Decision 47 COM 7B.17

Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park (Viet Nam)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/25/47.COM/7B.Add,
2. Recalling Decisions 43 COM 7B.12, 44 COM 7B.189 and 45 COM 7B.90, adopted at its 43rd (Baku, 2019), extended 44th (Fuzhou/online, 2021) and extended 45th (Riyadh, 2023) sessions respectively,
3. Takes note of the 2019 pilot study for the eradication of the invasive plant species Merremia boisiana, and requests the State Party to secure funding for, and implement, the new M. boisiana eradication project, and to include in the 2025-2030 Management Plan for the property a clear strategy for the control of invasive alien species in the property using measures that avoid the use of banned chemicals;
4. Reiterates its request to develop a clear strategy and action plan that is sufficiently resourced to address the threat posed by the 14 previously reported invasive species identified within the property, and to submit it to the World Heritage Centre, for review by IUCN;
5. Notes with appreciation the State Party’s commitment to ensuring sustainable tourism in relation to the property and, in view of the planned expansion of tourism towards 2030, also requests the State Party to ensure that a strategic sustainable tourism planning and development framework is in place to safeguard the property’s Outstanding Universal Value (OUV), including by finalising the following previous requests:
   1. An assessment of the tourism carrying capacity for the property,
   2. An update of the 2010-2020 Sustainable Tourism Development Plan and its integration with other key management plans and tools, including the 2025-2030 Management Plan for the property, to enhance governance based on the overarching principles of sustaining and preserving the OUV of the property by paying careful attention to the balance between tourism development and biodiversity conservation, as well as increased benefit sharing among stakeholders;
6. Also recalling the State Party’s confirmation that no infrastructure projects will be approved in or near the caves within the property to avoid impacting the OUV, further requests the State Party to provide clarification regarding third party concerns that the potential development of cable cars into the property is being reconsidered;
7. Notes with appreciation the strengthening of forest management and management coordination, assessing management effectiveness, and supporting local livelihoods in the buffer zone, and requests furthermore the State Party to continue such measures, and to finalise the development of the 2025-2030 Management Plan for the property in consultation with stakeholders and rightsholders, for submission to the World Heritage Centre once completed, and to use this update to also complete the requested integration and harmonisation of various management and conservation plans and tools under a concerted vision of governance;
8. Welcomes the continued cooperation with the State Party of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) for the conservation of biodiversity in the transboundary protected area, and the submission of a significant boundary modification to extend the property to include Hin Nam No National Park (Lao PDR), and encourages the States Parties to continue transboundary cooperation;
9. Also notes with appreciation the various actions being implemented to monitor, manage and minimise the impact of livestock grazing on the OUV of the property, however, recalling that any modifications to or creation of World Heritage buffer zones should be approved by the World Heritage Committee in accordance with Paragraph 107 of the Operational Guidelines, requests the State Party to provide clarification on the report that an area within a strictly protected part of the property used for grazing has been identified as a buffer zone, and to ensure that grazing activities continue to be monitored to prevent negative impacts on the property’s OUV;
10. Finally requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 December 2027, 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 50th session.