World Heritage Centre https://whc.unesco.org?cid=305&l=en&searchDecisions=&search_decision=&search_focalpoint=&search_session_decision=109&search_status=&search_theme=&action=list&mode=rss World Heritage Centre - Committee Decisions 90 en Copyright 2024 UNESCO, World Heritage Centre Wed, 05 Jun 2024 22:30:41 EST UNESCO, World Heritage Centre - Decisions https://whc.unesco.org/document/logowhc.jpg https://whc.unesco.org 39 COM 2 Admission of Observers The World Heritage Committee,

  1. Taking into consideration Rule 8 (Observers) of the Rules of Procedure of the Committee,
  2. Authorizes the participation in the 39th session as observers of those representatives of the international governmental organizations (IGOs), international non-governmental organizations (INGOs), non- governmental organizations (NGOs), permanent observer missions to UNESCO and non profit-making institutions having activities in the fields covered by the Convention, who have requested observer participation at the session and as listed in Section A of document WHC-15/39.COM/2.Rev;
  3. Further confirms the participation in the 39th session as observers of all those invited by the Director- General of UNESCO in accordance with Rule 8.4 of the Rules of Procedure of the Committee and as listed in Section B of document WHC-15/39.COM/2.Rev.
]]> https://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/6179 wh-support@unesco.org Sun, 28 Jun 2015 00:00:00 EST 39 COM 3A Provisional agenda of the 39th Session of the World Heritage Committee (Bonn, 2015) The World Heritage Committee,

  1. Having examined Document WHC-15/39.COM/3A,
  2. Adopts the Agenda included in the above-mentioned document.
]]> https://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/6180 wh-support@unesco.org Sun, 28 Jun 2015 00:00:00 EST 39 COM 3B Provisional Timetable of the 39th Session of the World Heritage Committee (Bonn, 2015) The World Heritage Committee,

  1. Having examined Document WHC-15/39.COM/3B.Rev,
  2. Adopts the Timetable included in the above-mentioned document.
]]> https://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/6181 wh-support@unesco.org Sun, 28 Jun 2015 00:00:00 EST 39 COM 4 Report of the Rapporteur of the 38th Session of the World Heritage Committee (Doha, 2014) The World Heritage Committee,

  1. Takes note of the report of the Rapporteur of the 38th session of the World Heritage Committee (Doha, 2014).
]]> https://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/6182 wh-support@unesco.org Sun, 28 Jun 2015 00:00:00 EST 39 COM 5A Report of the World Heritage Centre on its activities and the implementation of the World Heritage Committee’s Decisions The World Heritage Committee,

  1. Having examined Document WHC-15/39.COM/5A,
  2. Recalling Decision 38 COM 5A adopted at its 38th session (Doha, 2014),
  3. Takes note with appreciation of the activities undertaken by the World Heritage Centre over the past year in pursuit of the expected result, to ensure that “tangible heritage is identified, protected, monitored and sustainably managed by Member States, in particular through the effective implementation of the 1972 Convention”, and the five strategic objectives as presented in Document WHC-15/39.COM/5A;
  4. Invites the States Parties to support the activities carried out by the World Heritage Centre for the implementation of the Convention;
  5. Appeals to the Governing Bodies of UNESCO to rebalance the mismatch between workload and budget of the World Heritage Centre by providing more resources in the budget 2016/2017 (38C/5);
  6. Requests the World Heritage Centre to present, at its 40th session, a report on its activities.
]]> https://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/6183 wh-support@unesco.org Sun, 28 Jun 2015 00:00:00 EST 39 COM 5B Reports of the Advisory Bodies The World Heritage Committee,

  1. Having examined Document WHC-15/39.COM/5B,
  2. Recalling Decision 38 COM 5B adopted at its 38th session (Doha, 2014),
  3. Takes note with appreciation of the reports of the Advisory Bodies (ICCROM, ICOMOS and IUCN) on their activities;
  4. Welcomes the harmonization of the reports by the Advisory Bodies and the comments on the progress made and gaps identified for the implementation of the Convention.
]]> https://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/6184 wh-support@unesco.org Sun, 28 Jun 2015 00:00:00 EST 39 COM 5C Follow-up to the Director-General’s Initiative on “The World Heritage Convention: Thinking Ahead”
  • Having examined Document WHC-15/39.COM/5C,
  • Recalling Decisions 33 COM 5A, 34 COM 5C, 35 COM 5D, 36 COM 12B, 37 COM 5C, 38 COM 5C adopted at its 33rd (Seville, 2009), 34th (Brasilia, 2010), 35th (UNESCO, 2011), 36th (Saint-Petersburg, 2012), 37th (Phnom Penh, 2013) and 38th (Doha, 2014) sessions respectively;
  • Thanks the Director-General for convening the follow-up meeting on “The World Heritage Convention: Thinking Ahead” (UNESCO Headquarters, 21 January 2015);
  • Acknowledges the positive impact of actions already taken, as well as plans for further actions;
  • Encourages all stakeholders to continue to pursue efforts to enhance and facilitate dialogue, communication and transparency in all processes of the Convention and in the framework of the Director-General’s initiative, “The World Heritage Convention: Thinking Ahead”, as well as to address funding implications, within their respective mandates and competence, as appropriate.
    • ]]>     https://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/6185 wh-support@unesco.org Sun, 28 Jun 2015 00:00:00 EST     39 COM 5D World Heritage and Sustainable Development The World Heritage Committee,

    1. Having examined Document WHC-15/39.COM/5D,
    2. Recalling Decisions 36 COM 5C and 38 COM 5D, adopted respectively at its 36th (Saint Petersburg, 2012) and 38th (Doha, 2014) sessions,
    3. Thanks the Technical University of Brandenburg, the Government of Germany and the Government of Viet Nam for having supported the development of the policy for the integration of a sustainable development perspective into the processes of the World Heritage Convention through the organization of two workshops in Cottbus (Germany) and Ninh Binh (Viet Nam), respectively in October 2014 and January 2015;
    4. Welcomes the work accomplished by the group of experts on a voluntary basis, under the coordination of the World Heritage Centre and in close consultation with the Advisory Bodies, despite the lack of resources;
    5. Endorses the “Policy Document for the integration of a sustainable development perspective into the processes of the World Heritage Convention” as described in Annex to Document WHC-15/39.COM/5D;
    6. Requests the World Heritage Centre to disseminate the draft Policy Document to all States Parties and collate their comments;
    7. Also requests the World Heritage Centre, in consultation with the Advisory Bodies, to revise the Policy Document by incorporating views expressed at the 39th session and other comments received from States Parties, as well as by taking into account the final outcome of the negotiations for the establishment of the UN Post-2015 development agenda and other relevant processes;
    8. Decides to transmit the revised Policy Document for discussion and adoption at the 20th General Assembly of States Parties in 2015;
    9. Further requests the World Heritage Centre, along with the Advisory Bodies, to ensure - once the Policy Document is adopted by the General Assembly of the States Parties that the Policy Document will be taken into account in the preparation of the overall Policy Guidelines as one of the essential elements to be inserted in the text;
    10. Requests furthermore the World Heritage Centre along with the Advisory Bodies, to elaborate – once the overall Policy Document is adopted by the General Assembly of the States Parties – proposals for specific changes to the Operational Guidelines that would be required to translate the principles of the Policy Document into actual operational procedures;
    11. Calls on States Parties to contribute financially to this end and after adoption by the General Assembly in 2015, to strengthen the Policy by promoting a wider participation of the government, private sector and communities;
    12. Encourages the World Heritage Centre to sensitize States Parties, as appropriate, to the adoption of the policy as well as to its implications, notably in terms of the need to establish the appropriate governance mechanisms to achieve the appropriate balance and integration between the protection of the Outstanding Universal Value of World Heritage properties and the pursuit of sustainable development objectives;
    13. Also encourages UNESCO and the Advisory Bodies to disseminate widely the Policy Document as adopted by the General Assembly, and other related publications through appropriate means to the World Heritage community and the broader public, and promote its application and a wider fostering in multilateral scenarios, especially in those related to sustainable development;
    14. Recommends to the Category 2 Centres and UNESCO Chairs related to World Heritage and to the wider network of the UNESCO Forum – Universities and Heritage, to prioritize issues related to the implementation of the policy within their capacity-building and research initiatives as well as involving in their activities other actors and sectors related to sustainable development;
    15. Finally requests the World Heritage Centre to present to the Committee, at its 40th session in 2016, a report on the progress made in the implementation of the above provisions.
    ]]>     https://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/6186 wh-support@unesco.org Sun, 28 Jun 2015 00:00:00 EST     39 COM 5E Recommendations of the evaluation of the Global Strategy - Follow-up to Decision 38 COM 9C The World Heritage Committee,

    1. Having examined Document WHC-15/39.COM/5E,
    2. Recalling Resolution 17 GA 9 and Resolution 18 GA 8 adopted by the General Assembly at its 17th (2009) and 19th (2011) sessions respectively,
    3. Also recalling Decision 36 COM 9A, Decision 37 COM 11 and Decision 38 COM 9C adopted by the World Heritage Committee at its 36th (Saint Petersburg, 2012), its 37th (Phnom Penh, 2013) and its 38th (Doha, 2014) sessions respectively,
    4. Decides to amend Article 22.7 of the Rules of Procedure as follows:
      “22.7 Representatives of a State Party, whether or not a member of the Committee, may be invited by the Chairperson to present their views once the Advisory Bodies have presented their evaluation of the site proposed by the State for inscription. The presentation shall be limited to a clarification or an update on the proposed site. After this permitted time, the State Party may be allowed to take the floor again, but only in order to answer questions, within a limited time, that have been asked. This provision also applies to other observers mentioned in Rule 8.”
    ]]>     https://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/6187 wh-support@unesco.org Sun, 28 Jun 2015 00:00:00 EST     39 COM 6 Follow-up to the World Heritage Capacity Building strategy and Progress report on the World Heritage-related Category 2 Centres The World Heritage Committee,

    1. Having examined Document WHC-15/39.COM/6,
    2. Recalling decisions 36 COM 6, 36 COM 9B, 37 COM 5E, 37 COM 6 and 38 COM 6 adopted at its 36th (Saint-Petersburg, 2012), 37th (Phnom Penh, 2013) and 38th (Doha, 2014) sessions respectively,
    3. Commends the progress made in the implementation of the World Heritage Capacity-Building Strategy (WHCBS), its accompanying World Heritage Capacity-Building Programme, and the capacity-building activities carried out in 2014 and in the beginning of 2015;
    4. Notes with appreciation the continued support of the Government of Switzerland in the implementation of the World Heritage Capacity-Building Programme;
    5. Acknowledges the acute need, however, for significant additional contributions and support in order for the programme to be able to reach its goal, and calls upon other States Parties and organizations to provide additional funding and support for the implementation of the World Heritage Capacity-Building Programme and associated activities at the international and regional levels;
    6. Takes note of the development of the regional capacity-building strategies and initiatives as a follow up to the second cycle of the Periodic Reporting exercise in all regions, and calls upon States Parties and all concerned partners and stakeholders to follow-up on the implementation of the strategies developed for each region;
    7. Encourages the ongoing efforts by the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies to establish a biennial recognition of best practices, notably through identifying extrabudgetary financial support towards the implementation of this activity;
    8. Welcomes the progress made by all category 2 centres related to World Heritage in implementing their activities and calls on interested stakeholders to support the activities of these centres;
    9. Requests the World Heritage Centre and ICCROM to submit a progress report on the implementation of the World Heritage Capacity-Building Strategy and the activities of the category 2 centres related to World Heritage for examination by the Committee at its 40th session in 2016.
    ]]>     https://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/6188 wh-support@unesco.org Sun, 28 Jun 2015 00:00:00 EST     39 COM 7 State of Conservation of World Heritage Properties The World Heritage Committee,
    1. Having examined Document WHC-15/39.COM/7,
    2. Recalling Decision 38 COM 7, adopted at its 38th session (Doha, 2014), and the Bonn Declaration on World Heritage adopted on 29 June 2015,
    Conflict situation in the Arab States Region
    1. Deplores the conflict situation prevailing in Syria, Iraq, Libya and Yemen, the loss of human life as well as the degradation of humanitarian conditions and expresses its utmost concern at the damage sustained and the threats facing these properties and cultural heritage in general;
    2. Urges all parties associated with conflicts to refrain from any action that would cause further damage to cultural heritage and to fulfil their obligations under international law by taking all possible measures to protect such heritage, in particular the safeguarding of World Heritage properties and the sites included in the Tentative List;
    3. Also urges the States Parties to adopt measures for the evacuation of World Heritage properties being used for military purposes;
    4. Launches an appeal to all Member States of UNESCO to cooperate in combatting the illicit trafficking of cultural heritage, in particular coming from Syria and Iraq as per the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2199 of February 2015;
    5. Recommends that the World Heritage Centre and Advisory Bodies develop a post-conflict strategy, including means to extend support for reconstruction of damaged World Heritage properties through technical assistance, capacity-building, and exchange of best practices taking into account the conclusions made by the two seminars recently held by World Heritage Centre and ICOMOS on this subject;
    Emerging and recurring conservation issues
    1. Takes note of the increasing number of State of Conservation reports due to inadequate management systems or plans and urges States Parties to ensure that management systems and plans are in place at the time of inscription;
    2. Notes with utmost concern, the continuously increasing pressure associated with and the growing impacts from poaching on the Outstanding Universal Value of many natural World Heritage properties and the increasing involvement of organized crime, and reiterates its call for strong international collaboration and coordination inter alia with the Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and with the full engagement of transit and destination countries to control the illicit trade in wildlife and its products;
    3. Notes with concern the significant threat posed by invasive species to natural World Heritage properties, strongly encourages States Parties to develop adequately resourced strategies to eradicate invasive species in World Heritage properties and prevent their (re-)introduction and/or establishment, and also calls on the international community to support invasive species eradication campaigns in affected properties;
    4. Taking note of the benefits to States Parties of systematically utilizing Heritage Impact Assessments (HIAs) and Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) in the review of development projects, encourages States Parties to integrate the EIA/HIA processes into legislation, planning mechanisms and management plans, and reiterates its recommendation to States Parties to use these tools in assessing projects, including assessment of cumulative impacts, as early as possible and before any final decision is taken, and, taking into account the need for capacity-building in this regard, requests the States Parties to contribute financially and technically towards the development of further guidance regarding EIA/HIA implementation, by the Advisory Bodies and the World Heritage Centre, based on case studies and field experience;
    5. Acknowledging that World Heritage properties are being increasingly affected by Climate Change, also strongly encourages States Parties to participate in the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP21) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in December 2015, with a view to achieving a universal climate agreement and mobilize global climate action on the ground, and recalls its Decision 31 COM 7.1, adopted at its 31st session (Christchurch, 2007) in which it adopted a carbon neutral policy, in view of its application for all future sessions, to the extent feasible;
    6. Appreciates the constructive dialogue, which has taken place between the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the World Heritage Centre and IUCN, and also requests that this dialogue be extended to the other Advisory Bodies to ensure that cultural aspects are also taken into account in the future;
    Knowledge management of the state of conservation reports 
    1. Urges States Parties to submit to the Committee through the Secretariat, by the statutory deadline set and in one of the working languages of the World Heritage Convention (English or French), their reports on the state of conservation of specific properties (Paragraph 169 of the Operational Guidelines), in order to allow for sufficient time for consultation and informed decision making at the Committee sessions;
    2. Adopts the revised format below for the submission of state of conservation reports by the States Parties, decides that this revised format is compulsory and applies with immediate effect, and that it should be included in the Operational Guidelines, and reminds States Parties that these reports must be submitted in one of the working languages of the Convention (English or French):
    Name of World Heritage property (State(s) Party(ies)) (Identification number)
    1. Executive Summary of the report
      [Note: each of the sections described below should be summarized. The maximum length of the executive summary is 1 page.]
    2. Response to the Decision of the World Heritage Committee
      [Note: State(s) Party(ies) are requested to address the most recent Decision of the World Heritage Committee for this property, paragraph by paragraph.]
      If the property is inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger
      Please also provide detailed information on the following:
      1. Progress achieved in implementing the corrective measures adopted by the World Heritage Committee
        [Note: please address each corrective measure individually, providing factual information, including exact dates, figures, etc.]
        If needed, please describe the success factors or difficulties in implementing each of the corrective measures identified
      2. Is the timeframe for implementing the corrective measures suitable? If not, please propose an alternative timeframe and an explanation why this alternative timeframe is required.
      3. Progress achieved towards the Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger (DSOCR)
    3. Other current conservation issues identified by the State(s) Party(ies) which may have an impact on the property’s Outstanding Universal Value
      [Note: this includes conservation issues which are not mentioned in the Decision of the World Heritage Committee or in any information request from the World Heritage Centre]
    4. In conformity with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines, describe any potential major restorations, alterations and/or new construction(s) intended within the property, the buffer zone(s) and/or corridors or other areas, where such developments may affect the Outstanding Universal Value of the property, including authenticity and integrity.
    5. Public access to the state of conservation report
      [Note: this report will be uploaded for public access on the World Heritage Centre’s State of conservation Information System (https://whc.unesco.org/en/soc). Should your State Party request that the full report should not be uploaded, only the 1-page executive summary provided in point (1.) above will be uploaded for public access].
    6. Signature of the Authority
    1. Notes with appreciation the high number of States Parties which have authorized the public upload of their state of conservation reports, facilitating their consultation by all stakeholders of the Convention and contributing to an improved transparency of the reactive monitoring process, and reiterates its encouragement to all States Parties to continue do so in the future.
    ]]>     https://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/6189 wh-support@unesco.org Sun, 28 Jun 2015 00:00:00 EST     39 COM 7A.1 Manovo Gounda St. Floris National Park (Central African Republic) (N 475) The World Heritage Committee,
    1. Having examined Document WHC-15/39.COM/7A.Add,
    2. Recalling Decision 38 COM 7A.34, adopted at its 38th session (Doha, 2014),
    3. Regrets that the report of the State Party does not allow an assessment of the state of conservation of the property, or the implementation of the corrective measures;
    4. Notes that, although there is a slight improvement in comparison with the previous year, the security situation in and around the property remains problematic and does not allow for any surveillance activity within the property;
    5. Reiterates its grave concern regarding the probable loss of most of the flagship species of the large mammals of the property, due to poaching and impacts from transhumant cattle;
    6. Also reiterates its continued concern that the property could lose its Outstanding Universal Value (OUV), which could lead to its withdrawal from the World Heritage List, in accordance with Paragraph 176 d) of the Operational Guidelines;
    7. Reiterates its request to the State Party to organize a workshop to evaluate the feasibility of the restoration of the OUV of the property under the present security conditions and based on these conclusions to prepare an emergency action plan taking into account the corrective measures adopted by the Committee at its 33rd session (Seville, 2009);
    8. Requests the State Party to elaborate through the participatory available means, an emergency action plan taking into account the corrective measures adopted by the Committee at its 33rd session (Seville, 2009), in order to address the current biodiversity loss situation and attempt to restore the OUV of the property;
    9. Also requests to the State Party to invite a joint World Heritage Centre / IUCN Reactive Monitoring mission as soon as the security situation permits, to assess the state of conservation of the property and to evaluate the perspectives for the regeneration of the characteristics of the property to justify its OUV, or whether a removal of the property from the World Heritage List should be envisaged, in accordance with the procedure foreseen in Chapter IV.C of the Operational Guidelines;
    10. Further 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;
    11. Decides to continue to apply the Reinforced Monitoring Mechanism to this property;
    12. Also decides to retain the Manovo-Gounda St Floris National Park (Central African Republic) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
    ]]>     https://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/6220 wh-support@unesco.org Sun, 28 Jun 2015 00:00:00 EST     39 COM 7A.2 Comoé National Park (Côte d’Ivoire) (N 227) The World Heritage Committee,
    1. Having examined Document WHC-15/39.COM/7A,
    2. Recalling Decision 38 COM 7A.35, adopted at its 38th session (Doha, 2014),
    3. Welcomes the continued progress achieved by the State Party in addressing anthropogenic threats to the property, and commends the State Party in particular for significantly reducing the number of recorded incidences of agricultural encroachment and illegal grazing, and for the increasing participation of local people in patrols;
    4. Also welcomes the State Party’s confirmation that no mining licenses were awarded within the boundaries of the property, and reiterates its request to the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIAs) for the two exploration licenses located immediately to the north of the property, which should include an assessment of their potential impact on Outstanding Universal Value (OUV), in line with IUCN’s World Heritage Advice Note on Environmental Assessment;
    5. Notes with concern the reported rapid increase of illegal gold mining and the associated risk of poaching, and urges the State Party to provide political support at the national level to ensure adequate provision of human and financial resources and strict law enforcement to address this threat;
    6. Requests the State Party to implement the rehabilitation plan as a matter of priority, to ensure the effective implementation of other management activities;
    7. Also notes that the results of the aerial survey will enable further definition of the biological indicators of the Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger (DSOCR), and also requests the State Party, in consultation with IUCN and the World Heritage Centre, to define the biological indicators and the timeframe to achieve them as soon as further data are available on chimpanzee and elephant populations, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 40th session in 2016;
    8. Further requests the State Party to implement a robust and consistent biological monitoring methodology to ensure regular monitoring of the recovery of wildlife populations throughout the property, which should facilitate the future review of progress achieved toward the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger;
    9. Requests furthermore the State Party to invite a joint World Heritage Centre/IUCN Reactive Monitoring mission on the property to examine the state of conservation of the property and the progress achieved on the above-mentioned items;
    10. Finally 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;
    11. Decides to retain Comoé National Park (Côte d'Ivoire) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
    ]]>     https://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/6221 wh-support@unesco.org Sun, 28 Jun 2015 00:00:00 EST     39 COM 7A.3 Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve (Côte d’Ivoire/Guinea) (N 155 bis) The World Heritage Committee,
    1. Having examined Document WHC-15/39.COM/7A.Add,
    2. Recalling Decision 38 COM 7A.38, adopted at its 38th session (Doha, 2014),
    3. Notes that the impacts of the Ebola crisis have seriously affected the implementation of the corrective measures in the Guinean part of the property and have suspended the implementation of important transboundary activities, and expresses its concern that the impacts of the crisis could present important additional challenges for the management authority, CEGENS, in Guinea, which has limited capacity and needs technical and financial support;
    4. Welcomes the important efforts, which have been undertaken since the end of the conflict by the State Party of Côte d’Ivoire, in particular the management authority, OIPR, to re-assert its authority over the property and re-build its management capacity as well as the on-going work to restore the integrity of the property, develop community forests to act as a buffer zone and intensify the cooperation with the local communities;
    5. Urges the States Parties to continue their efforts to implement the corrective measures approved by the Committee in its Decision 37 COM 7A.3;
    6. Requests the States Parties to work with UNDP and the Global Environmental Facility to develop a second phase of the Nimba project, covering the components in Guinea and Côte d’Ivoire, and possibly part of the Nimba mountains in Liberia, to assist with the implementation of the corrective measures in order to safeguard the integrity of the property;
    7. Expresses its utmost concern that the preliminary review of the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA), which was completed for the exploration concession granted to West Africa Exploration, indicates that the ESIA seems not to have been carried out in accordance with international standards, as was requested by the Committee in Decision 37 COM 7A.3;
    8. Reiterates its request for a thorough Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), in accordance with international standards, which must qualify and quantify all potential impacts of the different planned mining projects on the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property, in accordance with the recommendations of the 2013 monitoring mission to the property and the IUCN World Heritage Advice Note on Environmental Assessments, and to submit the results to the World Heritage Centre, for review by IUCN, prior to any decision on these projects, in conformity with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines;
    9. Also reiterates its request to the State Party of Guinea to revise the boundaries of the exploration permit granted to SAMA resources in order to ensure that they do not overlap with the property;
    10. Also requests the States Parties to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2016, an updated joint 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;
    11. Decides to retain the Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve (Côte d'Ivoire/Guinea) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
    ]]>     https://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/6222 wh-support@unesco.org Sun, 28 Jun 2015 00:00:00 EST     39 COM 7A.4 Virunga National Park (Democratic Republic of the Congo) (N 63) The World Heritage Committee,
    1. Having examined Document WHC-15/39.COM/7A,
    2. Recalling Decisions 38 COM 7A.37 and 38 COM 7A.42, adopted at its 38th session (Doha, 2014),
    3. Notes with appreciation the continued efforts deployed by the park staff to continue to ensure the conservation of the property despite life threatening conditions, and expresses its most sincere condolences to the families of the guards killed in operations for the protection of the property;
    4. Welcomes the improvement of the security situation and the fact that park surveillance coverage has increased to 75% and that all critical areas for large mammals are under control of the park management;
    5. Reiterates its significant concern about the fact that the State Party has not cancelled the petroleum licenses in the Park, as requested in its previous decisions, and strongly urges the State Party to cancel all the oil exploitation permits granted within the property without further delay and to make a clear commitment not to authorize further oil exploration or oil exploitation within the established boundaries of the property as it was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1979;
    6. Also reiterates its position that oil, gas and mineral exploration or exploitation are incompatible with World Heritage status;
    7. Notes with concern that the Prime Minister in its letter dated 26 January 2015, while affirming that the Government so far has not approved oil exploitation in Virunga National Park, acknowledges that the State Party might seek a minor boundary modification to enable exploitation to go ahead;
    8. Further reiterates its position that oil exploration or exploitation is incompatible with World Heritage status, which is supported by the commitments made by industry leaders such as Shell and Total not to undertake such activities within World Heritage properties and underlines that modifications to boundaries of World Heritage properties that are related to extractive industry should be dealt with through the procedure for significant modifications of boundaries, in accordance with Paragraph 165 of the Operational Guidelines given the potential impact of such projects on the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV);
    9. Recalls that the Statement of OUV of the property refers on several occasions to the importance of Lake Edward and its floodplains for its OUV and therefore, considers that removing this area from the property would have a significant negative impact on its OUV;
    10. Expresses its continued concern about the serious threats to the OUV of the property, in particular the encroachment of close to 10% of its surface by illegal settlements and uncontrolled agriculture and the limited support park staff is receiving from the Government to address these threats, and further reiterates its request to the State Party to implement the commitments made by the Congolese Government in the Kinshasa Declaration of January 2011;
    11. Encourages the work of the Virunga Alliance, which aims to support sustainable economic development around the park, and also encourages private, bilateral and multilateral donors to support this initiative;
    12. Also urges the State Party to expedite implementation of the corrective measures, as updated by the 2014 joint World Heritage Centre / IUCN Reactive Monitoring mission;
    13. 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;
    14. Decides to continue the application of the Reinforced Monitoring Mechanism of the property;
    15. Also decides to retain the Virunga National Park (Democratic Republic of the Congo) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
    ]]>     https://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/6223 wh-support@unesco.org Sun, 28 Jun 2015 00:00:00 EST     39 COM 7A.5 Kahuzi-Biega National Park (Democratic Republic of the Congo) (N 137) The World Heritage Committee,
    1. Having examined Document WHC-15/39.COM/7A,
    2. Recalling Decision 38 COM 7A.38, adopted at its 38th session (Doha, 2014),
    3. Warmly welcomes the efforts of the State Party in securing the property, strengthening surveillance and closing down the artisanal mining quarries, in accordance with the Kinshasa Declaration of January 2011, and encourages the State Party to ensure the continuity of its efforts;
    4. Notes that the restoration of security is the pre-condition for the implementation of the corrective measures and the restoration of the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property;
    5. Notes with concern the lack of progress in the evacuation of the ecological corridor, crucial to ensure the ecological continuity between the highland and lowland sectors, and reiterates its request to the State Party to cancel the land permits illegally granted within the property, to evacuate the farms installed illegally and to restore the plant species and the connectivity;
    6. Takes note of the studies in progress on the zoning of the property and the convening of the “National Forum on Governance and Enhancement of the Property”, and requests the State Party to ensure that the recommendations issued and the options identified concerning the evacuation of the corridor and the zoning of the property guarantee the conservation of the OUV of the property;
    7. Welcomes the commencement of the inventory of large mammals throughout the property, permitting an assessment of the state of conservation of its OUV, but expresses its utmost concern concerning the quasi absence of the gorillas in the western Nzovu sector and the extremely low level of viewing of elephants that indicates that the impact of the presence of armed groups in the lowland sector has caused an important erosion of the OUV;
    8. Also reiterates its request to the State Party to invite a joint World Heritage Centre/IUCN Reactive Monitoring mission as soon as the results of the inventory are available, to assess its state of conservation, update the corrective measures, and establish a timeframe for the implementation and the Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger;
    9. 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 points, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 40th session in 2016;
    10. Decides to continue to apply the Reinforced Monitoring Mechanism to the property;
    11. Also decides to retain the Kahuzi-Biega National Park (Democratic Republic of the Congo) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
    ]]>     https://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/6224 wh-support@unesco.org Sun, 28 Jun 2015 00:00:00 EST     39 COM 7A.6 Garamba National Park (Democratic Republic of the Congo) (N 136) The World Heritage Committee,
    1. Having examined Document WHC-15/39.COM/7A,
    2. Recalling Decision 38 COM 7A.39 adopted at its 38th session (Doha, 2014),
    3. Expresses its utmost concern about the renewed poaching crisis which erupted in April 2014 and which led to the poaching of at least 164 elephants and three Congo giraffes and expresses its most sincere condolences to the family of the guard killed in operations for the protection of the property;
    4. Notes with great concern that the probable extinction of the Northern White Rhino in the property and the continued erosion of the populations of other wildlife species, in particular the loss of more than 90% of the elephant population and the continued decline of the relict population of Congolese giraffe, if not halted soon, could lead to an irreversible loss of the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property;
    5. Requests the State Party to cooperate with other States Parties and international technical organizations, such as IUCN, to outline a population recovery plan and call for support of the international community in addressing the loss of endangered species;
    6. Commends the State Party, in particular the Congolese Nature Conservation Institute (ICCN) and the African Parks Foundation, for their efforts to strengthen anti-poaching efforts to address this crisis, by reorganizing anti-poaching operations, bringing in additional field equipment and a helicopter to enable better aerial support for anti-poaching activities and urges the State Party to give the utmost priority to halting the poaching crisis;
    7. Welcomes the increased cooperation with the Congolese Army (FARDC), United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) and the US Africa Command (AFRICOM) to restore security in the region, control the armed groups, stop cross-border incursions and address the poaching crisis;
    8. Also expresses its utmost concern about continued reports of the use of helicopters and the alleged involvement of elements of the army in elephant poaching in the property;
    9. Invites the Director-General of UNESCO to call on the State Party as well as neighbouring States, in particular Uganda and South Sudan, to ensure that military operations in the region do not impact on the OUV of the property and to organize in cooperation with MONUSCO a high-level meeting between the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and South Sudan and other potential stakeholders on how to improve security in the region and address the poaching issue;
    10. Further expresses its concern about the increased pressure on the hunting areas adjacent to the property, in particular from artisanal mining, and reiterates its request to the State Party to develop a conservation strategy for the hunting areas so that they can act as buffer zones, given their importance for the conservation of the OUV of the property, including the conditions of integrity;
    11. Also urges the State Party to continue its efforts to implement the corrective measures to rehabilitate the OUV of the property;
    12. Also reiterates its request to the State Party to invite a joint World Heritage Centre / IUCN Reactive Monitoring mission to the property to re-asses its state of conservation, to update the corrective measures and establish a new timeframe for their implementation and to finalize the Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger;
    13. 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;
    14. Decides to continue the application of the Reinforced Monitoring Mechanism of the property;
    15. Also decides to retain the Garamba National Park (Democratic Republic of the Congo) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
    ]]>     https://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/6225 wh-support@unesco.org Sun, 28 Jun 2015 00:00:00 EST     39 COM 7A.7 Salonga National Park (Democratic Republic of the Congo) (N 280) The World Heritage Committee,
    1. Having examined Document WHC-15/39.COM/7A,
    2. Recalling Decision 38 COM 7A.40,adopted during its 38th session (Doha, 2014),
    3. Takes note of the fact that “Operation Bonobo” seems to be gradually bringing tangible results in terms of securing the property, restoring the authority of the park management and curbing the widespread poaching by armed gangs and uncontrolled military;
    4. Welcomes the significant efforts of the State Party, in cooperation with its financial and technical partners, to put in place basic park management operations and implement the corrective measures, taking into account the significant challenges related to the size of the property, its remoteness and its poorly developed infrastructure;
    5. Calls on the donor community to ensure a long-term engagement, in order to build up management capacity and infrastructure of the property and support its ecological restoration, and urges the State Party to take more financial responsibility to cover recurrent costs and speed up the efforts to set up a sustainable financing mechanism;
    6. Requests the State Party to continue to implement the corrective measures, as updated by the 2012 reactive monitoring mission, to rehabilitate the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property;
    7. Reiterates its request to the State Party to undertake inventories of flagship species to quantify the state of the OUV of the property and the Desired state of conservation for removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger (DSOCR), as well as to establish a realistic timeframe for its achievement;
    8. Notes the lack of progress in securing a biological corridor between the two components of the property, and also requests the State Party to increase its efforts to ensure the ecological continuum between the two components of the property in order to sustain its long term integrity;
    9. Expresses its utmost concern that the State Party, despite repeated requests at its 36th, 37th and 38th sessions, has not provided detailed information regarding the oil exploration and exploitation projects in the central basin that risk encroaching onto the property, and urges the State Party to provide this information immediately and to annul any concessions, which would overlap with the property;
    10. Reiterates its position that oil, gas and mineral exploration and exploitation are incompatible with World Heritage status;
    11. Further 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;
    12. Decides to continue to apply the Reinforced Monitoring Mechanism;
    13. Also decides to retain Salonga National Park (Democratic Republic of the Congo) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
    ]]>     https://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/6226 wh-support@unesco.org Sun, 28 Jun 2015 00:00:00 EST     39 COM 7A.8 Okapi Wildlife Reserve (Democratic Republic of the Congo) (N 718) The World Heritage Committee,
    1. Having examined Document WHC-15/39.COM/7A,
    2. Recalling Decision 38 COM 7A.41 adopted at its 38th session (Doha, 2014),
    3. Welcomes the significant efforts of the State Party to ensure security of the property and expand surveillance coverage, and the measures taken to punish the soldiers involved in poaching, but notes that major parts of the property remain outside the control of the managing authority;
    4. Also notes that restoring security is the precondition for the implementation of corrective measures and restoring the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property;
    5. Urges the State Party to prioritize efforts to further expand the monitoring coverage and regain control of the site to halt poaching and the erosion of the OUV of the property;
    6. Welcomes the steps taken by the Managing Authority with the support of the Governor of the Province to close the mining quarries within the property and to evacuate the illegal occupants, and the steps taken to cancel mining permits encroaching the property, and requests the State Party to close all quarries and cancel all permits rapidly;
    7. Further notes the difficulties reported by property managers to implement corrective actions, due to lack of technical and financial resources, as adopted by the World Heritage Committee at its 38th session, to rehabilitate the OUV of the property, and also requests the State Party to make available to the property the necessary means to ensure their implementation;
    8. Calls upon donors to provide necessary financial and technical support to the site's managers to implement corrective actions and to resume operations suspended due to lack of security;
    9. Further 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;
    10. Decides to continue to apply the Reinforced Monitoring Mechanism for the property;
    11. Also decides to retain the Okapi Wildlife Reserve (Democratic Republic of the Congo) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
    ]]>     https://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/6227 wh-support@unesco.org Sun, 28 Jun 2015 00:00:00 EST     39 COM 7A.9 General Decision on the properties of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) The World Heritage Committee,
    1. Having examined Document WHC-15/39.COM/7A,
    2. Recalling Decision 38 COM 7A.42, adopted at its 38th session (Doha, 2014) and reaffirming the need to implement the Kinshasa Declaration adopted in 2011,
    3. Welcomes the statement by the Vice Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) reiterating the commitment of the State Party to implement the Kinshasa Declaration, as well as the decision by the National Superior Defence Council to instruct the army to strengthen security in the properties;
    4. Notes with appreciation the efforts to ensure that the mining cadastre uses accurate mapping information of the properties to avoid that mining concessions attributed overlap with the properties, and reiterates its requests to the State Party to cancel all existing permits, which overlap with any of the five properties;
    5. Considers that widespread poaching is the single most significant threat to the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of all five properties, also welcomes the intention to create a special anti-poaching brigade, but notes that additional efforts will be needed, in cooperation with the Secretariat of the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), to identify and take legal action against the criminal networks involved in the illegal traffic of species of fauna and their products, in particular ivory;
    6. Calls upon the States Parties which are transit and destination countries for ivory and rhino horn, to support the State Party to halt the illegal trade in ivory and other illegal wildlife products, in particular through the implementation of the CITES;
    7. Reiterates its utmost concern about the Hydrocarbons Code that would make oil exploitation activities in protected areas possible, and about the statement by the Prime Minster of DRC that the State Party might seek a boundary modification of Virunga National Park to allow for oil exploration activities to proceed;
    8. Also reiterates its requests to the State Party to ensure that the protection status of the World Heritage properties be maintained and to annul all oil exploration concessions overlapping with any of the five properties, and reiterates its position that mining, oil and gas exploration and exploitation are incompatible with World Heritage status;
    9. Urges the State Party to continue its efforts to implement the commitments made in the Kinshasa Declaration and to ensure the execution of the Strategic Plan of Action, and further reiterates its request to the State Party to approve the decree to formalize 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;
    10. Requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2016, a detailed report, including a 1-page executive summary, on the implementation of the Kinshasa Declaration, the situation regarding mining, oil and gas exploration and exploitation titles that overlap with World Heritage properties, and the Hydrocarbons Code, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 40th session in 2016.
    ]]>     https://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/6228 wh-support@unesco.org Sun, 28 Jun 2015 00:00:00 EST