Decision 47 COM 7B.16

Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba Archipelago (Viet Nam)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/25/47.COM/7B.Add.3,
2. Recalling Decisions 45 COM 7B.89, 45 COM 8B.3, 45 COM 8D and 46 COM 7B.67, adopted at its extended 45th (Riyadh, 2023) and 46th (New Delhi, 2024) sessions respectively,
3. Regrets that the State Party did not submit a report on the state of conservation of the property in a timely manner,
4. Takes note of the reported efforts to strengthen inter-provincial coordination between Quang Ninh Province and Hai Phong City, and requests the State Party to expedite the establishment of an integrated management body for the property and effective coordination mechanism between the Quang Ninh Province and Hai Phong City to support an integrated management approach for the property;
5. Also takes note that the Sustainable Tourism Development Strategy and Integrated Visitor Management System for Ha Long Bay are being finalised, however also regrets that the carrying capacity analysis for Ha Long Bay has not yet been expanded to the entire property, and urges the State Party to expedite this process and ensure that tourism management for the property is based on a clear assessment of the carrying capacity of the property as a whole, prior to proceeding with further infrastructure expansion;
6. Notes with utmost concern that tourism and infrastructure development along the coastline of Ha Long Bay (in the buffer zone) and on Cat Ba island (in the wider setting of the property), is continuing without a strategic assessment of cumulative impacts, and reiterates its request to the State Party to undertake a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) to assess the cumulative impact on the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property from the tourism and industrial development projects that are located within the property, its buffer zone and in the wider setting to inform effective management planning and strategic decision making;
7. Also requests the State Party to ensure that any proposed developments within the property, its buffer zone and in the wider setting that have the potential to impact the OUV of the property are assessed for their potential impacts in line with the Guidance and Toolkit for Impact Assessments in a World Heritage Context, and to keep the World Heritage Centre informed of any projects that may impact the OUV of the property, in accordance with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines;
8. Takes note of the State Party responses regarding the ‘Cat Ba Central Bay Tourism, Service, and Commercial Area Project’ in the wider setting of the property, however notes with utmost concern the potential significant impact of the project given its scale and proximity to the property, and further requests the State Party not to proceed further with the project until its potential impact on the OUV of the property has been fully assessed in line with the Guidance and Toolkit for Impact Assessments in a World Heritage Context, including on the aesthetic values and broader impacts of increased tourism pressure, and submitted to the World Heritage Centre for review by IUCN, noting that continuation of the project may lead to the property facing potential danger from major threats which could have deleterious effects on its inherent characteristics, in accordance with Paragraph 180(b) of the Operational Guidelines;
9. Notes with appreciation that the Master Plans and Management Plans for Ha Long Bay and the Cat Ba Archipelago are being updated, and that the development of an integrated Management Plan for the entire property has been initiated, and requests furthermore that the finalisation of these documents is coordinated and completed in consultation with all relevant authorities, addressing the 2023 IUCN Evaluation of the extension and Decision 45 COM 8B.3;
10. Also takes note of the zoning map for Ha Long Bay, and requests moreover the State Party to submit the requested detailed zoning map of the entire Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba Archipelago property, showing the land use and management regime within its inscribed area, buffer zone and wider setting, to the World Heritage Centre, once completed;
11. Also notes with appreciation the implementation of various measures to address waste and other forms of environmental pollution, and encourages the State Party to continue addressing this issue;
12. Further notes with appreciation that the joint World Heritage Centre/IUCN Reactive Monitoring mission visited the property in March 2025 and that its findings will be presented to the Committee at its 48th session;
13. Finally requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2026, 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 48th session.