58. The Committee considered the document on Equitable Representation (CC-90/CONF.004/INF.4). The Secretariat noted that it had followed this question closely over years and that it was difficult to make any more suggestions since ultimately this was a decision for the Committee. 

59. In respect of paragraph 5(iii), the Secretariat emphasized that it could be difficult for States to indicate at the time of their candidature the names of experts who would represent them for the duration of their term of office. Recognizing this problem and the need for the system to remain flexible, the Committee decided to submit to the General Assembly the proposals contained in paragraph 5 with the exception of that relating to the names of experts.

Information on Berinq Region

60. The representative of the United States of America called the attention of the Committee to the establishment by the Governments of the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics of a Working Group on Heritage Conservation and Management. The Working Group had completed a joint report on the significant shared natural and cultural heritage of the Bering Region, copies of which were provided to the Committee.

61. The Report was endorsed by the Presidents of the USA and the USSR in June 1990 with a statement calling for continued co-operation towards a US-Soviet International Park.

62. Recalling the IUCN General Assembly Resolutions of 1988 and 1990, encouraging both governments to also consider a joint World Heritage nomination of the area, the representative of the USA and the observer from the USSR confirmed their governments continued interest in a possible joint nomination.

63. The Committee commended both governments for this initiative.

Other matters

64. The Committee instructed the Secretariat to prepare its report to the General Conference. This report will be submitted to the Bureau, which is authorized to approve it, at its fifteenth session.

65. The Bureau held a special session during the Committee meeting and met four times to examine nominations which had been referred back to the nominating State for additional information, to examine requests for technical assistance and the budget for 1991.

66. The Secretariat drew the Committee's attention to a decision made

at the Committee's thirteenth session, to the effect that "States Parties that are behind in their payments for the biennium considered would not be able to obtain international assistance financed by the Fund, except in unusual circumstances or emergencies." The Committee had asked the Secretariat to amend the Operational Guidelines accordingly. The Secretariat explained to the Committee that it had intentionally not done so, since experience during 1990 had shown that the Committee's decision as it had been worded was too ambiguous to allow clear interpretation and implementation. The Committee admitted that this problem must be resolved as soon as possible, with the understanding that consistent measures must be implemented without penalizing sites endangered by emergencies. The Committee therefore asked the Secretariat to prepare a proposal in this regard, which the Bureau will use as a basis for discussion at its next session.

67. The Committee wished to confirm its 1989 decision to finance attendance at sessions of the Committee and the Bureau by experts from least developed countries (LDCs) who are members of the Committee. The Committee wished to specify that this decision should be very strictly applied and that assuming the costs could be justified only for attendance at sessions of natural and cultural conservation experts.

68. The representative of Canada informed the Committee of the problems that could be posed by the inclusion of an already listed site within a larger site. For instance, such was the case in Canada, with regard to the Burgess Shale site, whose scientific importance was universally recognized. Now part of the Canadian Rocky Mountains Parks World Heritage site, it is no longer identified as the Burgess Shale site on the List. The Committee recalled that this has also arisen with respect to other properties, the value of which had nonetheless been enhanced by the change.

IX.7 The Committee recalled that following the Action Plan for Cultural Landscapes as adopted by the seventeenth session of the World Heritage Committee held in Cartagena in December 1993, a series of regional thematic study meetings were organized in 1994 and 1995. In 1996 a regional thematic study meeting on European Cultural Landscapes of Outstanding Universal Value was organized by the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, the advisory bodies and the Austrian National Commission for UNESCO in cooperation with Austria Nostra in Vienna (Austria) on 21 April 1996. The Committee noted that the experts reaffirmed the three cultural landscape categories for the European Region and addressed the identification, assessment and evaluation of European cultural landscapes in close cooperation with the Council of Europe and its proposed European Landscape Convention.

1. Having examined Document WHC-09/33.COM/9,

2. Recalling Decision 32 COM 9 adopted at its 32nd session (Quebec City, 2008),

3. Welcomes and approves the second compendium prepared by ICOMOS and IUCN.

1. Having examined Document WHC-10/34.COM/8E,

2. Adopts the retrospective Statements of Outstanding Universal Value, as presented in the Annex I of Documents WHC-10/34.COM/8E, WHC-10/34.COM/8E.Add and WHC-10/34.COM/8E.Add.2 for the following World Heritage properties: 

• Algeria: Al Qal'a of Beni Hammad; M'Zab Valley; Djémila; Tipasa; Tassili n'Ajjer; Timgad; Kasbah of Algiers;
• Austria: Historic Centre of the City of Salzburg; Palace and Gardens of Schönbrunn; Hallstatt-Dachstein / Salzkammergut Cultural Landscape;
• Bulgaria: Boyana Church; Madara Rider; Thracian Tomb of Kazanlak; Rock-Hewn Churches of Ivanovo; Rila Monastery; Ancient City of Nessebar; Thracian Tomb of Sveshtari;
• Côte d'Ivoire: Comoé National Park;
• Democratic Republic of the Congo: Okapi Wildlife Reserve;
• Denmark: Jelling Mounds, Runic Stones and Church; Roskilde Cathedral;
• Ethiopia: SimienNational Park;
• Israel: Masada; Old City of Acre; White City of Tel-Aviv - the Modern Movement; Incense Route - Desert Cities in the Negev; Biblical Tels - Megiddo, Hazor, Beer Sheba;
• Jordan: Petra; Quseir Amra; Um er-Rasas (Kastrom Mefa'a);
• Lebanon: Anjar; Byblos; Baalbek; Tyre; Ouadi Qadisha (the Holy Valley) and the Forest of the Cedars of God (Horsh Arz-el-Rab);
• Malawi: Lake Malawi National Park;
• Mauritania: Banc d'Arguin National Park; Ancient Ksour of Ouadane, Chinguetti, Tichitt and Oualata;
• Morocco: Ksar of Ait-Ben-Haddou; Historic City of Meknes; Archaeological Site of Volubilis; Medina of Essaouira (formerly Mogador); Medina of Fez; Medina of Marrakesh; Medina of Tétouan (formerly known as Titawin); Portuguese City of Mazagan (El Jadida);
• Niger: Air and Ténéré Natural Reserves; W National Park of Niger;
• Oman: Bahla Fort;
• Portugal: Laurisilva of Madeira;
• Senegal: Island of Gorée; Niokolo-Koba National Park;
• Seychelles: Aldabra Atoll; Vallée de Mai Nature Reserve;
• South Africa: Fossil Hominid Sites of Sterkfontein, Swartkrans, Kromdraai, and Environs.
• Spain: Cathedral, Alcázar and Archivo de Indias in Seville ;
• Sudan: Gebel Barkal and the Sites of the Napatan Region;
• Syrian Arab Republic: Ancient City of Bosra; Ancient City of Aleppo; Crac des Chevaliers and Qal'at Salah El-Din; City of Damascus; Site of Palmyra;
• Tunisia: Archaeological Site of Carthage; Amphitheatre of El Jem; Ichkeul National Park; Medina of Sousse; Kairouan; Medina of Tunis; Punic Town of Kerkuane and its Necropolis; Dougga / Thugga;
• Uganda: Tombs of Buganda Kings at Kasubi;
• United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Saltaire; Dorset and East Devon Coast; Derwent Valley Mills; Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; Liverpool - Maritime Mercantile City; Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape.
• United Republic of Tanzania: Selous Game Reserve; Kilimanjaro National Park;
• Yemen: Historic Town of Zabid;

3. Decides that retrospective Statements of Outstanding Universal Value for World Heritage properties in Danger will be reviewed in priority;

4. Further decides that, considering the high number of retrospective Statements of Outstanding Universal Value to be examined, the order in which they will be reviewed will follow the Second Cycle of Periodic Reporting, namely:

• World Heritage properties in the Arab States;
• World Heritage properties in Africa;
• World Heritage properties in Asia and the Pacific;
• World Heritage properties in Latin America and the Caribbean;
• World Heritage properties in Europe and North America.

1. Having examined Document WHC-11/35.COM/8B.Add,

2. Adopts the following Statements of Outstanding Universal Value for the following World Heritage properties inscribed at its 34th session of the World Heritage Committee (Brasilia, 2010):

- Saudi Arabia: At-Turaif District in ad-Dir'iyah; (Note: remove the word "Wahhabism" from line 9 of the brief synthesis and from line 8 of criterion (vi), and use the word "Salafiyya" instead at the same place)

- China: China Danxia;

- Kiribati: Phoenix Islands Protected Area;

- Viet Nam: Central Sector of the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long - Hanoi;

- Brazil: São Francisco Square in the Town of São Cristóvão.

1. Having examined Document WHC-11/35.COM/8E,

2. Adopts the retrospective Statements of Outstanding Universal Value, as presented in the Annex I of Document WHC-11/35.COM/8E, for the following World Heritage properties:

• Afghanistan: Minaret and Archaeological Remains of Jam; Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley;
• Bahrain: Qal'at al-Bahrain - Ancient Harbour and Capital of Dilmun;
• Benin: Royal Palaces of Abomey;
• Botswana: Tsodilo;
• Cameroon: Dja Faunal Reserve;
• Central African Republic: Manovo-Gounda St Floris National Park;
• China: Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas;
• Germany: Upper Middle Rhine Valley;
• India: Manas Wildlife Sanctuary;
• Kenya: Lake Turkana National Parks; Lamu Old Town;
• Malawi: Chongoni Rock-Art Area;
• Mali: Old Towns of Djenné;
• Pakistan: Fort and Shalamar Gardens in Lahore;
• Peru: Chan Chan Archaeological Zone;
• Philippines: Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras;
• Senegal: Island of Saint-Louis;
• South Africa: iSimangaliso Wetland Park; Robben Island; Mapungubwe Cultural Landscape; Cape Floral Region Protected Areas; Vredefort Dome;
• Togo: Koutammakou, the Land of the Batammariba;
• Turkey: Historic Areas of Istanbul;
• Uganda: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park; Rwenzori Mountains National Park;
• United Republic of Tanzania: Ruins of Kilwa Kisiwani and Ruins of Songo Mnara;
• Yemen: Old Walled City of Shibam; Old City of Sana'a;
• Zimbabwe: Mana Pools National Park, Sapi and Chewore Safari Areas;

3. Decides that retrospective Statements of Outstanding Universal Value for World Heritage properties in Danger will be reviewed in priority;

4. Further decides that, considering the high number of retrospective Statements of Outstanding Universal Value to be examined, the order in which they will be reviewed will follow the Second Cycle of Periodic Reporting, namely:

• World Heritage properties in the Arab States;
• World Heritage properties in Africa;
• World Heritage properties in Asia and the Pacific;
• World Heritage properties in Latin America and the Caribbean;
• World Heritage properties in Europe and North America.

1.    Having examined Document WHC-12/36.COM/7A,

2.    Recalling Decision 35 COM 7A.33, adopted at its 35th session (UNESCO, 2011),

3.    Welcomes the progress made by the State Party in implementing the recommendations of the 2010 reactive monitoring mission;

4.    Adopts the following Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger, as follows:

a)  Operational and sustainable management system for the Chan Chan Archaeological Zone in place, including functional institutional arrangements and secured funding,

b)  Approval of revised Management Plan and integration with other planning tools at the municipal and provincial levels, particularly for the management of the buffer zone,

c)  Continued implementation of conservation and maintenance measures at the property, including mitigation measures to address the vulnerability of the earthen architecture remains,

d)  Legislative and regulatory measures to address the issues of illegal occupations and activities at the site enacted and enforced;

5.    Also adopts the following corrective measures and timeframe for their implementation in order to ensure conditions of integrity and authenticity of the property and meet the Desired state of conservation:

a)    Measures to be implemented within one year:

              Conservation

(i)  Comprehensive conservation condition assessment and monitoring to assess the existing state of conservation of the property,

(ii)  Identification of priority areas for interventions,

(iii) Implementation of priority and emergency conservation measures at vulnerable areas of the property, with particular focus on the nine palaces and areas with decorated surfaces, as well as measures centered on the control of water table levels,

(iv)  Definition and adoption of conservation guidelines for intervention,

(v)  Implementation and maintenance of the physical delineation of the property including vegetation barriers and perimeter walls,

(vi) Comprehensive assessment of the current conditions of the existing site museum, identification of priority emergency measures and definition of a comprehensive intervention programme to be included in the public use plan.

(vii) Addressing of solid waste management at the boundaries of the site in collaboration with pertinent authorities,

              Protection and planning

(i) Updating of the Management Plan, including a revised risk Management Plan and a public use plan as well as scheduled and costed provisions for the conservation and management of the property and its buffer zone,

(ii) Finalization of the definition of the buffer zone and its regulatory measures in collaboration with municipal authorities,

(iii) Dissemination and circulation among stakeholders of updated plans for the property and its buffer zone, including provisions and regulations for each zone. Collaboration with entities in defining regulatory measures for the management of the buffer zone and of the World Heritage property,

(iv) Finalization of regulations for Law no. 28261 to address fundamental issues such as the illegal removal of soil, agricultural works and the illegal occupation at the property,

              Management

(v) Evaluation of effectiveness of existing institutional arrangements to include revised provisions in the updated Management Plan,

(vi) Identification of sources for secured funding in the long-term,

b)    Measures to be implemented within two years:

Conservation

(i) Continued implementation of conservation and maintenance actions, with particular focus on finalizing interventions at vulnerable areas,

(ii) Monitoring programme fully in place to evaluate the efficacy and results of interventions and to revise them if needed,

(iii) Maintenance of the physical delimitation of the site,

(iv)Measures for solid waste management at the boundaries of the site fully addressed,

(v)  Interventions for public use at the property, particularly in respect to the site museum in accordance to provisions included in the revised Management Plan,

(vi)Interventions for risk management in accordance to provisions identified in the Management Plan,

Protection and planning

(vii) Integration of the Management Plan in territorial and urban development plans,

(viii) Dissemination of the revised Management Plan to strengthen public and private support in its implementation,

(ix) Approval / enactment of regulatory measures for Law No. 28261 to ensure the conservation and protection of the Outstanding Universal Value and conditions of integrity and authenticity of the property,

(x) Adoption of regulatory measures for the management of the buffer zone,

 Management

(xi)      Operational management arrangements and budgets secured for the comprehensive implementation of the Management Plan,

c)    Measures to be implemented within three years:

Conservation

(i)        Continued implementation of conservation and maintenance measures according to the revised Management Plan,

(ii)       Continued implementation of the monitoring programme and evaluation of results to adapt measures,

(iii)      Continued implementation of public use actions according to Management Plan,

(iv)      Continued implementation of risk management actions according to Management Plan,

(v)       Conclusion of measures at the existing site museum;

Protection and planning

(vi)      Full enforcement of legislative and regulatory frameworks passed by the State Party,

(vii)     Relocation of illegal settlers in collaboration with pertinent authorities,

(viii)    Adequate control of encroachments and urban pressure;

Management

(ix)      Full and systematic implementation of the revised Management Plan in accordance to prescribed policies,

(x)       Functional institutional arrangements with adequate resources secured for long-term implementation of the formulated Management Plan;   

6.  Reiterates its request to the State Party to finalize the process for the approval of pertinent legislation and regulations for the property and buffer zone to ensure their adequate protection, and to find an urgent solution to the legal issues that have been pending for the last 10 years;

7.   Also reiterates its request to the State Party to provide the updated Master Plan, including a public use plan and a comprehensive risk preparedness plan for the property by 1 February 2013;

8.   Requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2013, an updated report on the state of conservation of the property and the implementation of the above, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 37th session in 2013;

9.  Decides to retain Chan Chan Archaeological Zone (Peru) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.

1.   Having examined Document WHC-12/36.COM/7B.Add,

2.   Recalling Decision 35 COM 7B.3, adopted at its 35th session (UNESCO, 2011),

3.   Takes note of the results of the joint World Heritage Centre/IUCN monitoring mission undertaken to Kenya to assess the state of conservation of the property and in particular the impact of the GIBE III dam project and related developments;

4.   Reiterates its utmost concern about the potential and ascertained cumulative impacts on Lake Turkana of the GIBE III dam, the related on-going and planned irrigation projects as well as the planned Gibe IV and V dams, and considers that these developments represent a clear potential threat to the Outstanding Universal Value of the property, in accordance with Paragraph 180 (b) of the Operational Guidelines;

5.   Urges the State Party of Ethiopia to invite the joint World Heritage Centre/IUCN mission to review the impacts of the GIBE III dam on the Outstanding Universal Value of Lake Turkana, as was done by the State Party of Kenya;

6.   Also urges the State Parties of Kenya and Ethiopia to address this issue on a bilateral basis and conduct a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) to assess the cumulative impacts of all developments impacting on the Lake Turkana basin in order to identify appropriate corrective measures to ensure that the water level in Lake Turkana, as well as a level of seasonal variation be maintained, which is sufficient to maintain the Outstanding Universal Value of the property;

7.   Further reiterates its request to the State Party of Ethiopia to immediately halt all construction on the GIBE III dam and related irrigation projects until the SEA is completed and appropriate corrective measures have been identified and implemented;

8.   Takes note that oil exploration licences have been granted for exploration blocks which cover part of the property, but that so far no oil exploration activities have been carried out or are planned within the property, and requests the State Party of Kenya to clarify the provision already included within the oil exploration licence on the protection of the World Heritage property, to ensure that no exploration can take place within the property;

9.   Calls on Tullow Oil to subscribe to the no-go commitment, already supported by the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) and Shell, not to explore or exploit oil or minerals inside World Heritage properties;

10.  Notes the significant impacts of poaching, fishing and livestock grazing on the property reported by the World Heritage Centre / IUCN monitoring mission, and requests the State Party to implement the recommendations of the mission to address these and other management issues, in particular:

a)  Conduct a detailed census of key wildlife species to establish their status and develop a baseline to monitor their recovery,

b)  Strengthen the efficiency of law enforcement and surveillance based on the results of the MIST monitoring system which is being introduced in the property,

c)  Establish a permanent presence of Kenya Wildlife Servive staff in the northern part of Sibiloi National Park as well as on Central and South Island National Parks,

d)  Develop in close consultation with representatives of the local pastoralist communities a strategy to diminish grazing pressure in the property, including by identifying grazing areas outside the property and provide them with access to water,

e)  Assess the feasibility of reintroducing  flagship species which have disappeared from the property such as reticulated giraffe and Grevy’s zebra;

11.  Also requests Kenya Wildlife Service and National Museums of Kenya to ensure that the new management plan addresses all three components of the property and covers both the biodiversity and paleontological values;

12.  Further requests the State Party of Kenya in cooperation with the State Party of Ethiopia to develop based on the corrective measures identified through the SEA, a timeframe and costed action plan for their implementation as well as a draft Desired state of conservation;

13.  Requests furthermore the States Parties of Ethiopia and Kenya to submit to the World Heritage Centre, 1 February 2013, information on the negotiations between Ethiopia and Kenya and a progress report on the implementation of the above mentioned requested actions for consideration by the World Heritage Committee at its 37th session in 2013;

14.  Decides not to inscribe Lake Turkana National Parks (Kenya) on the List of World Heritage in Danger before the completion of a mission by the Advisory Bodies to the State Party of Ethiopia as recommended in paragraph 5.

1.  Having examined Document WHC-12/36.COM/7B.Add,

2.  Recalling Decision 35 COM 7B.6, adopted at its 35th session (UNESCO, 2011),

3.  Reiterates its utmost concern about the multiple threats affecting the property’s Outstanding Universal Value (OUV), including high levels of wildlife poaching (particularly of elephants), the evident deterioration in management, and the proposed Stiegler’s Gorge and Kidunda dams which, if approved, are likely to cause serious and irreversible damage to the property’s OUV;

4.  Takes note of the statement by the State Party on the protection and the conservation of the Selous Game Reserve;

5.  Considers that the approval of any dam, mining or oil exploration within the property would constitute a clear basis for its inscription on the List of World Heritage in Danger, in line with Paragraph 180 of the Operational Guidelines, and urges the State Party to abandon plans for the different development projects which are incompatible with the World Heritage status of the property;

6.  Notes with satisfaction that Dominion Petroleum has relinquished its oil production sharing agreement for Selous, but deems that oil exploration and exploitation remain a threat to the property and also urges the State Party to make a clear commitment to not explore for or exploit oil within the property, in line with the Committee’s established position that such developments are incompatible with World Heritage status, and to enact specific legislation to prohibit prospecting, oil developments and mining within the property on the basis of its World Heritage status;

7.  Further urges the State Party to implement the remaining actions requested by the Committee in Decision 35 COM 7B.6, in order to ensure the protection of the property’s Outstanding Universal Value, in particular:

a)  Finalize the creation of the autonomous Wildlife Authority and reinstate the Revenue Retention Scheme,

b)  Ensure that the design of the Kidunda dam will not affect the Outstanding Universal Value of the property and avoid flooding part of the property or key wildlife areas on its boundaries,

c)   Develop and implement an emergency plan to strengthen anti-poaching activities in the property in order to cope with the alarming increase in poaching,

8.   Also reiterates its encouragement that the State Party provide appropriate protection to the Selous-Niassa Corridor which is becoming progressively fragmented, and considers that its permanent protection as a buffer zone or its inclusion within the property is vital to the long-term integrity of the latter;

9.   Requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2013, an updated report on the state of conservation of the property and on progress in the implementation of anti-poaching measures, the reinstatement of the Revenue Retention Scheme and the creation of an autonomous Wildlife Authority, including confirmation that no permits have been issued for the various development projects within the property under consideration, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 37th session in 2013, with a view to considering, in the absence of substantial progress, the possible inscription of the property on the List of World Heritage in Danger.

1.  Having examined Document WHC-12/36.COM/7B,

2.  Recalling Decision 34 COM 7B.6 adopted at its 34th session (Brasilia, 2010),

3.  Welcomes the further progress of the two States Parties in strengthening the joint management of the trans-boundary property through the work of the Joint Technical and Site Management Committees, and the measures taken to promote sustainable tourism by halting construction of hotels and lodges on the river banks and islands, reducing noise and water pollution, and upgrading visitor facilities at the property;

4.  Encourages the two States Parties to develop a sustainable financing strategy and business plan for the property, recognising that implementation of the Joint Integrated Management Plan may be largely financed from park entry fees and other internally-generated sources;

5.  Also welcomes the voluntary agreement of the State Party of Zambia to introduce a limit on the dry-season diversion of water from the falls for hydro-electric power generation, which would significantly restore a major attribute of the Outstanding Universal Value of the property, and requests the State Party of Zambia to implement this new water abstraction regime as soon as possible, and consider further reductions in water abstraction by the power station;

6.  Notes that the State Party of Zambia submitted three environmental project briefs, including for a tethered balloon project adjacent to the property, reiterates its previous conclusion at its 34th session (Brasilia, 2010) that any tethered balloons close to the property will adversely impact its visual integrity, and urges the States Parties not to authorize any tethered balloon or other tall structures within the vicinity of the falls;

7.  Also requests that the State Party of Zambia to address IUCN’s comments regarding the proposed amphicoach and spa lodge projects, before considering whether to proceed with the two proposed projects;

8.  Recommends the States Parties to conduct a joint Strategic Environmental Assessment of developments within the property and in its vicinity, in order to protect the Outstanding Universal Value of the property, including its aesthetic value and the related conditions of integrity;

9.  Also recognizes the progress made in developing benchmarks and indicators to monitor the State of Conservation of the property and also requests the States Parties to develop a comprehensive monitoring plan for the property and submit a copy to the World Heritage Centre by 1 December 2012;

10.  Reiterates its request to the two States Parties to continue their on-going efforts to control invasive species;

11.  Further requests the two States Parties to submit to the World Heritage Centre by 1 February 2014 a jointly prepared report on the state of conservation of the property, including details of progress made in the implementation of measures to address the recommendations of the 2006 mission and the issues mentioned above, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 38th session in 2014.

1.  Having examined Document WHC-12/36.COM/7B.Add,

2.  Recalling Decision 35 COM 7B.10, adopted at its 35th session (UNESCO, 2011),

3.  Welcomes the initial positive results of the Reef Plan and associated measures to address major long-term impacts on the property from poor water quality, and requests the State Party, in collaboration with its partners, to maintain, and increase where necessary financial investment and sustain the positive trend beyond 2013;

4.  Takes note of the findings of the joint World Heritage Centre/IUCN reactive monitoring mission to the property undertaken in March 2012, and also requests the State Party to address the mission recommendations in its future protection and management of the property;

5.  Notes with great concern the potentially significant impact on the property’s Outstanding Universal Value resulting from the unprecedented scale of coastal development currently being proposed within and affecting the property, and further requests the State Party to not permit any new port development or associated infrastructure outside of the existing and long-established major port areas within or adjoining the property, and to ensure that development is not permitted if it would impact individually or cumulatively on the Outstanding Universal Value of the property;

6.  Requests furthermore the State Party to complete the Strategic Assessment and resulting long-term plan for the sustainable development of the property for consideration by the World Heritage Committee at its 39th session in 2015, and to ensure that the assessment and long-term plan are completed against a number of defined criteria for success, fully address direct, indirect and cumulative impacts on the reef and lead to concrete measures to ensure the overall conservation of the Outstanding Universal Value of the property; 

7.  Urges the State Party to establish the Outstanding Universal Value of the property as a clearly defined and central element within the protection and management system for the property, and to include an explicit assessment of Outstanding Universal Value within future Great Barrier Reef Outlook Reports;

8.  Recommends the State Party, in collaboration with its partners, to sustain and increase its efforts and available resources to conserve the property, and to develop and adopt clearly defined and scientifically justified targets for improving its state of conservation and enhancing its resilience, and ensure that plans, policies and development proposals affecting the property demonstrate a positive contribution to the achievement of those targets, and an overall net benefit to the protection of Outstanding Universal Value;

9.  Requests moreover the State Party to undertake an independent review of the management arrangements for Gladstone Harbour, that will result in the optimization of port development and operation in Gladstone Harbour and on Curtis Island, consistent with the highest internationally recognized standards for best practice commensurate with iconic World Heritage status;

10. Finally requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2013, an updated report on the state of conservation of the property, including on the implementation of actions outlined above and in the mission report, for consideration by the World Heritage Committee at its 37th session in 2013, with a view to consider, in the absence of substantial progress, the possible inscription of the property on the List of World Heritage in Danger;

11. Decides to also consider a further report from the State Party on the state of conservation of the property, the findings of the second Great Barrier Reef Outlook Report, and the anticipated outcomes of the completed Strategic Environmental Assessment and related long term plan for sustainable development at is 39th session in 2015.

1.  Having examined Document WHC-12/36.COM/7B.Add,

2.  Recalling Decision 35 COM 7A.13, adopted at its 35th session (UNESCO, 2011),

3.  Commends the State Party for the progress achieved in the operationalization of the Manas Tiger Conservation Foundation (MTCF) and the implementation of an integrated ecosystem-based monitoring system and the Eastern Swamp Deer recovery plan;

4.  Welcomes the respective and joint initiatives of the States Parties of India and Bhutan to consider an extension of the property, including a transboundary extension, and also welcomes the proposal by the State Party of Bhutan to include Royal Manas National Park on its Tentative List;

5.  Requests the State Party to urgently address the slow release of funds to the property, by approving the direct fund flow from Central Government to the MTCF, or through other appropriate measures, to ensure that the current rate of progress can be maintained;

6.  Urges the State Party to include clear guidelines for tourism numbers and activities in the further development of the comprehensive tourism management plan, in order to ensure that the fragile and recovering Outstanding Universal Value of the property is not negatively affected;

7.  Also requests the State Party of Bhutan to submit a copy of the environmental impact assessment (EIA) for the proposed Mangdechhu hydro-electric project, including an assessment of potential impacts on OUV and potential cumulative impacts in relation to the existing Kurichu dam, to the World Heritage Centre for review as soon as it is available and prior to making a decision on whether to approve the project, in line with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines;

8.  Further 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 achieved in addressing the issue of fund release and the implementation of the other recommendations made by the Committee at its 35th session (UNESCO, 2011), as well as on progress in addressing the issues raised above, for examination by the Committee at its 38th session in 2014.

1.   Having examined Document WHC-12/36.COM/7B,

2.   Recalling Decision 34 COM 7B.45 adopted at its 34th session (Brasilia, 2010),

3.   Acknowledges the information provided by the State Party, in particular the efforts made towards the delimitation of boundaries of the property and of a suggested buffer zone, as well as the submission of a draft retrospective Statement of Outstanding Universal Value;

4.   Expresses its concern that the construction of the Orthodox Church Museum has started on the property without prior submission of information on this construction to the World Heritage Centre in line with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines and as requested by the World Heritage Committee at its 34th session (Brasilia, 2010);

5.   Also expresses its strong concern that this Orthodox Church Museum construction will have a negative impact on the Outstanding Universal Value of the property;

6.   Reiterates its request to the State Party to establish more structured management arrangements at the property, including a Management Plan, and to provide the World Heritage Centre, for review by the Advisory Bodies, with maps showing the precise boundaries of the property and the buffer zone;

7.   Also reiterates its request to the State Party to undertake investigations on the causes of the rising water table and renews its invitation to the State Party to submit a request for International Assistance to:

a)  Conduct the study on the causes of the rising water,

b)  Support the Stele 3 consolidation project;

8.   Requests the State Party to invite a World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS high level reactive monitoring mission to assess the Orthodox Church Museum project before any further construction activity takes place;

9.   Also requests the State Party to halt the Orthodox Church Museum construction until the World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS mission and the assessment are completed;

10. Further requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2013, a detailed report on the state of conservation of the property and the implementation of the above, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 37th session in 2013, with a view to considering, if the Orthodox Church Museum construction is not halted until the project is comprehensively assessed by a high level reactive monitoring mission, and until appropriate solutions to ensure that the Outstanding Universal Value of the property is fully preserved have been identified and agreed upon, the possible inscription of the property on the List of World Heritage in Danger.

1.   Having examined Document WHC-12/36.COM/7B.Add,

2.   Recalling Decision 35 COM 7B.120, adopted at its 35th session (UNESCO, 2011),

3.   Acknowledges the submission of the Geophysical study of the Cerro Rico Mountain;

4.   Notes the creation of an Emergency Committee for the safety of Cerro Rico Mountain which will be responsible for the development of a Strategic Emergency Plan, and urges the State Party to finalize this Strategic Emergency Plan as soon as possible;

5.   Encourages the State Party to consider widening the scope of the Emergency Committee to involve stakeholders and representatives from non-governmental organizations concerned with the protection of the Cerro Rico Mountain and the City of Potosi;

6.   Requests the State Party to clarify whether Article 6 of Supreme Decree 27787 has been modified and to halt all exploration, extraction and any other interventions under and above ground between altitudes 4400m and 4700m;

7.   Also notes that a project has been developed to consolidate the top of the Mountain and also requests the State Party to provide further details on the scope and extent of this project and its time-frame for implementation by 30 September 2012; 

8.   Also notes with concern that no information has been provided on putting in place a comprehensive topographic study and a monitoring system, and also urges the State Party to install as soon as possible a system for monitoring the safety of the existing mining activity on a regular basis and provide information on the development of a topographic study;

9.   Further requests the State Party to complete the geophysical study following its final recommendations in order to further identify the anomalies affecting Cerro Rico, to undertake a more complete analysis, and to elaborate a three dimensional model covering the entire Cerro Rico in the range of elevations studied;

10.  Requests furthermore the State Party to finalize the development of the participatory Management Plan for the property and upon completion to provide an electronic copy of the draft revised Management Plan for review by the World Heritage Centre and ICOMOS;

11.  Invites the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre and Advisory Bodies for review, any proposals for development at the property, prior to approval and implementation, in accordance to Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines;

12.  Finally requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2013, an updated report on the state of conservation of the property and the implementation of the above, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 37th session in 2013, with a view to considering, in the case of confirmation of the ascertained or potential danger to Outstanding Universal Value, or in case that no intervention will be undertaken as a matter of urgency to prevent any further collapse of the summit of the mountain, the possible inscription of the property on the List of World Heritage in Danger.

1.   Recalling the high-level UNESCO mission to the State Party of Mali that was sent in May 2012 at the decision of the Director-General of UNESCO, in response to the disastrous occupation of the cultural property of the Timbuktu shrines by armed groups, and met with the senior government officials, including the Prime Minister and the Minister of Culture in order to offer support to the people of Mali,

2.   Further recalling that during the UNESCO high-level mission, both the Government of Mali and UNESCO agreed to reinforce the protection of all cultural properties which are fundamental for the preservation of the Malian culture, described by the Government as both “rich and tolerant, and forming an integral part of the heritage of humanity”,

3.   Welcoming the declaration of the Secretary General of the United Nations of 1 July 2012 supporting the efforts of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the countries of the region to assist the people of Mali to resolve the crisis,

4.   Noting with great sadness the destruction of the mausoleums which are part of the World Heritage property of Timbuktu,

5.   Expresses its gratitude to the international community for the manifestations of concern and for the appeals for the cessation of these repugnant acts of destruction;

6.   Strongly condemns these acts of destruction and calls upon the perpetrators responsible to immediately halt these unacceptable actions;

7.   Rejects any correlation between the recent inscription of the property of the Timbuktu shrines on the List of World Heritage in Danger and the acts of vandalism that are being perpetrated, which deprive the world and future generations from enjoying Mali’s precious heritage;

8.   Calls upon the international community, to provide the support required at the request of the State Party of Mali in ensuring that its cultural properties are conserved and protected for present and future generations;

9.   Requests the Director-General of UNESCO to consider the creation of a Special Fund to assist Mali in its efforts to support the conservation of its cultural heritage, and to this end, appeals to all Member States of UNESCO, to the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to provide financial resources to this Fund;

10.   Further requests the Director-General of UNESCO to dispatch a mission to Mali when possible, with a view to assessing, together with the national authorities concerned and the local authorities, the extent of the damage to and destruction of the property and the urgent conservation needs in order to safeguard its integrity and its Outstanding Universal Value;

11.  Decides to apply the Reinforced monitoring mechanism to the property and to report back to the World Heritage Committee;

12.  Decides that a report on progress made in that context be submitted to the World Heritage Committee at its 37th session for consideration and follow-up action

1.Having examined document WHC-12/36.COM/7C,

2.Recalling Decisions 35 COM 7C and 35 COM 12E adopted at its 35th session (UNESCO, 2011),

Significant factors negatively impacting the Outstanding Universal Value

3.Takes note of the statistical analysis and encourages the World Heritage Centre to continue with the production of such informative data, including regional analyses;

Recurrent conservation issues

4.Also takes note of the completion of the independent review process on extractive industries and World Heritage properties as a contribution to the Policy Guidelines development and invites the World Heritage Centre to disseminate this review as widely as possible;

Disaster risk reduction

5.Requests States Parties to make every endeavor to take into consideration disaster risks, including from human-induced hazards, in the management plans and systems for the World Heritage properties located in their territories;  

6.Also requests the World Heritage Centre, with the support of the Advisory Bodies, to continue working with global and regional institutions involved in disaster risk management, with an aim to mainstream a concern for heritage within their policies and programmes as well as in UN-led processes such as the Post-Disaster-Needs-Assessment (PDNA);

Follow-up to decisions 35 COM 7C and 35 COM 12E

7.Further takes note of the information provided regarding the recognition for the protectors of World Heritage properties in conflict and post-conflict zones, including through the use of blue/green berets or other appropriate insignia;

8.Takes note furthermore of the correspondence process in place to increase dialogue between the States Parties, the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies regarding conservation issues at World Heritage properties;

9.Thanks the Government of Flanders for its support to the establishment of a “state of conservation information system” hosted on the World Heritage Centre’s website and further requests the World Heritage Centre to present a progress report on the database and its access online, during the 37th session of the World Heritage Committee in 2013;

Other conservation issues not reported on at the 36th session under Items 7A and 7B

10.  Expresses its concern with regard to the state of conservation of World Heritage property of “Archaeological Areas of Pompei, Herculaneum and Torre Annuziata” and urges the State Party of Italy to intensify its efforts towards implementing the Committee’s decision taken at its 35th session (UNESCO, 2011);

11.  Extends its sympathy to the victims of the earthquake in northern Italy; also encourages the State Party of Italy to continue its important efforts for the assessment of the damage occurred and for the planning and implementation of the necessary remedial measures, including with a view to strengthening the overall resilience of the three properties in the future against all possible hazards; and requests furthermore the State Party of Italy to provide to the World Heritage Centre updated information on the situation and to coordinate with the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies possible initiatives for the recovery and restoration of the three affected properties;

12.   Finally requests the State Party of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to halt the proposed development of a golf resort at the World Heritage property “Giant’s Causeway and Causeway Coast” until its potential impact on the Outstanding Universal Value of the World Heritage property has been assessed.

1.  Having examined Documents WHC-12/36.COM/8B and WHC-12/36.COM/INF.8B2,

2.   Inscribes the Chengjiang Fossil Site, China, on the World Heritage List on the basis of criterion (viii);

3.  Adopts the following Statement of Outstanding Universal Value:

Brief synthesis

The Chengjiang Fossil Site, located in the Province of Yunnan, China, conserves fossil remains which are of exceptional significance. The rocks and fossils of the Chengjiang Fossil Site present an outstanding and extraordinarily preserved record that testifies to the rapid diversification of life on Earth during the early Cambrian period, 530 million years before present. In this geologically short interval, almost all major groups of animals had their origins. The diverse geological evidence from the Chengjiang Fossil Site presents fossil remains of the highest quality of preservation and conveys a complete record of an early Cambrian marine community. It is one of the earliest records of a complex marine ecosystem and a unique window of understanding into the structure of early Cambrian communities.

Criterion (viii): The Chengjiang Fossil Site presents an exceptional record of the rapid diversification of life on Earth during the early Cambrian period, 530 million years before present. In this geologically short interval almost all major groups of animals had their origins. The property is a globally outstanding example of a major stage in the history of life, representing a palaeobiological window of great significance.

The exceptional palaeontological evidence of the Chengjiang Fossil Site is unrivalled for its rich species diversity. To date at least 16 phyla, plus a variety of enigmatic groups, and about 196 species have been documented. Taxa recovered range from algae, through sponges and cnidarians to numerous bilaterian phyla, including the earliest known chordates. The earliest known specimens of several phyla such as cnidarians, ctenophores, priapulids, and vertebrates occur here. Many of the taxa represent the stem groups to extant phyla and throw light on characteristics that distinguish major taxonomic groups.

The property displays excellent quality of fossil preservation including the soft and hard tissues of animals with hard skeletons, along with a wide array of organisms that were entirely soft-bodied, and therefore relatively unrepresented in the fossil record. Almost all of the soft-bodied species are unknown elsewhere. Fine-scale detailed preservation includes features as the alimentary systems of animals, for example of the arthropod Naraoia, and the delicate gills of the enigmatic Yunnanozoon. The sediments of Chengjiang provide what are currently the oldest known fossil chordates, the phylum to which all vertebrates belong.

The fossils and rocks of the Chengjiang Fossil Site, together, present a complete record of an early Cambrian marine community. It is one of the earliest records of a complex marine ecosystem, with food webs capped by sophisticated predators. Moreover, it demonstrates that complex community structures had developed very early in the Cambrian diversification of animal life, and provides evidence of a wide range of ecological niches. The property thus provides a unique window of understanding into the structure of early Cambrian communities.

Integrity

The property has clear boundaries including the most significant rock exposures of the region, and has a buffer zone that provides wider protection to the property. It is noted that fossil evidence is provided in some sites that lie outside the property boundaries and its buffer zone, and these areas need to receive appropriate wider protection and are important to provide context for the property.

Prior to 2004, 14 phosphate mining operations occurred in the buffer zone of the property. Since 2008 they have all been closed down. The process of rehabilitating these former mining sites is ongoing and will take some considerable time. No mining activities have actually impacted on the property itself and the ongoing commitment of County and Provincial governments to not open or re-open mines within the property or its buffer zone are critical to protect the values of the property.

Various excavations have occurred within the property in relation to the two key fossil sites. At the key stratigraphic section of Xiaolantian, a deep excavation has been made to create a walkway. Additionally, a museum has been built at Miaotanshan, over the site of the first Chengjiang Fauna fossil discovery. Both the path and museum construction have had impacts on the integrity of the site. The State Party has introduced a process for systematic review and approval for any development which may impact on the site. Moreover, the management authority has completely restricted future infrastructure development in the property.

Protection and management requirements

The Chengjiang Fossil Site is state-owned and protected under the Article 9 of the constitution of the People’s Republic of China and by various laws including the Environmental Protection Law of the People’s Republic of China (2002), the Law of the People’s Republic of China on Cultural Relic Protection (2002), the regulations on the management of paleontological specimens (Ministry of Land and Resources, 2002), regulations on the protection and management of geological relics (1995) and the regulation on the protection of Yunnan Chengjiang Fauna Fossil (1997).

The property is designated as a protected area ensuring that potentially damaging human activities within the site can be prevented. The area is largely covered with secondary forest and shrub and there is no industrial activity or permanent human habitation within the boundary. The property lies entirely within a Chinese National Geopark.

There is an effective management plan, supported by a dedicated and adequately staffed and resourced management body. The Chengjiang Fossil Site Management Institute is responsible for coordinating on-site management of the protected area. The property protection strategy includes a National Geopark zoning plan which affords adequate protection to key fossil sites, supported by staffing for implementation. The finances of the Chengjiang Fossil Site come largely from national sources and are supplemented by smaller contributions at the City and County levels. Stable and special funding for the ongoing management of the property is adequate to address ongoing protection, promotion and presentation of the property. The property has an established monitoring programme including defined indicators for the conservation of this property, and which needs to be integrated with monitoring of the protection of the wider surroundings of the property. The need for ongoing and effective curation of fossil specimens collected from the property, to the highest international standards, is fully recognised and provided for by the State Party.

Visitor numbers are anticipated to increase from a few thousand (4-5,000) individuals in 2012, most of whom are locals or individuals from neighbouring areas and visiting scientists. Increased visitation to the property requires effective management strategies and the provision of guides, designation of restricted areas, and strict restrictions on fossil collecting. It will be essential to carefully regulate visitor numbers within the capacity of the property. The anticipated maximum numbers at the time of inscription were estimated at c.30-40,000 people. There is a need to assure effective land-use planning in areas surrounding the property in order to secure its long-term conservation, including the conservation of fossil sites in the surrounding area that provide context for understanding the value of the property.

4.  Commends the State Party on its continued and responsive efforts to improve protection and management of the property and on increasing conservation investments;

5.   Requests the State Party to:

a) Continue to strengthen and enhance land-use planning to avoid further impacts to the values and integrity of the property and its buffer zones,

b)  Ensure proactive tourism management in anticipation of increased future visitation, and to ensure that visitation remains within the capacity of the property,

c)  Ensure any proposed infrastructure development and excavations are sympathetic to the site’s values and are subject to rigorous prior impact assessments, to determine if they are appropriate, including via reporting to the World Heritage Committee in line with paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines;

6.   Strongly encourages strengthened management and protection of important fossil sites and strata bearing Chengjiang biota in the wider region to complement research and further the understanding of this significant stage of Earth’s history. Enhanced land-use planning as well as management and protection through national and provincial laws is imperative to ensure that the fossil record in the wider landscape is protected, as it provides important context for the comprehension of the property.

1.   Having examined Documents WHC-12/36.COM/8B and WHC-12/ 36.COM/INF.8B2,

2.   Inscribes the Western Ghats, India, on the World Heritage List, on the basis of criteria (ix) and (x);

3.   Adopts the following provisional Statement of Outstanding Universal Value:

Brief synthesis

The Western Ghats are internationally recognized as a region of immense global importance for the conservation of biological diversity, besides containing areas of high geological, cultural and aesthetic values. A chain of mountains running parallel to India’s western coast, approximately 30-50 km inland, the Ghats traverse the States of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra and Gujarat. These mountains cover an area of around 140,000 km² in a 1,600 km long stretch that is interrupted only by the 30 km Palghat Gap at around 11°N.

Older than the great Himalayan mountain chain, the Western Ghats of India are a geomorphic feature of immense global importance. The outstanding universal values of the Western Ghats are manifested in the region’s unique and fascinating influence on large-scale biophysical and ecological processes over the entire Indian peninsula. The high mountains of the Western Ghats and their characteristic montane forest ecosystems influence the Indian monsoon weather patterns that mediate the warm tropical climate of the region, presenting one of the best examples of the tropical monsoon system on the planet. The Ghats act as a key barrier, intercepting the rain-laden monsoon winds that sweep in from the south-west during late summer. A significant feature of the Western Ghats is their exceptionally high level of biological diversity and endemism. This mountain chain is recognized as one of the world’s eight ‘hottest hotspots’ of biological diversity along with Sri Lanka.

The forests of the Western Ghats include some of the best representatives of non equatorial tropical evergreen forests in the world. At least 325 globally threatened (IUCN Red Data List) species occur in the Western Ghats. The globally threatened flora and fauna in the Western Ghats are represented by 229 plant species, 31 mammal species, 15 bird species, 43 amphibian species, 5 reptile species and 1 fish species. Of the total 325 globally threatened species in the Western Ghats, 129 are classified as Vulnerable, 145 as Endangered and 51 as Critically Endangered.

Criterion (ix): The Western Ghats region demonstrates speciation related to the breakup of the ancient landmass of Gondwanaland in the early Jurassic period; secondly to the formation of India into an isolated landmass and the thirdly to the Indian landmass being pushed together with Eurasia. Together with favourable weather patterns and a high gradient being present in the Ghats, high speciation has resulted. The Western Ghats is an “Evolutionary Ecotone” illustrating “Out of Africa” and “Out of Asia” hypotheses on species dispersal and vicariance.

Criterion (x): The Western Ghats contain exceptional levels of plant and animal diversity and endemicity for a continental area. In particular, the level of endemicity for some of the 4-5,000 plant species recorded in the Ghats is very high: of the nearly 650 tree species found in the Western Ghats, 352 (54%) are endemic. Animal diversity is also exceptional, with amphibians (up to 179 species, 65% endemic), reptiles (157 species, 62% endemic), and fishes (219 species, 53% endemic). Invertebrate biodiversity, once better known, is likely also to be very high (with some 80% of tiger beetles endemic). A number of flagship mammals occur in the property, including parts of the single largest population of globally threatened ‘landscape’ species such as the Asian Elephant, Gaur and Tiger. Endangered species such as the lion-tailed Macaque, Nilgiri Tahr and Nilgiri Langur are unique to the area. The property is also key to the conservation of a number of threatened habitats, such as unique seasonally mass-flowering wildflower meadows, Shola forests and Myristica swamps.

Integrity

The 39 component parts of this serial property fall under a number of protection regimes, ranging from Tiger Reserves, National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries, and Reserved Forests. All components are owned by the State and are subject to stringent protection under laws including the Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972, the Indian Forest Act of 1927, and the Forest Conservation Act (1980). Through these laws the components are under the control of the Forestry Department and the Chief Wildlife Warden, thus the legal status is adequate. 40% of the property lies outside of the formal protected area system, mostly in Reserved Forests, which are legally protected and effectively managed. The Forest Conservation Act (1980) provides adequate regulatory framework to protect them from infrastructure development.

Protection and management requirements

Integrating the management of 39 components across 4 States is a challenge, for which a 3-tier governance mechanism will be set up that would operate at the Central, State and Site levels to provide effective coordination and oversight to the 39 components. A Western Ghats Natural Heritage Management Committee (WGNHMC) under the auspices of the Ministry of Environment of Forests (MoEF), Government of India to deal with coordination and integration issues is already functional. All 39 components in the 7 sub-clusters are managed under specific management / working plans duly approved by the State/Central governments.

4.   Commends the State Party on its continued and responsive efforts to improve protection and management of the property and on ensuring better and effective coordination and oversight mechanisms;

5.   Requests the State Party to:

a)   Take into account the outcomes of scientific studies of institutes specialized in the field, and their recommendations,

b)   Ensure proactive tourism management in anticipation of increased future visitation, and to ensure that visitation remains within the capacity of the property,

c)   Ensure any proposed infrastructure developments are subject to rigorous prior impact assessments, to determine if they are appropriate, including via reporting to the World Heritage Committee in line with paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines to the World Heritage Convention,

d)   Establish improved coordination and integration between the components, particularly through the preparation and implementation of an overarching management plan or framework for the serial property as a whole.

1.   Having examined Documents WHC-12/36.COM/8B and WHC-12/36.COM/INF.8B2,

2.   Inscribes the Lena Pillars Nature Park, Russian Federation, on the World Heritage List, on the basis of criterion (viii);

3.   Adopts the following provisional Statement of Outstanding Universal Value:

Brief synthesis

The property of the Lena Pillars Nature Park describes key stories about our planet and the early evolution of life, namely a record of the Cambrian Explosion and the story of the emergence of the frozen ground karst phenomenon.

The property is an outstanding natural property providing an unmatched synthe­sis of Cambrian geological and paleontological data, which serves as the basis for our understanding of the distant past, the evolution of the Earth and of life on our planet during one of the most pivotal and dramatic points of its development.

The property includes valuable geological sites (lower to middle Cambrian strata), paleontological sites (exceptional, rich fossils and biocenoses, including the earliest metazoan reef belt) and unique geomorphological sites (frozen ground karst, thermokarst and sand dunes-tukulans).

Criterion (viii): The property represents the most significant natural monument of the Cambrian Explosion, which was one of the pivotal points in the evolution of life on Earth. Due to the platformal carbonate sedimentation which occurred in the tropical belt without subsequent metamorphic and tectonic transformation, the property preserves the most continuous, fully documented, and richest record of the diversification of skeletal animals and calcified algae from their first appearances until the first mass extinction event. This is documented in parallel by three types of sedimentary basins during the first 35 million years of the Cambrian evolution.

The property comprises the earliest, and the temporally and spatially largest, fossil metazoan reef of the Cambrian world. This reef, being a site of Cambrian diversification, is comparable to the Great Barrier Reef today. The high preservation quality of both skeletal and soft-bodied fossils being coupled with high resolution isotope and palaeomagnetic records, as well as with various well-preserved sedimentary fabrics allows researchers to better understand ecological and evolutionary problems with accuracy comparable to the study of today’s biotas and communities.

The Cambrian carbonates situated within the property are a place of unique ongoing geological processes and the only model of recent frozen ground karst of karst plateaus. The entire rock massif is affected by karst processes of perennially cryotic rocks under extremely continental semi-humid climate conditions. The Lena and Buotama pillars are the only area on the globe where the processes of the fine disintegration of the rocks – cryohydration weathering – dominate the shaping of the relief of carbonate pillars. These karst phenomena are enriched by thermokarst processes developed in the area of a great permafrost thickness (up to 600 m) which led to appearances of alases, a thermokarst feature almost only found in Yakutia. The frozen ground karst in combination with thermokarst is a worldwide unique phenomenon of Eastern Siberia and is outstandingly documented in the property. It is quite different from other karst properties in the World Heritage List, which are located in humid areas. In turn, the semi-humid continental climate conditions are expressed in a formation of tukulans which are eolian sand dunes being developed at almost polar latitudes.

Integrity

Lena Pillars Nature Park presents a single natural site and its main components are inseparably tied with each other by a common origin, history and the dynamics of natural development, and includes all the elements necessary to express its outstanding universal value.

By its size (1,272,150 ha) the property is large enough to support its geological and ecological processes and to ensure the complete representation of the features and processes which convey its significance. In addition local and Republican Resource Preserves adjacent to the Park’s boundaries give additional integrity guarantees for the property.

The property presents an integral system. Natural ecosystems, numerous nature monuments, and also evidence of human activity from ancient times has been sustainably preserved with its boundaries over a long period of time.

The biophysical processes and landform features of the property are intact.

The property includes all the elements essential for maintaining its features. Firstly, a great variety of skerries relief forms: fancy pillars, spires, towers, columns, intertwined with grottos, passages, and caves, stretching along the riverbanks of the Lena and Buotama for dozens of kilometers. The area of the “Lena Pillars Nature Park” has gone through a long and complex period of geological development since Early Cambrian. The property reflects both significant geological processes of surface development and outstanding geomorphological relief features. All significant relief forms of the property are interrelated and interdependent elements in their natural relationships.

Protection and management requirements

The whole property is managed by the Park administration and the staff on the basis of laws and decrees of the Governments of the Russian Federation and of the Republic of Sakha.

Traditional nature management and licensed use of biological resources by local residents from eight communities of small nationalities of the North inhabiting the Park territory (and absolute absence of permanent settlements) present the main condition for conservation of the nature monuments and biological diversity of ecosystems of the property.

In 2011 the management plan for 2012-2016 was drawn up elaborated in conformity with the Order of the Federal Service for Supervision of Natural Resource Usage of the Russian Federation №491 of 03.12. 2007.

4.  Requests the State Party to:

a)   Consider including the Sinyaya component of Lena Pillars Nature Park, and relevant areas of the Lena River that are necessary to strengthen the integrity within the property,

b)   Provide a clear demonstration that the legal regime supporting the property is effective,

c)   Provide a revised long-term management plan for the property which includes a strong programme of awareness devoted to the, geomorphological and geological features, and ensures the necessary scientific skills required to protect and manage these values are in place;

5.   Expresses its appreciation to the State Party, the State Government of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia), and stakeholders, regarding the work that has been done to research, present and protect the values within the Lena Pillars region;

6.   Welcomes the collaborative efforts of the State Party, stakeholders and IUCN during the evaluation of this nomination, and requests that lessons learned during this process are appropriately considered in the reflection on the Future of the Convention;

7.   Further requests the State Party to provide a report to the World Heritage Centre by 1 February 2015 on the progress in implementing the above recommendations for consideration by the World Heritage Committee at its 39th session in 2015.

1.   Having examined Documents WHC-12/36.COM/8B, WHC-12/36.COM/INF.8B1 and WHC-12/36.COM/INF.8B2,

2.   Inscribes the Rock Islands Southern Lagoon, Palau, on the World Heritage List on the basis of criteria (iii), (v), (vii), (ix) and (x);

3.   Adopts the following Statement of Outstanding Universal Value:

Brief synthesis

The Rock Islands Southern Lagoon consists of numerous large and small forested limestone islands, scattered within a marine lagoon protected by a barrier reef. The property lies within Koror State, immediately to the south of Palau’s main volcanic island Babeldaob in the western Pacific Ocean.

The marine site covers 100,200 ha and is characterized by coral reefs and a diversity of other marine habitats, as well as 445 coralline limestone islands uplifted due to volcanism and shaped over time by weather, wind and vegetation. This has created an extremely high habitat complexity, including the highest concentration of marine lakes in the world, which continue to yield new species discoveries. The terrestrial environment is lush and at the same time harsh, supporting numerous endemic and endangered species. Although presently uninhabited, the islands were once home to Palauan settlements, and Palauans continue to use the area and its resources for cultural and recreational purposes. This is regulated through a traditional governance system that remains an important part of national identity.

The islands contain a significant set of cultural remains relating to an occupation over some five thousand years that ended in abandonment. Archaeological remains and rock art sites are found in two island clusters - Ulong and Negmelis, and on three islands - Ngeruktabel, Ngeanges, and Chomedokl.

Remains of former human occupation in caves, including rock art and burials, testifies to seasonal human occupation and use of the marine ecosystem, dating back to 3,100 BP and extending over some 2,500 years.

Permanent stone villages on a few islands, some dating back to between 950 and 500 BP, were occupied for several centuries before being abandoned in the 17th-18th centuries, when the population moved to larger islands. The villages include the remains of defensive walls, terraces and house platforms. The settlements reflect distinctive responses to their local environment and their abandonment demonstrates the consequences of population growth and climate change impacting on subsistence in a marginal environment.

The descendants of the people who moved from the Rock Islands to the main islands of Palau identify with their ancestral islands through oral traditions that record in legends, myths, dances, and proverbs, and traditional place names the land- and seascape of their former homes.

The abandoned islands now provide an exceptional illustration of the way of life of small island communities over more than three millennia and their dependence on marine resources. They also are seen as ancestral realms by the descendants of those who migrated to the main island of Palau and this link is kept alive through oral traditions.

Criterion (iii): The Rock Islands cave deposits, burials, rock art, abandoned remains of stonework villages and middens bear exceptional testimony to the organisation of small island communities and their harvesting of marine resources over some three millennia.

Criterion (v): The abandonment of Rock Island villages in the 17th and 18th centuries demonstrated by the remains of human settlement and evidence of marine harvesting activity in the Rock Islands Southern Lagoon is an exceptional illustration of the intersection and consequences of climate change, population growth, and subsistence behaviour on a society living in a marginal marine environment.

Criterion (vii): The Rock Islands Southern Lagoon contains an exceptional variety of habitats within a relatively limited area. Barrier and fringing reefs, channels, tunnels, caves, arches, and coves, as well as the highest number and density of marine lakes in the world, are home to diverse and abundant marine life. The maze of dome-shaped and green Rock Islands seemingly floating in the turquoise lagoon surrounded by coral reef is of exceptional aesthetic beauty.

Criterion (ix): The Rock Islands Southern Lagoon contains 52 marine lakes, more than at any other site in the world. Furthermore, the marine lakes of the property are at different stages of geological and ecological development, ranging from lakes with high connectivity to the sea to highly isolated lakes with notably different species composition, including unique and endemic species. These features represent an outstanding example of how marine ecosystems and communities develop, and make the lakes valuable as “natural laboratories” for scientific study of evolution and speciation. Five new subspecies of the Mastigias papua jellyfish have been described from these marine lakes, and new species discoveries continue to be made both in the marine lakes as well as in the complex reef habitats of the property.

Criterion (x): The Rock Islands Southern Lagoon has exceptionally high biological and marine habitat diversity. The marine lakes are unique in terms of number, the density at which they occur, and their varying physical conditions. With low fishing pressure, limited pollution and human impact, as well as an exceptional variety of reef habitat, the resilience of reefs of the property makes it a critical area for protection, including as an area important for climate change adaptation of reef biota, and potentially as a source of larvae for reefs in the region. All the endangered megafauna of Palau, 746 species of fish, over 385 species of corals, at least 13 species of sharks and manta rays, 7 species of giant clams, and the endemic nautilus are found in the property, and the forests of the islands include all of Palau’s endemic birds, mammals, herpetofauna and nearly half of Palau’s endemic plants. This makes the area of exceptional conservation value.

Integrity

The property has clear boundaries and includes a large part of the lagoonal and reef habitat surrounding the main islands of Palau, as well as most land of coralline origin occurring within Koror State. This ensures a high degree of replication of habitat type. Although past and present use has altered both marine and terrestrial environments, or at least the abundance of resource species, the present conservation status of the property is good. Activities in and around the property that may impact on it are subject to specific management regulations and/or interventions. The inclusion of waters outside the barrier reef and within Koror State jurisdiction in a buffer zone further increases its ecological integrity.

The property contains a complete representation of the features and processes that convey the value of the property. Most of these elements do not suffer inordinately from development or neglect and are in good condition. However a conservation programme is required to ensure ongoing conservation and maintenance. The property has been largely isolated from human interference since pre-European occupation ceased. They are nevertheless highly vulnerable to uncontrolled tourism activities.

Authenticity

The form and materials of village settlements, burial caves and their setting continue to convey the cultural value of the property. Excavated deposits have been recorded and reburied, and the reports of these campaigns have been lodged with the Koror State Government. To achieve a full understanding of the remains on all the islands will need more survey work.

Oral histories and ongoing cultural traditions in the main island of Palau keep alive the memories of the migration away from the Rock Islands and the histories associated with them.

Protection and management requirements

The legislative framework regulating use and management of the environment and its resources is comprehensive and clear. The area falls in its entirety in Koror State, and the management jurisdiction of Koror State Rangers is well known and respected. Management authorities are operating on relatively reliable revenue from tourism. The strength of traditional value systems including resource governance systems is an asset, and can enable management and zoning that accommodate both cultural/traditional and biodiversity conservation needs. Management objectives and priorities are defined in the Rock Islands Southern Lagoon Management Plan. Both legislative framework and management arrangements are conducive to protecting and maintaining the values of the property.

Cultural sites within the Rock Islands Southern Lagoon are protected under Title 19 ‘Cultural Resources’ by the Historical and Cultural Preservation Act of the Republic of Palau. Underwater archaeological and historical remains are protected under Title 19 as the ‘Palau Lagoon Monument’. All the designated sites within the property should be included on Palau’s National Register of historic places.

The Koror State Department of Conservation and Law Enforcement collaborates with the Palau Historic Preservation Office, Bureau of Arts and Culture in working with locally based agencies and organisations on management and research activities within the property. Koror State Regulations (1994) cover general resource use, recreational activities and the designation of protected areas within the Rock Islands Southern Lagoon. The Rock Islands Use Act was legislated in 1997 to regulate tourist activity in the islands. The laws and regulations are enforced by the Koror State Rangers.

The Rock Islands Southern Lagoon Area Management Plan 2004-2008 was adopted by the Koror State Legislature and Governor in 2005 and is currently under review.

Long term protection and management requirements for the property include the need to prevent negative impacts from tourism, including maintaining access restrictions to vulnerable areas, ensuring visitor numbers are within the capacity of the property, and mitigating adverse effects from development of infrastructure and facilities in Koror. Subsistence and recreational fishing taking place within the property and in designated zones require constant monitoring. However, the property may also be constructively used for research on and preservation of traditional knowledge of the marine environment. Additional needs include maintaining restrictions on development, including aquaculture, within the property and in the vicinity of property boundaries. An adaptive approach to management of the property and the provision for effective long term monitoring including ecosystem health and water quality are necessary in order to maintain the resilience of the property in the face of climate change.

4.   Commends the State Party for its efforts to sustainably manage the property and safeguard its globally significant biodiversity, spiritual, cultural and recreational values, including through modern/statutory as well as traditional/customary governance approaches, and recommends further development of the direct involvement of key stakeholder groups including the tourism industry in management, as well as close and consistent liaison between state and national authorities in managing the property as a part of the national protected area network;

5.   Also commends the State Party for having included all the designated sites within the property on Palau’s National Register of historic places, and having developed a database of identified cultural sites within the property, including archaeological sites, caves, burials, rock art, stone money quarries and villages;

6.   Requests the State Party to embark on a process to address present and potential future negative impacts of tourism on the property and adjacent areas, including through detailed projection of tourism development, careful mitigation planning as well as options for reducing or restricting visitor numbers in vulnerable areas or in the property as a whole;

7.   Encourages the State Party to strengthen and formalize coordination and liaison on science and monitoring in the property among national and overseas organizations, with a view to enhancing the use of such information in the adaptive management of the property;

8.    Strongly encourages the State Party to:

a)   Ensure effective conservation of the values of the property, including but not limited to marine lakes, habitats of unique or threatened species or where new species discoveries continue to be made, as well as particularly important areas such as spawning sites, including through establishment of further strictly protected areas if required,

b)   Complete and approve the new Management Plan, with the involvement of relevant communities, to include:

(i)    a conservation programme for the cultural sites covering access, monitoring, maintenance, research, consolidation, and any necessary physical protection, and provide a timetable for the implementation of this programme;

(ii)   a tourism management strategy;

(iii)  a risk preparedness strategy;

(iv) extension of the key monitoring indicators to include a baseline survey of the rock art, and oral histories.

9.   Recommends that the State Party give further consideration to changing the name of the property to reflect its cultural value.