Decision 37 COM 7A.5

Kahuzi-Biega National Park (Democratic Republic of the Congo) (N 137)

The World Heritage Committee,

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.