Decision 44 COM 7B.108

Virgin Komi Forests (Russian Federation) (N 719)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/21/44.COM/7B,
2. Recalling Decision 42 COM 7B.78, adopted at its 42nd session (Manama, 2018),
3. Welcomes the efforts made by the State Party to enforce visitor management in the Pechoro-Ilychskiy Nature Reserve component of the property and requests the State Party to develop a sustainable tourism management strategy for the entire property to ensure that tourism is effectively managed across all components;
4. While noting the suspension of the mining license granted to the ZAO ‘Gold Minerals’ company for exploration and extraction at the Chudnoe gold deposit and the partial removal of mining equipment from the area, expresses its utmost concern that the State Party confirms that it has been considering to modify the boundaries of the Yugyd Va National Park (YVNP) to allow for mining in the area and reiterates its established position that mining exploration and exploitation are incompatible with World Heritage status and urges the State Party to:
   1. unequivocally revoke the mining exploration and exploitation licenses granted for the Chudnoe gold deposit, as requested in previous Committee decisions and refrain from changing the boundary of YVNP to allow for mining,
   2. clarify the presence, and ensure the complete removal, of the ZAO ‘Gold Minerals’ company’s equipment from the property, including any remaining large sized equipment,
   3. continue to restore the areas damaged by mining activities undertaken in 2011 and 2012;
5. Also recalling previous concerns regarding budgetary constraints for the implementation of the property’s Integrated Management Plan for the 2017-2031 period, and also requests the State Party to ensure that sufficient financial and human resources are available for the implementation of the Plan and to report on this in its next report;
6. Finally requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 December 2022, an updated report on the state of conservation of the property for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 46th session.