Decision 43 COM 7B.23

Los Katíos National Park (Colombia) (N 711)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/19/43.COM/7B,
2. Recalling Decision 41 COM 7B.11, adopted at its 41st session (Krakow, 2017),
3. Highly commends the State Party on continuing to systematically respond to the Committee’s requests and recommendations, particularly with regard to enhanced resources, improved governance and effective partnerships with local communities, fostering sustainable use of natural resources and improved ecological connectivity;
4. Requests the State Party to ensure the provision of adequate resources in the long-term to address the identified ongoing challenges and vulnerabilities of the property;
5. Noting that the State Party currently does not consider incorporating adjacent areas into the Los Katíos National Park as a priority, encourages it to continue exploring alternative options to reflect the evolving regional protected area network in the framework of the World Heritage Convention, where appropriate, for example through defining a formal buffer zone;
6. Takes note of the information provided by the State Party that no active administrative processes are underway to develop the proposed electricity transmission corridor, which would link Colombia and Panama, and also requests the State Party of Colombia to inform the World Heritage Centre of any changes in the current status of the project, before making any decisions that would be difficult to reverse, in line with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines;
7. While also noting that the Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) for the two planned port projects (Pisisí and Antioquia) have not indicated direct impacts on the property, further requests the State Party to ensure that any potential indirect impacts on the property, including those caused by disturbance to other important ecological areas and the connectivity of the property, are considered in the future planning and implementation, particularly of the Antioquia port project;
8. Strongly encourages the States Parties of Colombia and Panama to continue efforts to implement actions in the management of the two contiguous properties of Los Katíos National Park (Colombia) and Darien National Park (Panama) within the framework of the 2016 Memorandum of Understanding;
9. Requests furthermore the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 December 2020, an updated report on the state of conservation of the property and the implementation of the above, for review by the Advisory Bodies.