The World Heritage Committee,
1. Having examined Document WHC-06/30.COM/7A,
2. Recalling Decision 29 COM 7A.2 adopted at its 29th session (Durban, 2005),
3. Commends the State Party for their commitment to the protection of Comoé National Park and for working with local communities to reduce illegal activities;
4. Notes with great concern that in the present situation the State Party continues to have control of and access to only one third of the Park;
5. Takes note of the outcomes and recommendations of the 2006 UNESCO/IUCN monitoring mission, in particular the fact that the outstanding universal value of the property has been maintained but remains under threat due to the limited control over the property and the potential increase of poaching, fires, agricultural encroachment and illegal grazing;
6. Urges the State Party to implement the recommendations, plan of action and timetable proposed by the 2006 monitoring mission in order to increase the management effectiveness of the property, including the following priority actions:
a) Establish, as a matter of urgency, an effective system of control and patrolling for the whole property, in close collaboration with the armed forces, and giving priority to the development and rehabilitation of necessary infrastructure;
b) Develop and initiate the implementation of a management plan for the property based on the management plan framework developed for the national system of protected areas. The management plan should give special attention to:
(i) Establishing a revised zoning system for the property to guide management activities that fully considers the status of the property as a World Heritage property and Biosphere Reserve;
(ii) Establishing participatory management arrangements with local communities to reduce pressures and impacts associated to the management of areas in particular on the periphery of the property;
c) Enlarge the activities of the management structure to encompass the entire property;
7. Adopts the above points (a) to (c) as benchmarks to guide a future decision on the eventual removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger;
8. Takes note of the proposed 5 year timeframe for the implementation and assessment of the action plan and benchmarks:
a) Preparatory work and developing contacts for technical and financial support, as well as implementation of emergency measures linked in particular to surveillance of the property: 2007;
b) Preparation of a management plan and implementation of priority activities: 2008 -2009;
c) Implementation of the priority activities under the management plan: 2009 - 2011;
9. Invites the State Party to develop a cooperation programme with the States Parties of Burkina Faso and Ghana in view of identifying and establishing biological corridors that can enhance the conservation of the existing populations of key species that require large areas for their survival;
10. Requests the State Party to address the issues related to the outcomes and recommendations and proposed timetable of the 2006 UNESCO/IUCN monitoring mission, and to provide a updated report by 1 February 2007 on the state of conservation of the property, in particular on progress achieved in implementing the recommendations of the 2006 monitoring mission for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 31st session in 2007;
11. Requests the Director General of UNESCO to call on the United Nations Organization in Cote d'Ivoire (ONUCI) to consider assisting the State Party in establishing during the current post-crisis period a joint patrol mechanism for the entire park, involving all forces present;
12. Calls on international donors to urgently support the State Party in the preparation and implementation of the action plan and management plan for the Park;
13. Decides to retain Comoé National Park (Cote d'Ivoire) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.