Decision 46 COM 7A.49

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

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/24/46.COM/7A.Add,
2. Recalling 45 COM 7A.7 adopted at its extended 45th session (Riyadh, 2023),
3. Regrets that a timely report on the state of conservation of the four properties in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), which are inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger was not submitted by the State Party;
4. Notes that the lack of reporting by the State Party makes it difficult for the World Heritage Committee to monitor the state of conservation of the DRC properties inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger, taking into account the important conservation threats these properties are facing;
5. Reiterates its utmost concern regarding the continuous and increasing pressure from semi-industrial and small-scale artisanal mining and associated illegal activities in the western portion of the property and along the Ituri river and Route Nationale 4 in the property, which is jeopardizing the integrity of the property, and therefore directly affecting its Outstanding Universal Value (OUV);
6. Recalls again the commitments made by the State Party as part of the 2011 Kinshasa Declaration, in particular, to enforce the conservation laws and mining code, which forbid any mining in protected areas in the DRC;
7. Strongly reiterates its request to revoke all mining permits attributed within the property, close all mining sites inside the property and access roads to them and initiate restoration activities in the degraded areas;
8. Commends the efforts made by law enforcement rangers to detect and deter mining activity, and urges the State Party to establish without further delay the joint commission including the Congolese Institute for Nature Conservation (ICCN), the Mining Cadastre (CAMI), and third parties from the National Cartographic Institute (IGC) and the Ministry of Mines, among others, to harmonize maps for the property and resolve the issue of overlapping mining permits in the western part of the property;
9. Also welcomes the continued efforts for the participatory demarcation process of the western boundary of the property, including through the support provided by the World Heritage Centre with funding from the Government of Norway, and requests the State Party to complete the demarcation of the property boundaries;
10. Thanks the technical partners who support the conservation of the property, notably Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and Wildlife Conservation Global, and appeals to the international community to further support the efforts of the State Party to ensure sustainable financing of the property;
11. Requests again the State Party to provide further details on:
    1. The number of residents within the villages located inside the property in order to assess the impacts of population increases on land-use in the property,
    2. The Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool (SMART) data to enable an assessment of the impact of illegal activities on the OUV of the property,
    3. The updating of the Integrated Management Plan (PAG) and the formalization of the Central Integral Conservation Zone,
    4. The plans to capture okapi from the wild to repopulate the okapi breeding station,
    5. 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);
12. Further requests the State Party to continue its efforts to implement all corrective measures as updated by the 2014 Reactive Monitoring mission;
13. Reiterates its request to the State Party to invite a joint UNESCO/IUCN Reactive Monitoring mission to the property to assess its state of conservation, the status of increased threats and impacts from mining and associated illegal activities, implementation of the corrective measures, and the progress towards achieving the DSOCR;
14. Finally requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February2025, 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;
15. Decides to continue to apply the Reinforced Monitoring mechanism for the property;
16. Also decides to retain Okapi Wildlife Reserve (Democratic Republic of the Congo) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.