The World Heritage Committee,
- Having examined Document WHC/23/45.COM/7A,
- Recalling Decision 44 COM 7A.48 adopted at its extended 44th session (Fuzhou/online, 2021),
- Welcomes the continued efforts made by the State Party to monitor, patrol and support conservation of the property during the COVID-19 pandemic;
- Notes with deep concern that the deforestation rate in the property increased significantly to a record high of 0.07%, exceeding the 0.01% limit according to the Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger (DSOCR), the further loss of primary forest across all components of the property, and an increase in reports of illegal logging for precious wood species;
- Notes the efforts underway and planned to address forest loss through ecological monitoring activities and reforestation and requests the State Party to further strengthen its efforts in the fight against illegal logging and trade of rosewood, complemented with efforts to promote local sustainable development;
- Welcomes the planned renewal of Development and Management Plans for each of the six components of the property, which will assess the current situation regarding logging and mining and will inform future activities including the implementation of corrective measures and its five-year costed Action Plan, and which will lead to the production of an Integrated Management Plan (IMP), and therefore strongly encourages the State Party to ensure that a fully consultative process with relevant stakeholders, including local communities, is followed in the development of the Plans;
- Also requests the State Party to submit the draft Development and Management Plans for the six components of the property and the draft IMP as soon as practicable to the World Heritage Centre for review by IUCN before their adoption;
- While noting the reaffirmation of the zero-tolerance policy on the logging and export of rosewood and ebony, reiterates its request to the State Party to find a lasting solution aimed at eliminating all stocks of precious woods and halting all illegal logging and trafficking of precious woods, including through the full implementation of the decisions of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) concerning ebony (Diospyros spp.), palisander and rosewood (Dalbergia spp.);
- Also welcomes the reported activities to prepare an inventory and marking of the ‘official controlled stockpiles’ of seized logs and to valorise them on the national market, using the proceeds for restoration activities, but recalls that the official controlled stockpiles are quite small compared to the ‘uncontrolled, but declared stockpiles’ and the undeclared illegal stockpiles;
- Further requests the State Party to invite a joint World Heritage Centre/IUCN Reactive Monitoring mission in order to assess the progress made in the implementation of the corrective measures in achieving the Desired state of conservation for removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger (DSOCR), and to update the corrective measures and the timeline for their implementation in support of the eventual removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger;
- Final requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2024, 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 46th session;
- Decides to retain the Rainforests of the Atsinanana (Madagascar) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.