Decision 46 COM 7B.56

W-Arly-Pendjari Complex (Benin, Burkina Faso, Niger) (N 749bis)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined document WHC/24/46.COM/7B.Add,
2. Recalling Decision 45 COM 7B.3 adopted at its extended 45th session (Riyadh, 2023),
3. Deplores the continuing insecurity in the region of the property marked by the presence of armed groups, welcomes the efforts undertaken by the States Parties to re-establish effective control over the entire surface area of the property and its zone of influence and encourages them to continue their efforts to restore security within the area of the property;
4. Also welcomes the progress made by the States Parties and their technical and financial partners in collaboration with the local communities in implementing certain corrective measures identified by the 2022 Reactive Monitoring mission, despite the difficult security context in the region, and calls upon the States Parties to maintain this momentum in order to fully implement these recommendations for effective protection and management of the property and to provide accurate data on the coverage of surveillance of the property, as well as the effectiveness thereof;
5. Thanks the technical and financial partners who are supporting conservation of the property as well as implementation of the recommendations of the 2022 Reactive Monitoring mission and reiterates its appeal to the international community to further support the efforts of the States Parties to ensure sustainable financing for the property;
6. Takes note of the establishment of a special ecological monitoring programme for certain emblematic species in the Benin component of the property and reiterates its request to the States Parties to carry out regular aerial surveys of all components of the property using the same methodology, so that the results can be compared and wildlife population trends identified, as soon as the security situation permits, and to include this data in the reports submitted to the World Heritage Centre;
7. Notes with concern that the project to translocate antelopes between the Pendjari Park in Benin and the Chinko Nature Reserve in the Central African Republic was carried out despite the reservations of the Antelope Specialist Group of the IUCN Species Survival Commission (AfrASG SSC), expresses its concern that another translocation project was planned between the Pendjari National Park and the W National Park of Benin at the time of the 2022 mission and also asks the States Parties to provide the World Heritage Centre with a status report on these projects and to implement rigorous long-term management measures for any risks that may be associated with introducing the translocation of wildlife species onto the property;
8. Regrets that the environmental and social impact assessments (ESIA) for the Niger–Benin oil pipeline project and the Banikoara–Kérémou–Burkina Faso border road project were not transmitted to the World Heritage Centre prior to the commencement of operations, in accordance with paragraph 172 of the Guidelines and recalls that any major project within the boundaries of the property, its buffer zone and the wider setting should be subject to an ESIA, including a specific assessment of potential negative impacts on the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property, following the Guidance and Toolkit for Impact Assessments in a World Heritage context and submitted to the World Heritage Centre for evaluation by IUCN prior to approval;
9. Noting that the oil pipeline project has already been in the operational phase since November 2023, expresses its concern about the potential impacts of the project on the property’s OUV as indicated by the assessment of the ESIA report and further requests that the States Parties provide further detailed information on the measures planned to preserve the property’s OUV, as well as the measures taken in anticipation of possible accidents, in order to avoid pollution and fire damage;
10. Noting also that the road project is already in the process of being implemented, expresses its concern about potential significant negative impacts on the property OUV identified in the ESIA report, as well as the lack of information concerning the impacts of the project in its continuity through the W Park of Burkina Faso, furthermore requests that implementation of the project be suspended without delay and that the States Parties provide the World Heritage Centre with detailed information concerning the measures taken to avoid any negative impact on the property’s OUV, in both the Benin and Burkina Faso components, before any decision be taken to continue implementing the project;
11. Takes note that the request has been submitted for a minor modification to the boundaries of the property in its Niger component for the creation of a buffer zone and also encourages the States Parties to submit the request for a minor modification to the boundaries of the property in its Benin component, in order to strengthen its protection, by 1 February 2025, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 47th session;
12. Further requests that the Reactive Monitoring mission requested by the Committee in its Decision 45 COM 7B.3, to assess the measures undertaken by the States Parties to restore the security of the property, strengthen its management and determine whether OUV is still in any danger, be undertaken as soon as the security conditions permit in the countries concerned;
13. Finally requests that the States Parties submit an updated report to the World Heritage Centre on the state of conservation of the property and implementation of the above-mentioned recommendations, by 1 February 2025, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 47th session, considering that the urgent conservation needs of this property require a broad mobilization to preserve its Outstanding Universal Value, including possible inclusion on the List of World Heritage in Danger.