Decision 41 COM 7A.15

Aïr and Ténéré Natural Reserves (Niger) (N 573)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/17/41.COM/7A,
2. Recalling Decision 40 COM 7A.45, adopted at its 40th session (Istanbul/UNESCO, 2016),
3. Regrets that the report on the state of conservation of the property submitted by the State Party did not adequately address the Committee’s requests;
4. Reiterates its request to the State Party to accelerate the recruitment of forestry agents, and ensure adequate funding of the Management Unit to better control the exploitation of the natural resources within the property;
5. Also reiterates its request to the State Party to provide detailed information and data on poaching and timber harvesting within the property and its vicinity, as well as the actions taken to combat these threats;
6. Appreciates the State Party’s efforts to improve surveillance and ecological monitoring within the property through local community engagement, but urges the State Party to develop a Surveillance Plan and a Management Plan for the property as a matter of priority, and submit copies of both to the World Heritage Centre, for review by IUCN;
7. Notes with concern the spread of the invasive plant species, Prosopis juliflora, across the property, and requests the State Party, in consultation with IUCN’s Species Survival Commission Invasive Species Specialist Group, to design and implement an eradication plan for the species;
8. Also requests the State Party to monitor the trend of the key species that contribute to the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property and submit to the World Heritage Centre the results for each species in order to demonstrate their trends;
9. Noting with concern that there is inadequate support for the captive breeding of North African red-necked ostrich, further requests the State Party to secure necessary funding for the effective operation of the captive breeding centres and closely collaborate with other neighbouring States Parties to develop and implement a regional action plan for the conservation of this species, and encourages the State Party to seek the support of the IUCN Species Survival Commission Conservation Breeding Specialist Group;
10. Requests furthermore the State Party to provide details of the camera trap survey including how it will contribute towards improving the monitoring and surveillance of the property, and submit its findings to the World Heritage Centre for review by IUCN once they are available;
11. Requests moreover the State Party to provide an update on the current status of gold mining in the region of Agadez as well as any other areas outside of the property that has the potential to impact on the OUV of the property;
12. Further reiterates its request to the State Party to implement all of the recommendations of the 2015 IUCN reactive monitoring mission as well as an action plan on the corrective measures defined in consultation with the State Party during the mission;
13. Urgently reiterates its requests to the State Party to carry out the necessary studies with a view to preparing a Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger (DSOCR) and to submit the draft DSOCR to the World Heritage Centre by 1 February 2018, for examination by the Committee at its 42nd session in 2018;
14. Finally requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2018, an updated report on the state of conservation of the property and the implementation of the corrective measures and the above points, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 42nd session in 2018;
15. Decides to retain Aïr and Ténéré Natural Reserves (Niger) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.