Decision 38 COM 7B.84

Coiba National Park and its Special Zone of Marine Protection (Panama) (N 1138rev)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC-14/38.COM/7B,
2. Recalling Decision 37 COM 7B.31, adopted at its 37th session (Phnom Penh, 2013),
3. Welcomes the State Party’s progress with the removal of the livestock from the property and encourages the State Party to fully implement its commitment to have all livestock removed from the property by end 2014;
4. Also welcomes the State Party’s progress with the development and implementation of biosafety measures and naval staff training and encourages the State Party to remain vigilant in ensuring that the naval base does not become a threat to the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property;
5. Notes the conclusion of the joint 2014 World Heritage Centre/IUCN reactive monitoring mission that the property remains under pressure, and requests the State Party to implement all its recommendations;
6. Expresses its concern about the negative impact of fisheries, and in particular illegal and sport fisheries, on the OUV of the property, and urges the State Party to complete and implement the management plan for the Special Zone of Marine Protection (SZMP) as a matter of priority, which should include clear regulations related to fisheries management, including no-take zones and seasonal closures of critical areas, such as Hannibal Bank, Montuosa Island and Uva Island, and also requests the State Party to provide an electronic copy and three printed copies of the draft management plan for the SZMP as soon as it is available, for review by the World Heritage Centre and IUCN;
7. Further requests the State Party to rigorously ensure that no development will be permitted within the boundaries of the property, and that cumulative and combined impacts on the property’s OUV caused by mainland developments are effectively addressed;
8. Also urges the State Party to ensure the Coiba Fund becomes fully operational at the earliest time possible and the decision-making power of the Executive Council is strengthened, by including representatives from the tourism sector and the local communities from the coastal areas opposite the property;
9. Requests furthermore the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 December 2015 an updated report, including a 1-page executive summary, on the state of conservation of the property and the progress made with the implementation of the recommendation of the reactive monitoring mission, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 40th session in 2016