1. Having examined Document WHC-12/36.COM/7B,
2. Recalling Decision 33 COM 7B.7, adopted at its 33rd session (Seville, 2009),
3. Welcomes the progress made by the State Party in engaging local communities in the conservation of the property;
4. Reiterates its request to the State Party to continue its efforts to establish a sustainable financing strategy and business plan for the property, and calls on the international donor community to strengthen its support for the management of the property;
5. Also welcomes the transboundary collaboration between the States Parties of Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo in coordinating protection activities in the border areas between the two adjoining properties of Rwenzori Mountains National Park and Virunga National Park, and encourages the States Parties to further strengthen this collaboration through the development of a formal protocol to address unresolved challenges such as communication barriers and cross-border movement restrictions;
6. Recognizes the efforts made by the State Party to monitor the impacts of climate change and initiate mitigation and adaptation measures, and also encourages the State Party to consult with the Mountains Specialist Group of the World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) and other experts, in order to identify and implement further measures to safeguard the property’s Outstanding Universal Value over the long term;
7. Notes with concern the damage caused by the recent wild fire in the property, indicating that park management is not adequately equipped to respond to high-altitude wild fires, and urges the State Party to implement the recommendations from the management report, as well as to ensure that adequate fire fighting equipment is made available;
8. Reiterates its request to the State Party to revoke any existing licenses for mining within the property and ensure that no further mining licenses are issued within the property, in line with the Committee’s established position that mineral exploration and mining are incompatible with World Heritage status and the international policy statement of the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) of not undertaking these activities in World Heritage properties;
9. Requests the State Party to confirm the permanent cessation of mining activities and licenses within the property, and to submit a copy of the park’s ecological monitoring plan to the World Heritage Centre by 1 February 2014, together with additional information on the location and extent of the 14 new resource harvesting zones, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 38th session in 2014.