Decision 43 COM 7B.31

Taï National Park (Côte d'Ivoire) (N 195)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/19/43.COM/7B,
2. Recalling Decision 41 COM 7B.20, adopted at its 41st session (Krakow, 2017),
3. Commends the State Party for the publication of Decree No. 2018-496 of 23 May 2018 formalizing the extension of the Taï National Park and the submission of the referenced data to the World Heritage Centre, and requests it to elaborate as soon as possible a boundary modification proposal to align the boundaries of the property with those of the national park, in consultation with the World Heritage Centre and IUCN regarding the appropriate format for such a modification;
4. Welcomes the State Party's efforts to reduce illegal activities, including poaching and artisanal gold mining, in close collaboration with the appropriate services and communities, reiterates its position that mining exploration and exploitation are inconsistent with World Heritage status in accordance with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines, and reiterates its request to the State Party to continue its efforts to eliminate this threat within the property;
5. Takes note of the ongoing patrol efforts and the establishment of operational ecological monitoring and surveillance systems to improve the management of the property, including the use of a drone and satellite imagery, but notes with concern persistent poaching subsequent to the lifting of the ban on bushmeat consumption following the Ebola epidemic, and also requests the State Party to continue these efforts and take additional measures to develop alternatives to livelihoods rendering unsustainable the exploitation of wild animal meat;
6. Finally requests 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 examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 45th session in 2021.