Decision 42 COM 7B.95

Rwenzori Mountains National Park (Uganda) (N 684)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/18/42.COM/7B,
2. Recalling Decision 40 COM 7B.82 adopted at its 40th session (Istanbul/UNESCO, 2016),
3. Appreciates the signing of the Greater Virunga Transboundary Collaboration Treaty on Wildlife Conservation and Tourism Development (GVTCT) by the States Parties of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Rwanda and Uganda, in order to coordinate biodiversity conservation and tourism development in the Greater Virunga Landscape, and encourages the States Parties of DRC and Uganda to continue to strengthen their collaboration in organizing coordinated patrols along the international border between the property and Virunga National Park World Heritage property in DRC;
4. Notes that the State Party cancelled the license that had been awarded to Tibet Hima Limited to reopen the Kilembe copper mine with potential impact on the property and Virunga National Park in DRC, downstream from the mine’s proposed location, and requests the State Party to inform the World Heritage Centre of any new developments with regards to the mine;
5. Appreciates the finalization of the 2016-2026 General Management Plan and overall investments made by the State Party with its partners in improving the management and conservation of the property;
6. Also welcomes the State Party’s efforts to undertake the 2016 chimpanzee census, but also notes that the 2016 data are not comparable with the previous 2011 data due to the use of different methodologies, and therefore urges the State Party to ensure that all future chimpanzee censuses adopt the standard line transect methodology using nest counts;
7. Expresses its concern on the proposed cable car project inside the property, which could impact its Outstanding Universal Value (OUV), and also urges the State Party to submit the cable car pre-feasibility report to the World Heritage Centre for review by IUCN before any decision is taken, and to ensure that an Environmental Impact Assessment is undertaken in line with the IUCN World Heritage Advice Note on Environmental Assessment, including a specific assessment of impacts on the OUV of the property;
8. Further notes the two run-of-river hydropower projects (Sindila and Nyamwamba) located outside of the property, which are at advanced stages of construction, and also requests the State Party to closely monitor potential impacts on the property and keep the World Heritage Centre updated on these developments;
9. Also encourages the State Party to secure the necessary funding to undertake the elephant census anticipated in 2019/2020, and to assess the population trends for other key large mammal species in the property;
10. Further requests the State Party to invite a joint World Heritage Centre/IUCN Reactive Monitoring mission to the property to assess the state of conservation of the property, including the threat arising from the various tourism-related and other development projects on the OUV of the property, and to provide recommendations for its effective conservation and management;
11. Finally 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 property and the implementation of the above, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 44th session in 2020.