Decision 44 COM 7A.43

Okapi Wildlife Reserve (Democratic Republic of the Congo) (N 718)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/21/44.COM/7A,
2. Recalling Decision 43 COM 7A.9, adopted at its 43rd session (Baku, 2019),
3. Presents its sincere condolences to the families of the guards killed in the performance of their duties, and to all the staff of the Congolese Institute for the Conservation of Nature (ICCN);
4. Welcomes the continued collaboration between ICCN, the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) and authorities, which has enabled activities in all patrol sectors and facilitated the disarmement of various armed groups in the property;
5. Reiterates once more its concern regarding the persistent insecurity in the region, which limits surveillance coverage and effective management of the property, and reiterates its request to the State Party to rapidly strengthen the number and capacity of guards, as well as the budget for the property so as to extend anti-poaching patrol coverage and progressively gain full control of the property;
6. While noting the efforts undertaken to close artisanal mines, expresses serious concern that illegal mining in the property appears to be intensifying in reported complicity with certain local authorities, with small-scale artisanal mining operations evolving into large-scale semi-industrial operations, and the development of a permanent settlement at the Muchacha mining site;
7. Considering that illegal mining in the property cannot be addressed by the Reserve authorities alone and that illegal mining is fueling the insecurity in the property and the region, strongly urges the State Party to ensure that all necessary measures are taken at local, provincial and national levels to address illegal mining as a matter of urgency to restore law and order in the property;
8. Regrets that no information was provided on the updating of the Integrated Management Plan (PAG) for the property and the formalization of the Central Integral Conservation Zone, and urges again the State Party to expedite these processes, integrating provisions relating to the different zones of the property, including the subsistence zones, the Central Integral Conservation Zone and forestry concessions for local communities, and ensure its immediate implementation;
9. Notes the intention to rehabilitate the okapi breeding station but also urges the State Party to postpone any plans to capture okapi from the wild until the security situation is stable and to develop an integrated in-situ/ex-situ conservation strategy as part of the PAG for the long-term sustainability of okapi within the property, consulting best practice expert guidance, such as the IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC) Giraffe and Okapi Specialist Group;
10. Also welcomes the initiation of the participatory boundary demarcation process in the north-west and east of the property and the support provided by the UNESCO World Heritage Centre with funding from Norway, and requests the State Party to finalize the full demarcation of the property boundaries;
11. Also reiterates its request to the State Party to update the data concerning the number of residents in the property and the villages located inside the property in order to assess the impacts of population increases on land-use in the property;
12. Further reiterates its request to the State Party to provide the Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool (SMART) data collected to enable an assessment of the illegal activities on the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property and data concerning progress accomplished with regard to the indicators defined in the Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger (DSOCR);
13. Finally requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2022, 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;
14. Decides to continue to apply the Reinforced Monitoring Mechanism for the property;
15. Also decides to retain Okapi Wildlife Reserve (Democratic Republic of the Congo) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.