Decision 46 COM 7A.42

Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve (Honduras) (N 196)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/24/46.COM/7A,
2. Recalling Decision 45 COM 7A.1 adopted at its extended 45th session (Riyadh, 2023),
3. Welcomes the strengthening of indigenous territorial governance alongside the completion of the land titling process in the cultural zone of the Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve;
4. Notes the progress in issuance of Family Usufruct Contracts in the buffer zone of the Biosphere Reserve and encourages the State Party to ensure management responsibilities and usage rights have been assigned to all residents within the buffer zone who meet the requirements established by law;
5. Notes with appreciation the inter-institutional efforts to address illegal activity in the property, notably poaching, deforestation and illegal settlement, and also requests the State Party to further strengthen enforcement and engagement with local communities to reduce illegal activities in the property;
6. Notes with concern that, despite reduced rates of deforestation, the coverage of broadleaf forest in the property continues to decline and urges the State Party to maintain and strengthen efforts to halt deforestation and promote recovery of forest cover in the property;
7. Reiterates its request to the State Party to secure the necessary technical and financial resources required for the consultation processes, especially with indigenous and Afro-Honduran territorial councils, to submit a proposal for a Significant Boundary Modification as a crucial step towards achieving the Desired state of conservation of the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger (DSOCR), and in particular to fully consider the archaeological heritage of the property and corresponding actors;
8. Expresses its utmost concern that the Patuca III Hydroelectric Power Plant (HPP) is already in operation without the current and potential impacts of the project on the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property having been thoroughly assessed through a Strategic Environmental Assessment and reiterates its requests to the State Party to urgently develop a study to identify and monitor any actual and potential impacts of the HPP on the OUV of the property, and to adopt an adaptive management approach, including through development and implementation of necessary measures to mitigate any adverse impacts on the OUV;
9. Takes note of the State Party’s proposal for an IUCN Advisory mission to the property in relation to the HPP to provide recommendations on the development of necessary mitigation measures, and considers that this mission should take place following the finalization of the assessment and consultations with the World Heritage Centre and IUCN;
10. Also notes the proposed revisions to the DSOCR and requests furthermore the State Party to initiate dialogue with the World Heritage Centre, IUCN and the site manager, to ensure that revisions adequately reflect the required corrective measures to address the concerns indicated in Decision 35 COM 7B.31 upon the property’s inclusion on the List of World Heritage in Danger;
11. Finally requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2025, 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 47th session;
12. Decides to retain Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve (Honduras) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.