20. With reference to the archaeological site of Leptis Magna (Libyan Arab Jamahiriya), a member of the Committee noted that flooding of the Wadi Lebda, which sporadically affects the monuments of ancient Leptis, was a known phenomenon. Reports on this phenomenon by Italian specialists, especially the Centro Nazionale per le Ricerche (CNR) in Rome, should be consulted. In this regard, it would be advisable to contact Professor Antonino Di Vita, Director of the Italian School of Athens, a leading specialist on the Leptis site and its problems.

21. The Committee accepted the Secretariat's proposals concerning the continuation of the monitoring system. The mailing of a third series of questionnaires was thus postponed, and the Committee decided that the questionnaires already received would be analyzed. A sample of the worksheets prepared on the basis of the analysis will be submitted to the Bureau at its fifteenth session. The Committee also noted with satisfaction the Secretariat's initiative in starting a programme for the systematic diagnosis of World Heritage cultural sites. Because a UNDP project is already under way in Latin America and the Caribbean, the experiment will be launched in this region.

22. With reference to this same region, a Committee member reported that the UNDP-Unesco Project Coordinator will organize practical training in monitoring in 1991. This is an excellent initiative to be cited as an example, especially for ICCROM, which could plan similar training in the coming years.

23. The Committee carefully examined the document produced by ICOMOS as a contribution to the monitoring of world heritage cultural properties. The Committee focused primarily on the Monastery of the Hieronymites and the Tower of Belem, a world heritage site where the construction of a building had begun in the area protected under the Convention. The Secretariat informed the Committee that, having been alerted by various sources, it had immediately brought this matter to the attention of the Portuguese authorities. Deeply concerned about the situation described, the Committee sent a cable to the Portuguese authorities, expressing its fear that the project in question would cause irreparable damage to the world heritage value of the site and offering to organize an expert mission to evaluate the impact of the project.

24. Particularly concerned about the proliferation of such projects, the Committee deemed it advisable to include a paragraph on this topic in the Operational Guidelines encouraging States Parties to increase their vigilance. The following wording was thus adopted for inclusion in the Operational Guidelines: "The World Heritage Committee invites the States Parties to the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage to inform the Committee, through the Unesco Secretariat, of their intention to undertake or to authorize in an area protected under the Convention major restorations or new constructions which may affect the World Heritage value of the property. Notice should be given as soon as possible (for instance, before drafting basic documents for specific projects) and before making any decisions that would be difficult to reverse, so that the Committee may assist in seeking appropriate solutions to ensure that the world heritage value of the site is fully preserved."

The Committee noted with satisfaction that, following the concerns expressed by the Bureau in June 1990 about the possible impact of an irrigation project whereby as much as 75 percent of the waters of the Rapti River would be diverted, the said project was reassessed by the Asian Development Bank and the Government of Nepal and that it would probably be modified significantly to minimize its negative impact on the environment.

The Committee requested the Secretariat and IUCN to monitor the progress of this issue until a final decision is reached and to report to the Bureau at its next session.

The Committee took note of IUCN's concerns about the integrity of this property, which is still threatened by heavy poaching despite an EEC­financed project to restore the park. The Committee also noted that a preliminary report on the implementation of this project should be available within one year and requested the Secretariat and IUCN to continue to monitor the state of conservation of this property.

The Committee took note of the information supplied by IUCN concerning the Mount Nimba mining project and the fact that this project, according to IUCN, would threaten the intrinsic value and integrity which had justified the inscription of this property on the World Heritage List. The IUCN General Assembly, which had just ended in Australia, adopted a resolution urging the Guinean authorities not to allow this project and to implement a development plan for the region which would insure the protection of the site.

The Guinean observer confirmed the Guinean Government's intention to mine iron-ore at this site and noted that the prospect of such mining had always been clearly understood, even at the time this property was inscribed on the World Heritage List. He indicated, however, that the mining area covered only 800 ha and was actually located outside the boundaries of the World Heritage Site, and that its impact on this site would be minimized in accordance with the results of an impact study which would be announced shortly. The Guinean observer also added that the mining operations would provide jobs for the many refugees whose presence on the site now present a threat to its integrity.

The Committee requested the Secretariat to ask the Guinean authorities in writing to confirm, by means of appropriate cartographic documentation, that the mining project is indeed located outside the site inscribed on the World Heritage List; the Committee also requested the Bureau to reexamine this issue at its next session, in the light of the said documentation.

The Committee also wished to ask the two States Parties which have business interests directly involved in the mining project, namely U.S.A. and France, to examine whether Article 6.3 of the World Heritage Convention might apply to this undertaking.

The Committee noted with satisfaction that, in response to the concerns expressed by the Bureau, a comparative environmental impact study of the two road project proposals (through and north of the Park) had been conducted with the financial support of the World Heritage Fund. The study had only just been completed and its results were not yet available for submission to the Committee. The Secretariat will transmit the results to the Bureau at its next session.

The Committee noted with satisfaction the information provided by the Turkish observer concerning the problems of management identified by IUCN. The site had now been designated as a special protected area and the preparation of a new management plan would be discussed at a workshop to be held in 1991 and for which financial assistance may be sought from the World Heritage Fund.

The Committee noted with satisfaction the information provided by the Canadian representative concerning the various threats to this asset which had been identified by IUCN. First, concerning the diseased bison suffering from brucellosis and tuberculosis, the Canadian representative stated that solutions other than the wholesale slaughter of all the herds were being sought in consultation with all the parties concerned, and that the approach now preferred would consist in eliminating only diseased animals and placing the remaining herds under quarantine.

Concerning the dam on the Peace River in British Columbia, it is known to be affecting the hydrological system of the Park. Initially there were a number of floodings which resulted in numbers of bison being drowned. In recent years, the periodic floods which were always a feature of the delta area have been less frequent. None of these changes have had any effect on the nesting areas of the whooping cranes in the Park.

Finally, the proposed pulp mill developments on the river and their tributaries flowing into the Park would each be the subject of Environmental Assessment and Review. One of these was currently in progress and expected to result in major modifications to the processes to be used in the plant. The real question was the cumulative effect of all of the proposed developments, each of which may be determined to have a negligible deleterious effect but which in sum may be a cause of concern. New Environmental Assessment and Review legislation is presently before Parliament and it is hoped that it will provide a mechanism to deal with such situations.

Further monitoring reports will be provided in 1991.

The Committee was concerned to note that the reserve was still occupied by Bodo Tribesmen, and that poaching and illegal removal of vegetation was continuing. The Committee expressed the view that this property met the criteria for inscription on the List of World Heritage in Danger and instructed the Secretariat to suggest to the Indian authorities that they consider such an inscription.

The Committee noted that the state of conservation of these wetlands, which are also a Ramsar site, had formed the subject of a detailed report prepared under the Ramsar Convention which indicated that the site was threatened by the invasion of Paspalum grass and insufficient water delivery, leading to a decline in the number of migrating Siberian Cranes. Despite a number of corrective measures, the situation remains one of concern and the Committee requested IUCN to continue monitoring the state of conservation of this property.

The Committee noted that this site was facing two separate threats: on the one hand, Japanese, Korean and Taiwanese fishermen last year captured some 40,000 sharks in the waters adjacent to the site; this intensive fishing was halted following protests by international organizations, but the effectiveness of the ban was uncertain; on-the other hand, tourist pressure on the park has increased considerably to a level far beyond the park's estimated visitor capacity.

The Committee was pleased to note that remedial measures to counter these threats were being considered; the Ecuadorian authorities had indicated, in fact, that the waters surrounding the National Park would be nominated to the World Heritage List in 1991, thereby reinforcing the protection of the adjacent waters. Moreover, a study of the effects of tourism and the means to combat these effects was being conducted with World Heritage Fund support, and the results of this study should be made known in the first half of 1991. The Committee asked the Secretariat and IUCN to continue monitoring the state of conservation of this property.

The Committee noted with satisfaction that the USA authorities had proposed the addition of the Pacific coastal strip to the property inscribed in 1981, in accordance with the request made by the Committee.

The Committee was pleased with the progress noted by IUCN in the state of conservation and in the management of this property.

The Committee noted with satisfaction that the Canadian authorities had proposed the addition of Mount Robson, Hamber and Assiniboine Provincial Parks to the property originally inscribed in 1984, as requested by the Committee.

The Committee noted the need to review the original boundaries. of this site in order to exclude those areas not of outstanding universal value and extend the site to include the expanded Talamanca and Chirripo National Parks. The Committee asked the Secretariat to suggest to the Costa Rican authorities that they set the new boundaries of this property in response to IUCN's suggestion.

The Committee was pleased with the significant improvement in the state of conservation of this property, which the Zairian authorities were preparing to ask be taken off the List of World Heritage in Danger. The Committee wished to continue to be kept informed of the state of conservation of this property, which was the focus of a major rehabilitation project supported by a consortium of donors including the World Heritage Fund.

The Committee expressed concern about the proposed construction of a highway along the existing line of a little-used old colonial road that crosses this park. If built, this highway would be the main link between the densely populated regions of the Great Lakes of Central Africa and the navigable part of the Zaire River. The Committee noted the existence of an alternative route to the north of Kahuzi-Biega and asked that a comparative study of the two routes be conducted. The Committee instructed the Secretariat to inform the Zairian authorities and the German development assistance agency (KWF) of this request and to report to the Bureau on this issue at its next session.

The Committee noted that the Honduran authorities had submitted to the Secretariat a nomination of this property to the List of World Heritage in Danger. The Committee was unable to make a decision on this nomination, however, in the absence of any request for international assistance for this property pursuant to article 11.4 of the Convention. The Committee consequently urged the Honduran authorities to prepare and submit such a request as soon as possible.