Decision 42 COM 7B.78

Virgin Komi Forests (Russian Federation) (N 719)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/18/42.COM/7B,
2. Recalling Decision 40 COM 7B.99, adopted at its 40th session (Istanbul/UNESCO, 2016),
3. Regrets that the State Party report only includes information on one component of the property, Yugid Va National Park (YVNP) but that no information on the Pechoro-Ilychskiy Nature Reserve component is provided;
4. Welcomes enhanced capacity for the prevention of forest fires and protection of permafrost in YVNP as well as the development of the property’s Integrated Management Plan for the 2017-2031 period, and requests the State Party to address the total budget deficit for the implementation of the plan at all components of the property;
5. Reiterating its established position that mining exploration and exploitation are incompatible with World Heritage status, notes with concern that, according to official information, the license granted to the ZAO “Gold Minerals” company for exploration and extraction at the Chudnoe gold deposit has been extended, and therefore urges the State Party to:
   1. Clarify the status of the license of the Chudnoe gold deposit,
   2. Unequivocally revoke the mining exploration and exploitation licenses granted for the Chudnoe gold deposit, as requested in previous Committee decisions
   3. Ensure that the removal of the ZAO “Gold Minerals” company’s equipment from the property is completed by September 2018 as imposed by the Arbitration Court of the Republic of Komi,
   4. Restore the areas damaged by the mining-related activities, which were undertaken in 2011 and 2012;
6. Recalling previous concerns regarding tourism impacts on Pechoro-Ilychskiy Nature Reserve, also requests the State Party to ensure that tourism is effectively managed across all components of the property in order to minimize negative impacts on its Outstanding Universal Value;
7. Further requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 December 2019, an updated report on the state of conservation of the entire property, including the Pechoro-Ilychskiy Nature Reserve and the implementation of the above, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 44th session in 2020.