and also the ...
Sites: Taï National Park
The Bureau was informed of the project to construct a major highway across the Park, which would be financed by a number of Development Banks. Several impact studies - some contradictory in their conclusions - had been made: the Bureau expressed its preference for the alternative route outside of the Park to the North, which in addition to preserving the natural values of Niokolo-Koba, would serve to link up isolated villages. The Bureau requested the Secretariat to prepare a letter to the highest authority in Senegal recalling this State Party's obligation to protect the natural values ...
Sites: Niokolo-Koba National Park
The Bureau wished firstly to commend the Zimbabwean authorities for their efforts to protect the remaining rhinoceros and elephant populations. The Bureau expressed great concern however over the proposed oil exploration programme, particularly in the light of a very negative report submitted to the Secretariat by the Zimbabwe National Commission for Unesco. The Bureau therefore requested the Secretariat to convey its concern to the highest government authorities of Zimbabwe, as well as to the Director of Mobil Oil Company.
The Bureau learnt of several threats to this site, including a proposal to excise a large section of land for settlement. The Bureau requested the Secretariat to contact the Ecuadorian authorities to express its concern over the proposed excision and to encourage them to draw up a request for technical cooperation to support the elaboration of a revised management plan addressing many of the conflicting issues in the Park. The Bureau hoped that the request for technical cooperation could be submitted in time for examination by the Committee in December 1989.
Sites: Sangay National Park
The Bureau noted with satisfaction that the two States Parties had recently undertaken measures to coordinate the management and protection of these contiguous parks containing the famous waterfalls. In response to the suggestion of the IUCN representative to encourage the States Parties' acceptance to list these waterfalls under one name on the World Heritage List, the representative of Brazil stated that his government had not changed its position on this matter and that the two sites should continue to be indicated separately on the World Heritage List.
The Bureau noted that the preparatory assistance mission to this site in November 1988 had resulted in the elaboration of a two-year Unesco/UNDP project on evaluating the impact of iron-ore extraction on the natural values of the site and elaborating an integrated management plan which would improve protective measures and encourage socio-economic development of the transition zone. The Bureau nevertheless wished to express its concern about further damage to this site and suggested that this concern be communicated to the World Bank.
Following a request of the Committee on 21 April 1989, the American authorities submitted a report on the fire management policy review and the recovery plan following the 1988 wildfires. The Bureau wished to thank the American authorities for this report and for their offer to make it available for other States Parties.
Sites: Yellowstone National Park
The Bureau noted that this site had recently been invaded by several hundreds of local people which had caused great damage to the park and the loss of several lives. The Indian authorities had sent in the police to halt further destruction, but the problem of illegal encroachment was still not resolved. The Bureau requested the Secretariat to contact the Indian authorities to express its concern over this situation and encourage taking appropriate measures to restore the site.
Sites: Manas Wildlife Sanctuary
The Bureau was informed by the representative of the Government of Australia of proceedings instituted against it before the Federal Court by the Government of Queensland with respect to the protection of the site of the Wet Tropics of Queensland inscribed on the World Heritage List in December 1988. The judge of the Federal Court is called upon to examine the question whether the ban decided by the Federal Government on commercial forestry operations in the site can reasonably be regarded as appropriate and adapted to the objectives of protecting, conserving, enhancing and rehabilitating ...
Sites: Wet Tropics of Queensland
The IUCN representative also gave reports on the conservation status of Rio Platano (Honduras), Manu National Park (Peru), Ichkeul National Park (Tunisia), Sagarmatha (Nepal), Wood Buffalo National Park (Canada).
13 COM VIII
Monitoring of the State of Conservation of the World Heritage Natural Properties: Directory
15. IUCN presented a copy of a draft directory of natural World Heritage sites inscribed to the end of 1988 prepared by the Protected Areas Data Unit (PADU) of the World Conservation Monitoring Centre (WCMC). This directory provided the most up-to-date data available for these sites. In June 1989, States Parties with sites inscribed before 1986 had been asked by IUCN to update the data sheets, but responses had to date been received from only 7 of the 28 countries concerned, covering 19 out of 63 sites. The Committee requested IUCN to follow-up with the States Parties whose responses were ...
Tai National Park (Cote d'Ivoire)
The Committee noted an earlier request that the Ivoirian authorities agree to this site's inscription on the List of World Heritage in Danger had brought no response. However, the Committee noted that only recently had the Secretariat received a response in the form of a request for preparatory assistance. This preparatory assistance could take the form of a workshop to evaluate the situation and revise a draft of an integrated project to safeguard this site, to be financed jointly by the World Heritage Fund (technical cooperation) and extra-budgetary ...
Sites: Taï National Park
Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve (Honduras)
The Committee noted IUCN's concerns about the integrity of this site and asked that IUCN provide further information when the report from the national conservation authority is received.
Niokolo-Koba National Park (Senegal)
The Committee recalled that there was a project to construct a major highway across the Park which would greatly jeopardize its natural values, and that the Bureau had expressed its preference for an alternative route outside the Park. On 1 August 1989, in accordance with the Bureau's recommendation, the Director-General of Unesco had written to the President of Senegal, His Excellency A. Diouf, informing him of the Bureau's preference for the alternative route. The Secretariat indicated to the Committee that, at a meeting held in Dakar on 14 November ...
Sites: Niokolo-Koba National Park
Mana Pools, Sapi and Chewore Reserves (Zimbabwe)
The Committee noted with satisfaction the incorporation of environmental safeguards into the agreement signed on 4 December 1989 between the Government of Zimbabwe and Mobil Oil relating to oil exploration in this site. The Committee decided to commend Zimbabwe on the action taken and to urge that it monitor the effects of the exploration closely. The Committee requested the Zimbabwean authorities to inform the Secretariat in the event that oil extraction might proceed later as this could significantly affect the site's ...
Ichkeul National Park (Tunisia)
The Committee decided to encourage Tunisia in its efforts to seek financial resources to undertake activities such as the building of the Tindja sluice and two other drainage canals to ensure maintenance of the integrity of the wetlands critical to the values of this site. At the same time, the Committee agreed that the Tunisian authorities should be congratulated on improvements to the site's management consequent on completion of the visitors' centre, institution of controls on cattle grazing and additional ...
Sites: Ichkeul National Park
Everglades National Park (USA)
The representative of IUCN informed the Committee of a law suit that had been brought to bear against offenders to the integrity of this site. In addition, the representative of the U.S. informed the Committee of additional efforts to protect this site, notably the allocation by the U.S. Government of US$32 million to purchase over 43,000 ha of wetlands next to the Park which would help mitigate some of the problems related to the quality and quantity of freshwater entering the park. The Committee wished to commend the U.S. authorities for this initiative ...
Sites: Everglades National Park
Fiordland National Park (New Zealand)
The Committee noted developments in relation to possible ownership changes to the hydro-electric scheme existing in this site when it was inscribed. The Committee decided to commend New Zealand on its initiative to give statutory authority to the independent "Guardians" group in its efforts to ensure that any changes in ownership of electricity generation in the park will not threaten its integrity as a World Heritage site.
Wood Buffalo National Park (Canada)
The Committee noted the report of IUCN and the clarification made by the Canadian delegation on the environmental assessment now proceeding into disease in the park's hybrid buffalo herd and the external threat which may result from proposed industrial development upstream from the park. The Committee noted the commitment of the Canadian delegation to maintain the site's integrity and asked that IUCN continue to contact the Canadian authorities and report back to the Bureau at its next ...
Sites: Wood Buffalo National Park
Yellowstone National Park (USA)
The Committee noted with appreciation the availability to other States Parties of the fire management review and the fire recovery plan obtainable from the Director of the U.S. National Park Service.
Sites: Yellowstone National Park
Manas Wildlife Sanctuary (India)
IUCN reported on the invasion of this site in February 1989 by the Bodo tribespeople. IUCN reported that it had been consulting with the Indian authorities, and it had been informed that measures were being taken to resolve this problem. The Committee decided to ask the Secretariat to follow up the situation with the Indian authorities.
Sites: Manas Wildlife Sanctuary
Mount Nimba (Côte d'Ivoire/Guinea)
The Committee noted the decision of the World Bank not to provide funds to Guinea for proposed iron-ore mining which would prejudice this site. It noted that this decision was made on economic grounds. The Committee requested the Secretariat to contact the authorities of the Cdte d'Ivoire and Guinea on this matter to encourage them to take the concerns of the Committee into consideration and preserve the integrity of the site.
Manu National Park (Peru)
The Committee noted that the possibility still existed for future oil and gas exploration which could prejudice the integrity of this site.
Sites: Manú National Park
Sangay National Park (Ecuador)
The Committee noted that the Bureau had requested the Secretariat to contact the Ecuadorian authorities over possible excision of land from the park and to propose a request for technical cooperation to support a revised management plan. The Committee decided to ask the Secretariat to continue its efforts in these directions.
Sites: Sangay National Park
17. As concerns the Wet Tropics of Queensland (Australia), the representative of IUCN informed the Committee that the Director-General of IUCN, after hearing the Bureau's concern regarding the participation of an IUCN expert as a witness in a national legal proceeding involving the conservation of a World Heritage site, had informed the Australian authorities that it would not be appropriate for IUCN to appear in the proceedings of a court case in a State Party. The observer of Australia then informed the Committee that following the recent elections in Queensland and the change in the ...
Sites: Wet Tropics of Queensland
13 COM IX.18
Monitoring of the State of Conservation of the World Heritage Cultural Properties: General Issues
18. At its 12th session, the Committee had decided that the results of the second phase of the system of monitoring the state of conservation of cultural properties would be presented at its 14th session in 1990. The Committee at its present session, however, took note of the very low number of replies to the questionnaires reported by the Secretariat. It considered that the system underway was both cumbersome and not fully satisfactory, especially in comparison to the system for monitoring natural sites, and that the system did not enable the Committee to assume this important function ...
19. The Committee noted that following an earthquake at Tipasa in Algeria, a preliminary mission by a member of the Secretariat had been completed which reported that some damage had occurred. An emergency assistance request had been submitted to the Secretariat which is continuing to cooperate with the managers of the property.
Sites: Tipasa
20. The Committee was also informed of the collapse of the roof of one of the temples in Patan in the Valley of Kathmandu. Emergency assistance had been immediately granted to the Nepalese authorities concerned.
Sites: Kathmandu Valley
21. The delegate from Canada informed the Committee of his concern in learning of the tree felling which had taken place last winter in the Park of Versailles, which, together with the Chateau, is inscribed on the World Heritage List. He drew the Committee's attention to the danger of separating the responsibilities for cultural and natural resource management in the case of a property where a balance between architecture and the surrounding landscapes is essential. ICOMOS shared these concerns and considered that a tree regeneration plan inappropriate to a protected historical park ...
22. The same delegate informed the Committee of his concern over the announcement of a universal exhibition in Venice. The fragile structures and the limited space of this town, inscribed together with its lagoon on the World Heritage List in 1987, made Venice extremely vulnerable to the effects of mass events. The Secretariat informed the Committee that the Director-General had already written to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Italy requesting more details on this project. The Committee decided to launch the following appeal:
The World Heritage Committee, meeting for its 13th ...
Sites: Venice and its Lagoon
47. The Committee noted the intention of the Greek authorities to organize as soon as possible in Greece an international colloquium of experts to examine the conservation projects for the monuments in Mystras and that they would not undertake any restoration work on the site until the publication of the proceedings of the colloquium.
13 COM XVI.48
Other Business: International Colloquium on the Theme "Restoration Methods for Ruins and Archaeological Ensembles"
48. The Committee welcomed the intention of ICCROM and ICOMOS to jointly organize in 1990 an international colloquium on the theme "Restoration methods for ruins and archaeological ensembles".