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State of Conservation of Pirin National Park

Wednesday, 24 January 2018
access_time 1 min read
Pirin National Park © Ivo Hadjimishev | Ivo Hadjimishev

The World Heritage Centre currently receives numerous messages from civil society concerning the state of conservation of the World Heritage property Pirin National Park. The competent authorities of the Republic of Bulgaria as well as the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Body IUCN are fully informed of the concerns raised.

At its 40th session in 2016, the World Heritage Committee called on "the State Party to invite in 2017 an IUCN Advisory mission to review the implementation of the Management Plan and the preservation of the OUV of the property" (Decision 40 COM 7B.93). The Bulgarian authorities and IUCN are currently preparing this mission, which is expected to take place in the coming weeks. The results of the IUCN Advisory mission will be reported back to the World Heritage Committee at its 42nd session (Manama, Bahrain, 24 June to 4 July 2018).

Furthermore, the World Heritage Committee has requested the State Party "to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 December 2017, 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 42nd session in 2018" (Decision 40 COM 7B.93). This report and all other relevant documents are available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/225/documents/.

Wednesday, 24 January 2018
access_time 1 min read
States Parties 1
World Heritage Properties 1
Decisions (1)
Code: 40COM 7B.93

The World Heritage Committee,

  1. Having examined Document WHC/16/40.COM/7B,
  2. Recalling Decision 38 COM 7B.73, adopted at its 38th session (Doha, 2014),
  3. Welcomes the progress achieved by the State Party with the implementation of the recommendations of the 2011 mission and requests the State Party to fully implement all pending recommendations;
  4. Also welcomes the confirmation that the draft Management Plan for Pirin National Park will be subject to the procedures for Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and Appropriate Assessment (AA), as requested in its Decision 38 COM 7B.73, but notes with concern the conclusion of the Ministry of Environment and Water that the first draft of the Management Plan did not comply with the requirements set out by the Ministry and was therefore sent back for revision;
  5. Notes the information provided by the State Party that all projects within the buffer zone of the property are subject to Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and that the projects approved in 2014 and 2015 were mainly related to the maintenance of existing infrastructure and the enhancement of visitors’ safety and of the quality of tourist services;
  6. Considers that any future developments within the buffer zone of the property need to be guided through strategic planning, which can be achieved by strengthening the Management Plan through the procedures for SEA and also requests the State Party:
    1. to ensure that the draft Management Plan is revised to comply with the requirements set out by the Ministry of Environment and Water and is evaluated through the procedures for SEAs,
    2. to submit the Management Plan and the results of its evaluation through the procedures for SEA and AAs to the World Heritage Centre, for review by IUCN,
    3. tto provide the World Heritage Centre information on other ongoing processes, that might affect the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property,
    4. not to approve any further developments within the property or its buffer zone until the draft Management Plan has been subject to the procedures for SEA and AA;
  7. Calls on the State Party to invite in 2017 an IUCN Advisory mission to review the implementation of the Management Plan and the preservation of the OUV of the property;
  8. Further requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 December 2017, 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 42nd session in 2018.

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