1. Taking into consideration Rule 8 (Observers) of the Rules of Procedure of the Committee,
   
   
2. Authorizes the participation in the 37th 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-13/37.COM/2;
   
   
3. Further confirms the participation in the 37th 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-13/37.COM/2.

1. Having examined Document WHC-13/37.COM/3A;
2. Adopts the Agenda included in the above-mentioned document.

1.   Having examined Document WHC-13/37.COM/3B.Rev,

2.  Adopts the timetable included in the above-mentioned document.

1. Having examined Document WHC-13/37.COM/5A,

2. Recalling Decision 36 COM 5A.1 adopted at its 36th session (Saint-Petersburg, 2012),

3. Takes note with appreciation of the results of the activities undertaken by the World Heritage Centre over the past year in pursuit of its five strategic objectives as presented in Document WHC-13/37.COM/5A;

4. Notes the consultations between the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies towards the elaboration of a thematic paper proposing to States Parties general guidance regarding the management of their cultural and natural heritage of religious interest, and the progress report on this activity;

5. Also takes note of the establishment of a steering group in charge of coordinating the elaboration of this thematic paper and invites States Parties to support this initiative;

6. Further takes note of the report of the International Expert Meeting on “World Heritage and Indigenous Peoples” (Copenhagen, 20-21 September 2012), following Decision 35 COM 12D , and the report of the Expert Meeting on Visual Integrity (Agra, 6-9 March 2013) and requests the Consultative Body on Operational Guidelines to consider any implications for future revisions of the Operational Guidelines;

7. Welcomes the establishment of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) and encourages the use the network of natural World Heritage sites as priority sites for assessing the state of the planet's biodiversity, its ecosystems and the essential services they provide to society;

8. Also encourages the World Heritage Centre to continue its cooperation with the Biodiversity Liaison Group (BLG) to create further synergies between the Conventions, as well as the joint activities initiated with the Secretariats of the CITES, Ramsar Convention and the Council of Europe, and further requests State Parties to ensure their National Biodiversity Strategy and their Action Plans fully consider the importance of natural World Heritage sites to achieve the Aichi Biodiversity Targets;

9. Finally takes note of progress achieved through the Culture Conventions Liaison Group (CCLG) created by the Assistant Director-General for Culture in 2012 and further encourages it to pursue this work towards enhanced synergies among the Culture Conventions, including on working methods, procedures and in addressing resource issues for statutory meetings.

1.    Having examined Document WHC-13/37.COM/5B,

2.    Recalling Decision 36 COM 5B adopted at its 36th session (Saint-Petersburg, 2012),

3.    Takes note of the reports of the Advisory Bodies (ICCROM, ICOMOS and IUCN) on their activities and expresses its gratitude for the efforts undertaken;

4.    Welcomes the harmonization of the reports by the Advisory Bodies and the comments on the progress made and also takes note of the gaps identified in the implementation of the Convention . 

1. Having examined Document WHC-13/37.COM/5C;
2. Recalling Decisions 33 COM 5A, 34 COM 5C, 35 COM 5D and 36 COM 12B adopted at its 33rd (Seville, 2009), 34th (Brasilia, 2010), 35th (UNESCO, 2011) and 36th (Saint Petersburg, 2012) sessions respectively,
3. Takes note of the Summary of the Director General’s meeting on “The World Heritage Convention : Thinking Ahead” (UNESCO HQs, 2-3 October 2012);
4. Acknowledges the follow-up actions already undertaken and urges to pursue efforts in the framework of the implementation plans of the UNESCO External Auditor and of the Strategic Action Plan 2012-2022 which will be presented to the General Assembly at its 19th session in 2013;
5. Encourages all parties concerned to further enhance and improve dialogue and communication within the framework of the implementation of the Convention’s mechanisms and requests the World Heritage Centre to present a plan and a report on the actions taken and progress achieved at the 38th session of the World Heritage Committee in 2014.

1. Having examined Document WHC-13/37.COM/5D and Document WHC-13/37 COM/INF.5D,
2. Adopts the revised PACT strategy to improve the development of partnerships for World Heritage with the private sector, their implementation and their evaluation through adequate tools and guidelines;
3. Requests the Secretariat to continue to report, in an analytical manner, on the implementation of the PACT strategy by submitting at each regular session of the World Heritage Committee a detailed inventory of on-going and envisaged partnerships as an Annex to the Report of the World Heritage Centre, using the current template.

1. Having examined Document WHC-13/37.COM/5E,
2. Takes note with appreciation of the results of the activities undertaken for the celebration of the 40th anniversary of the World Heritage Convention under the theme “World Heritage and Sustainable Development: the Role of Local Communities”;
3. Requests the World Heritage Centre, in cooperation with the Advisory Bodies and in the framework of the Capacity Building Strategy, to seek extrabudgetary support with a view to the possible establishment, on a biennial basis, of a recognition of a best practice in priority domains of the implementation of the World Heritage Convention ;
4. Also requests the Advisory Bodies in consultation with the Centre to seek extrabudgetary funding to develop, for examination at the next session, a scoping study on the establishment of a Site Management Network to facilitate sharing of best practice heritage management, including on its possible composition and functioning, its added value and cost implications, and report on this within the framework of the item on capacity building;
5. Further requests the World Heritage Centre to build upon the results from the celebration of the 40th Anniversary of the Convention;
6. Finally requests the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies to report on the implementation of the two initiatives within the progress report on the Capacity Building Strategy to be presented at the 38th Committee session in 2014.

1. Having examined Document WHC-13/37.COM/6,

2. Recalling Decisions 35 COM 9B, 36 COM 6 and 36 COM 9B , adopted at its 35th (UNESCO, 2011) and 36th (Saint Petersburg, 2012) sessions respectively,

3. Welcomes the progress made on the implementation of the World Heritage Capacity Building Strategy (WHCBS) and the capacity building activities carried out in 2012 and 2013;

4. Thanks the Government of Switzerland for its continued support for the implementation of the World Heritage Capacity Building Strategy;

5. Calls on all States Parties and other organzations with an interest in capacity building to provide funding and other support for the implementation of the World Heritage Capacity Building Strategy and its associated programmes at the international and regional levels;

6. Acknowledges the very important role that category 2 centres and the capacity-building centres related to World Heritage are playing in the implementation of the WHCBS, and their potential to further contribute to capacity-building in general;

7. Welcomes the progress made by all category 2 centres related to World Heritage in implementing their activities as well as the outcomes of their third coordination meeting (Oslo, 5-8 March 2013), notably the decision by all of them to review, with the support of UNESCO, their strategies and plans by applying the results-based management (RBM) approach so as to ensure that their activities are tied to the overall objectives of UNESCO and the priorities established by the Committee;

8. Further welcomes the proposed strengthening of synergies and cooperation at the regional level between UNESCO category 2 centres and UNESCO Chairs, IUCN regional networks and ICOMOS National Committees, and at the thematic level with ICCROM, ICOMOS International Scientific Committees and the UNESCO UNITWIN Networks;

9. Thanks the Nordic World Heritage Foundation (Oslo, Norway) for having hosted the third annual coordination meeting of category 2 centres related to World Heritage, with financial support from the Norwegian Ministry of Environment;

10. 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 UNESCO category 2 centres related to World Heritage for examination by the Committee at its 38th session in 2014. 

1.  Having examined Documents WHC-13/37.COM/7A, WHC-13/37.COM/7A.Add, WHC-13/37.COM/7A.Add.2, WHC-13/37.COM/7B, WHC-13/37.COM/7B.Add and WHC-13/37.COM/7B.Add.Corr,

I

2.  Expresses its utmost concern about the many conflicts which are affecting World Heritage properties and in particular the recent cases where World Heritage properties are intentionally destroyed by parties involved in the conflict, and the people in charge of their protection targeted;

3.  Takes note of the efforts of the World Heritage Centre and partners to try to minimize the impacts of conflicts on the properties by raising the awareness of the parties concerned and mobilizing financial support for their conservation, and appreciates the United Nations Security Council resolution 2100 of 25 April 2013 to ensure that, for the first time, the protection of cultural and historical sites, in collaboration with UNESCO, has been included in the mandate of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA);

4.  Launches an appeal to UNESCO and to the Parties to The Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict (1954), seeks their support for Mali and their cultural and technical cooperation, in particular for establishing property inventories and also requests the implementation of conservation measures for cultural properties threatened by armed conflict in other countries;

II

5.  Also expresses its utmost concern about the impacts on World Heritage properties due to the rising poaching pressure on African elephants and rhinoceros linked to a growing illicit trade to Asia, fuelled by soaring prices for rhino horn and ivory and the increasing involvement organized crime in this lucrative business;

6.  Welcomes the measures taken by the 16th Conference of the Parties of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) to help address this poaching crisis and requests the World Heritage Centre and IUCN to strengthen its cooperation with the CITES Secretariat to assist States Parties to implement these measures;

III

7.  Also welcomes the relevant conclusions of the “Living with World Heritage in Africa” Conference held in Gauteng, South Africa (26-29 September 2012), which build on the recommendations of the independent review of the “No-go” commitment of the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICCM) concerning mining exploration/exploitation in World Heritage properties, noted in Decision 36 COM 7C ;

8.  Notes with concern the growing impact of the extractive industries on World Heritage properties, and urges all States Parties to the Convention and leading industry stakeholders, to respect the “No-go” commitment by not permitting extractives activities within World Heritage properties, and by making every effort to ensure that extractives companies located in their territory cause no damage to World Heritage properties, in line with Article 6 of the Convention;

9.  Also requests the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies to continue a dialogue with the extractive industries on extending the commitment made by Shell and the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) to not explore or develop oil, gas and mineral resources within World Heritage properties to other companies and parts of the industry, and also to ensure that existing and future operations in areas surrounding World Heritage properties are compatible with the protection of their Outstanding Universal Value and do not threaten their integrity;

IV

10.  Takes note that guidance on impact assessments is now available from the Advisory Bodies for both natural and cultural properties, and that more detailed joint guidelines are needed to provide a comprehensive overview of how the results of these assessments can be successfully integrated into decision-making processes for land-use planning;

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11. Thanks the State Party of the Netherlands, and the European Union for their support for the publication of the Managing Natural Heritage Resource Manual in printed versions and encourages other States Parties to the Convention to support translation and dissemination of this resource manual in a range of regional languages.

1. Having examined Document WHC-13/37.COM/7A,
2. Recalling Decision 36 COM 7A.1 adopted at its 36th session (Saint-Petersburg, 2012),
3. Takes note with satisfaction of the adoption by the countries of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) of a Plan of Extreme Emergency Anti-Poaching in the northern zone of Central Africa as well as the agreement being validated between the Central African Republic, Chad and Cameroon to combat large-scale transfrontier poaching and launches an appeal to the States Parties concerned for this agreement to be signed without delay, so that effective actions may be established immediately and that Sudan and South Soudan be associated as soon as possible in this dynamic;
4. Reiterates its utmost concern regarding the continued insecurity problems within the property due to the political situation in Central African Republic and the collateral repercussions of conflict in the neighbouring countries;
5. Considers that the delay in the preparation of the emergency plan to safeguard the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property, the prevalence of poaching and the impacts of transhumant livestock, increase the risks of the disappearance of all the flagship species of large mammals in the property, and thus possibly calling into question the OUV for which the property was inscribed;
6. Notes , nevertheless, that there still remains a potential for regeneration of the populations of fauna from the relict pockets of biodiversity adjacent to the property, but recalls with concern that this potential remains very fragile, and could rapidly disappear if security in the region and an effective control of poaching are not guaranteed;
7. Reiterates its request to the State Party to prepare an emergency action plan based on the corrective measures adopted by the Committee at its 33rd session (Seville, 2009) and the guidelines contained in the conclusion of the present report;
8. Regrets that the workshop to develop an emergency action plan was postponed due to political instability, and requests the World Heritage Centre to assist in the organization of this workshop before the 38th session in 2014, in a neighbouring country, if the situation in the Central African Republic remains unchanged;
9. Also requests that this workshop considers the feasibility of the restoration of the Outstanding Universal Value of the property under the current conditions of security and draws necessary conclusions on the pertinence of this restoration action;
10. Further requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre by 1 February 2014, a detailed report on the results of the workshop and the preparation, financing and implementation of an emergency plan, for the safeguarding of the Outstanding Universal Value of the property, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 38th session in 2014;
11. Decides to continue to apply the Reinforced Monitoring Mechanism for the property;
12. Also decides to maintain Manovo-Gounda St Floris National Park (Central African Republic) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.

1.    Having examined Document WHC-13/37.COM/7A.Add,

2.    Recalling Decision 36 COM 7.A.2 adopted at its 36th session (Saint-Petersburg, 2012),

3.    Warmly welcomes the important progress accomplished by the State Party in the implementation of certain corrective measures since the normalization of the security situation, notably regaining control of the property by the management authority and the resumption of management and surveillance operations once again;

4.    Regrets that the State Party has still not responded to the Committee request to confirm officially that no mining exploration permit affecting the property has been granted, and requests the State Party to officially confirm that no mining permit, exploration or exploitation, industrial or artisanal, affects the property and to submit the results of the impact studies on the mining permits granted in the northern part of the property on its Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) to the World Heritage Centre, in accordance with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines ;

5.    Notes with concern the conclusion of the IUCN monitoring mission that the OUV for which the property was inscribed on the World Heritage List is greatly degraded and that the populations of key species like the elephant, the chimpanzee and the lion have been reduced to a worrying degree, but notes that the current populations of other species can recover if the appropriate conditions are reunited, and therefore the OUV can be recuperated;

6.    Also requests the State Party to carry out an aerial inventory without delay to confirm the status of the populations of flagship species that motivated the inscription of the property and to repeat it at least once every two years to monitor the rehabilitation of the populations;

7.    Takes note of the draft Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger, and urges the State Party in cooperation with IUCN to define the value indicators once the inventory data is made available;

8.    Strongly urges the State Party to implement the corrective measures as highlighted by the monitoring mission, notably:

a) Complete the development and rehabilitation of the necessary infrastructure for the effective control and patrolling of the property, including the establishment of staffed and equipped control posts in all the sectors of the Park,

b) Approve and implement the Management Plan for the property, as well as the three-year Rehabilitation Plan, taking specific note of the following points:

(i) Define the boundaries of all the proposed zones in the provisional zoning of the property and the activities allowed and forbidden in each zone,

(ii) Establish provisions for the formalization and responsibilization of the participatory management structures within all the villages that surround the property, including the control and monitoring of the property,

c) Finalise the restoration of the integrity of the property, totally excluding cattle in the Park, combating agricultural encroachment in all the sectors of the property and in rehabilitating the degraded land;

9.    Further requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2014 , a detailed report on the state of conservation of the property and the implementation of the corrective measures for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 38th session in 2014;

10.  Decides to retain the Comoé National Park (Côte d’Ivoire) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.

1.  Having examined Document WHC-13/37.COM/7A.Add,

2.  Recalling Decision 36 COM 7A.3 , adopted at its 36th session (Saint-Petersburg, 2012),

3.  Takes note of the conclusion of the joint World Heritage Centre/IUCN mission that the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property is still present but that it remains threatened by increasing anthropogenic pressures, notably uncontrolled fires, poaching, destruction of habitats on the periphery of the property, extension of agricultural and forestry practices on the boundaries and inside the property;

4.  Notes with concern the granting of two new mining exploration permits near and/or overlapping the Guinean part of the property with cumulative impacts that could threaten the integrity of the property and urges the Guinea State Party to review the boundaries of the nickel exploration permits for the SAMA Resources Company to exclude the zone inside the property;

5.  Requests the two States Parties that no new mining exploration or exploitation permits located around the property be granted without a Strategic Environmental Impact Study (EIES) be carried out to assess the impacts, including cumulative of these projects;

6.  Recalls its request to the two States Parties that:

a)  the EIES of the mining projects located in the mining enclave or the immediate boundary of the property be carried out in accordance with the highest international standards and in close consultation with all the stakeholders,

b)  these EIES must qualify and quantify the potential impacts of these projects on the OUV of the project, at each stage of their cycle, including the construction and exploitation, taking into account their cumulative and collateral impacts linked to the treatment at site of the minerals and their transport, as well as socio-economic changes to be expected,

c)  these EIES should be submitted to the World Heritage Centre for evaluation by IUCN prior to any decision based on their conclusions and recommendations, in conformity with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines ;

7.  Warmly welcomes the slight progress accomplished in the implementation of some of the corrective measures by the two States Parties, but also takes note of the conclusion of the reactive monitoring mission of 2013 that there remains an important effort to be made to achieve the restoration of the integrity of the property and conserve the OUV over the long term;

8.  Also requests the two States Parties to implement the corrective measures as updated by the 2013 mission, notably:

a)  Finalize the geo-referencing of the Park boundaries, correct and concretize these boundaries on the ground and submit a precise map to the World Heritage Committee at its next session,

b)  Restore the integrity of the cleared parts of the property, notably by the suppression of illegally planted crops with the ecological restoration of the degraded areas,

c)  Reinforce the management capacity of the Guinean Office for Biological Diversity and Protected Areas (OGUIDAP) and the Ivorian Parks and Reserves Authority (OIPR), notably by providing them with a operating budget for the site, increasing the number of surveillance staff, their capacities, their presence on the ground and technical resources, notably in transportation and arms and amunition,

d)  Create a buffer zone around the property in collaboration with local communities to enable an effective conservation of the OUV of the property, resorting to the establishment of communal forests,

e)  Strengthen actions to benefit local communities, promoting socio-economic activities compatible with the preservation of the OUV of the property, preferably in the outlying areas further away from the boundaries,

f)   Establish a harmonized ecological monitoring mechanism between OGUIDAP and OIPR in the two parts of the property,

g)  Finalize and implement the management plans of the two parts of the property located in both countries and prepare a master plan establishing a general vision of the management of the whole property, that will serve for the local, public and private donors, including the mining companies, an action plan for conservation of the property and the sustainable socio-economic development of its periphery, to strengthen the visibility of the property and its OUV,

h)  Organize joint surveillance operations between OGUIDAP and OIPR throughout the property,

i)   Establish a permanent funding mechanism for conservation of the property and the sustainable socio-economic development of its periphery;

9.  Recommends that a second phase of the UNDP/GEF programme for the conservation of biological diversity of Mont Nimba be developed, extended to the Ivorian part of the property to assist the two States Parties in the full implementation of these corrective measures;

10.  Commends the States Parties of Guinea, Côte d’Ivoire and Liberia for the efforts undertaken to implement a trans-boundary cooperation for the Mont Nimba Massif and encourages them to formalize this cooperation by a signature of the prepared framework agreement in the near future;

11.   Notes that in the absence of data on the current state of the biological values of the property that would enable the definition of appropriate indicators, the mission was not in a position to define the Desired State of Conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger and further requests the States Parties, with support from the World Heritage Centre and IUCN, to develop it as soon as an operational ecological monitoring mechanism of the state and tendencies of evolution of the property is established;

12.   Requests furthermore the two States Parties to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2014 , a detailed report on the state of conservation of the property and the progress accomplished in the implementation of the corrective measures and other recommendations of the 2013 mission, as well as on progress in the environmental and social impact studies linked to mining exploitation, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 38th session in 2014;

13.   Decides to retain the Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve (Côte d’Ivoire and Guinea) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.

1.  Having examined Document WHC-13/37.COM/7A.Add,

2.  Recalling Decision 36 COM 7A.4 adopted at its 36th session (Saint-Petersburg, 2012),

3.  Addresses its most sincere condolences to the families of the guards killed in operations for the protection of the Park;

4.  Expresses its utmost concern as to the degradation of the security situation that has serious repercussions on the state of conservation of the property, notably the loss of control of a part of the property, the increase in organized and armed poaching, and the illegal occupation of several parts of the property with the risk of cancelling the progress accomplished in the implementation of the corrective measures;

5.  Recalls the commitments taken by the Congolese Government in the Kinshasa Declaration of January 2011, notably regarding the security of the World Heritage properties and the strengthening of ICCN operational capacities;

6.  Reiterates its deep concern that the State Party has not yet revised the authorizations for petroleum exploration in the Park, as requested in its Decision 36 COM 7A.4 , and on the consequences of the declaration of the Minister of Environment indicating that the government envisaged de-gazetting a part of the Park for petroleum exploitation;

7.  Expresses its serious concern regarding the project for a new Hydrocarbons Code that would allow petroleum exploitation in protected areas, including World Heritage properties, and requests the State Party to renounce this project;

8.  Reiterates its request to the State Party to cancel all the oil exploitation permits granted within the property and recalls the incompatibility of oil and mining exploitation and exploration with World Heritage status;

9.  Also recalls its appeal to the TOTAL and SOCO companies to subscribe to the commitments already accepted by SHELL and ICMM (International Council on Mining and Metals) not to undertake petroleum or mining exploration or exploitation within World Heritage properties, and its request to States Parties to the Convention to do their utmost to ensure that the mining or petroleum companies established on their territories do not damage World Heritage properties, in accordance with Article 6 of the Convention;

10.   Also requests the State Party to invite a joint World Heritage Centre/IUCN reactive monitoring mission to assess the state of conservation of the property and notably the status of the petroleum exploration projects and the impact of the security situation on the property and, if necessary, to revise the corrective measures and their timetable;

11.  Further requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2014 , a detailed report on the state of conservation of the property, including an update of the progress accomplished in the implementation of the corrective measures, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 38th session in 2014;

12. Decides to continue the application of the Reinforced Monitoring Mechanism of the property;

13.  Also decides to retain Virunga National Park (Democratic Republic of the Congo) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.

1. Having examined Document WHC-13/37.COM/7A,
2. Recalling Decision 36 COM 7A.5 , adopted at its 36th session (Saint-Petersburg, 2012),
3. Expresses its utmost concern about the renewed insecurity as a result of the infiltration of armed groups which has led to the suspension of surveillance in the lowland sector, covering 90% of the property;
4. Considers that there is a significant risk that the achievements made in implementing the corrective measures will again be lost and notes that restoring security is the pre-condition for implementing the corrective measures and restoring the Outstanding Universal Value of the property;
5. Strongly urges the State Party to take all necessary measures to restore security in the area and evacuate armed groups from the property in line with the commitments made in the Kinshasa Declaration and in order to create the conditions to allow the protected area management authority “Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature” (ICCN) to restore the surveillance in the entire property and continue the implementation of the corrective measures adopted by the World Heritage Committee at its 34th session (Brasilia, 2010);
6. Takes note of the establishment of an inter-ministerial committee to deal with land use disputes and reiterates its request to the State Party to cancel land rights illegally granted in the property as well as mining concessions encroaching on the property, in conformity with the commitments made in the Kinshasa Declaration;
7. Reiterates its position that mining and oil exploration and exploitation are incompatible with World Heritage status;
8. Also reiterates its request to the State Party to carry out as soon as possible a survey of the main populations of wildlife in the lowland sectors of the property to enable an assessment of the state of the Outstanding Universal Value and the establishment of a timetable for the rehabilitation of the property;
9. Requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre by 1 February 2014 , a report on the state of conservation of the property, including an update on the security situation in the property, mining concessions and land rights granted on the territory of the property, progress accomplished in the resolution of the problem of illegal occupation of the ecological corridor and in the implementation of the corrective measures, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 38th session in 2014;
10. Decides to maintain the Reinforced monitoring mechanism for 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.

1. Having examined Document WHC-13/37.COM/7A,
2. Recalling Decision 36 COM 7A.6 adopted at its 36th session (Saint-Petersburg, 2012),
3. Expresses its utmost concern regarding the alarming reduction of the elephant population by 85% compared to the number present at the time of inscription of the site on the World Heritage List, and the fact that the presence of the Northern White Rhinoceros in the property remains unconfirmed;
4. Regrets the increase in poaching due to persistent pockets of armed groups, notably the ”Lord’s Resistance Army” (LRA) as well as the network of well equipped and heavily armed professional poachers and notes that the lack of arms and amunition continues to pose important risks for the guards during patrols;
5. Commends the efforts of the management authority and its partners to extend the surveillance area  well as efforts to strengthen the guard numbers, provide equipment, train and establish a rapid intervention team to respond to the poaching crisis;
6. Recalls the commitments taken by the Congolese Government in the Kinshasa Declaration of January 2011, specifically regarding security of the World Heritage properties and strengthening of the operational capacities of the Congolese Nature Conservation Institute (ICCN), and the availability of arms and ammunitions for surveillance activities;
7. Requests the State Party to continue its efforts to implement the corrective measures to rehabilitate the Outstanding Universal Value of the property;
8. Also requests the State Party, based on the results of the survey of large mammal populations and in consultation with the World Heritage Centre and IUCN, to finalize the Desired State of Conservation of the property for removal from the List of World Heritage in Danger and update the required timetable, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 38th session in 2014;
9. Further requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre by 1 February 2014 , a detailed report on the state of conservation of the property, including an update of progress achieved in the implementation of the corrective measures, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 38th session in 2014;
10. Decides to continue the application of the Reinforced Monitoring Mechanism for the property;
11. Also decides to retain Garamba National Park (Democratic Republic of the Congo) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.

1. Having examined Document WHC-13/37.COM/7A,
2. Recalling Decision 36 COM 7A.7 , adopted at its 36th session (Saint-Petersburg, 2012),
3. Warmly welcomes the important efforts of the State Party to secure the property and reduce large-scale poaching, notably elephants, enabling the management authority to regain control of 80% of the property;
4. Takes note of the progress reported by the property managers and their partners concerning the participatory management of the natural resources and their involvement in the marking of the property;
5. Considers that it will need time to establish an effective management of the site in view of the vast area, logistical problems, available budgets and the security situation that, despite improvements, remains an important challenge;
6. Urges the State Party to continue to implement the corrective measures, as updated by the World Heritage Centre/IUCN joint reactive monitoring mission in 2012 to rehabilitate the Outstanding Universal Value of the property;
7. Requests the State Party to carry out inventories of the flagship species to quantify the state of the Outstanding Universal Value of the property, establish a Desired State of Conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger, and a realistic timetable;
8. Reiterates its request to the State Party to provide detailed information on the oil exploration and exploitation projects in the central basin that risk encroaching on the property and recalls its position on the incompatibility of mining and oil exploration and exploitation with World Heritage status;
9. Also requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre by 1 February 2014 a detailed report on the state of conservation of the property and progress achieved in the implementation of the corrective measures for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 38th session in 2014;
10. Decides to continue to apply the Reinforced Monitoring Mechanism;
11. Also decides to retain Salonga National Park (Democratic Republic of the Congo) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.

1. Having examined Document WHC-13/37.COM/7A.Add,
2. Recalling Decision 36 COM 7A.7 , adopted at its 36th session (Saint-Petersburg, 2012),
3. Expresses its deep concern at the continued deterioration of the security situation in the property, the total loss of control of the southern part and its buffer zone, invaded by Simba rebels, increased poaching and the reopening of artisanal mining sites and considers that if this situation continues it is likely to destroy all progress made over the past five years;
4. Notes with concern the results of the 2010/2011 inventories that show that the degradation of the Outstanding Universal Value continues and that the impact of the current insecurity may further aggravate the situation;
5. Expresses its appreciation to the field staff of the site who, at great risk, continue efforts for the conservation of the site, and notes that the guards continue to lack the necessary material support, arms and munitions,  to deal with heavily armed poachers;
6. Recalls the commitments made by the Congolese Government in the Kinshasa Declaration in January 2011, notably securing World Heritage properties and the strengthening of the operational capacity of the Congolese wildlife authority ICCN, including the provision of material support, arms and munitions for monitoring activities;
7. Requests the State Party to continue its efforts to implement the corrective measures and the emergency plan of the Okapi Wildlife Reserve to halt the degradation of the Outstanding Universal Value of the property and begin its rehabilitation;
8. Also requests 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 progress in the implementation of corrective measures, to evaluate the Desired state of conservation for removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger, and if necessary to revise the corrective measures and their implementation schedule accordingly, taking into account the evolution of the situation on the ground;
9. Further requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2014 , a detailed report on the state of conservation of the property, including an update on progress made in the implementation of corrective measures, for consideration by the World Heritage Committee at its 38th session in 2014;
10. Decides 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.

1. Having examined Document WHC-13/37.COM/7A.Add,
2. Recalling Decision 36 COM 7A.36 adopted at its 36th session (Saint-Petersburg, 2012),
3. Welcomes the establishment of an inter-ministerial committee, a framework agreement with the Mining Cadaster and the progress made in the establishment of the Trust Fund, also known as "Okapi Fund";
4. Notes with concern the worsening of insecurity in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the impacts on the Outstanding Universal Value of the World Heritage properties in this region;
5. Reiterates its request to ensure the full implementation of the commitments made in the Declaration of Kinshasa, and the implementation of the Strategic Action Plan, and requests the State Party to allocate to the inter-ministerial committee, the necessary technical and financial means to ensure adequate monitoring;
6. Expresses its deep concern about the Hydrocarbons Code project that could make possible oil exploration activities in the protected areas and the World Heritage properties, contrary to the commitments made by the State Party in the Kinshasa Declaration and urges the State Party to ensure that the status of protection of World Heritage properties is maintained;
7. Also reiterates its request to the State Party to review its mining and oil exploration and exploitation permits to exclude World Heritage properties, and not to grant them within the boundaries of the DRC properties, and recalls the incompatibility of mining and oil exploration and exploitation with World Heritage status;
8. Also warmly welcomes the support of donor countries to the conservation of the five DRC properties, and calls on the international community to continue its support in the implementation of the corrective measures and the Strategic Action Plan to create the conditions necessary for the rehabilitation of the Outstanding Universal Value of the five properties of the DRC;
9. Requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2014 , a detailed report on the implementation of the Kinshasa Declaration, the status of mining and oil exploration and exploitation permits which affect the World Heritage properties, as well as on the Hydrocarbons Code, for consideration by the World Heritage Committee at its 38th session in 2014.

1. Having examined Document WHC-13/37.COM/7A.Add,
2. Recalling Decision 36 COM 7A.9 , adopted at its 36th session (Saint-Petersburg, 2012),
3. Welcomes the report by the State Party that the re-gazettal of the Simien Mountains National Park in its revised boundaries is almost completed as well as the efforts to strengthen the management effectiveness of the property and to implement the recommendations of previous monitoring missions;
4. Also welcomes the successful organization of the donor conference and requests the State Party to follow up with the interested donors in order to mobilize the additional funding necessary to implement key outstanding corrective measures, in particular the grazing pressure reduction strategy and alternative livelihoods strategies;
5. Notes with appreciation the support already provided by different donors to assist the State Party with the implementation of the corrective measures, in particular by the Austrian Development Cooperation, Spain and UNDP and renews its call to the International Community to increase the financial support for this effort;
6. Urges the State Party to continue its current efforts to implement the three remaining outstanding corrective measures, as requested by the Committee in its previous decisions, in particular:
   1. finalize the gazettal of the extended park boundaries into national law,
   2. implement an effective grazing reduction strategy,
   3. provide alternative livelihoods for those who currently depend on cultivation and other forms of resource use within the property;
7. Encourages the State Party to request international assistance from the World Heritage Fund to review the Grazing Pressure Reduction Strategy in order to identify priorities for immediate implementation as recommended by the 2009 monitoring mission;
8. Requests the World Heritage Centre and IUCN to provide advice to the State Party on the preparation of a proposal for boundary modification of the World Heritage property once the re-gazettal is completed, to reflect the new boundaries of the National Park and for which financial assistance has been provided from the World Heritage Fund;
9. Recommends that the State Party establish a programme to monitor and report on the six indicators of the Desired state of conservation for removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger to evaluate progress in restoring the ecological integrity and Outstanding Universal Value of the property;
10. Also requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2014 , a report on the state of conservation of the property, in particular on progress accomplished in the implementation of the outstanding corrective measures and the recommendations of the 2009 mission, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 38th session in 2014;
11. Decides to retain the Simien National Park (Ethiopia) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.