Note: the following report on the World Heritage properties of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) needs to be read in conjunction with Item 52.
The World Heritage Committee,
- Having examined Document WHC/18/42.COM/7A,
- Recalling Decision 41 COM 7A.7, adopted during its 41st session (Krakow, 2017),
- Congratulating the State Party for its continued efforts to strengthen surveillance, monitoring and control in response to the pressure of the international ivory trade, as well as the increase in the patrol effort covering the totality of the property and 40% of the hunting areas, requests the State Party to continue these efforts by strengthening the number of rangers;
- Reiterates its call to all UNESCO Member States to cooperate in the fight against illegal wildlife trafficking, notably through the implementation of the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), with the full participation of the countries of transit and destination;
- Expresses its deepest concern at the continuing decline in the elephant population, as confirmed by the April 2017 inventory, despite the significant surveillance resources deployed, and the worrying situation of the giraffe, of which only 49 individuals remain in the property and throughout the country, and also requests the State Party to continue the efforts of ecological monitoring and protection of these species, including the installation of telemetry collars, to prevent the extinction of these two species;
- Reiterates also its deepest concern about the continuing insecurity around the property, which constitutes a permanent threat to its Outstanding Universal Value (OUV);
- Also expresses its deepest concern about plans to set up two refugee camps in the vicinity of the property, which should accommodate around 20,000 people and which could increase the already heavy pressure on the natural resources of the property and possibly lead to increase the poaching;
- Regrets that the State Party has still not submitted the finalized version of the Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger (DSOCR) and reiterates its request to the State Party to submit it urgently;
- Further requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2019, an updated report on the state of conservation of the property and the implementation of the above, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 43rd session in 2019;
- Decides to continue to apply the Reinforced Monitoring Mechanism for the property;
- Also decides to retain Garamba National Park (Democratic Republic of the Congo) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.