Decision 41 COM 7B.5

Golden Mountains of Altai (Russian Federation) (N 768rev)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/17/41.COM/7B,
2. Recalling Decision 40 COM 7B.96, adopted at its 40th session (Istanbul/UNESCO, 2016),
3. Welcomes the State Party’s ongoing commitment and progress made in implementing the recommendations of the 2012 Reactive Monitoring mission and reiterates its request to the State Party to continue its efforts in the implementation of all the mission recommendations, in particular as regards tourism planning and management, the involvement of civil society and particularly indigenous communities, as well as the consideration of the cultural heritage of the property;
4. Noting the information provided by the State Party that the selection of the route for the proposed Altai gas pipeline has not been decided yet and that no further construction works have taken place, reiterates its utmost concern that the Altai gas pipeline may cross the property, reiterates its request to the State Party to take an unequivocal decision to abandon the plans for the construction of the Altai gas pipeline through the property and urges the States Parties of the Russian Federation and China to consider alternative routes;
5. Reiterates its position that any decision to go forward with the Altai gas pipeline through the property would represent an ascertained danger to its Outstanding Universal Value (OUV), in line with Paragraph 180 of the Operational Guidelines, and would represent a clear case for inscription of the property on the List of World Heritage in Danger;
6. Also welcomes that the government of the Altai Republic has currently no intention to construct linear (e.g. pipelines) or any other major infrastructure projects within the property but also reiterates its concern about legal changes in 2012 which still grant the legal possibility of such constructions, and emphasizes that, in accordance with Paragraph 180 of the Operational Guidelines, the modification of legal protection status of an area included in a property is considered as a potential danger to its OUV and a reason for inscription of the property on the List of World Heritage in Danger, and urges the State Party to revoke Decree 212 N 202 dated 2 August 2012 of the Republic of Altai;
7. Commends the States Parties of the Russian Federation and Kazakhstan on further progress in transboundary conservation efforts and strongly encourages all States Parties of the Altai region to consolidate existing transboundary conservation efforts, including under the World Heritage Convention and the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme, and to seek advice from the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies, as required;
8. 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 above, in particular the status of the Altai gas pipeline project, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 42nd session in 2018, with a view to considering, in case of the confirmation of ascertained or potential danger to the property’s OUV, the possible inscription of the property on the List of World Heritage in Danger.