Virunga National Park

38 COM 7A.37

Virunga National Park (Democratic Republic of the Congo) (N 63)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC-14/38.COM/7A.Add,
2. Recalling Decision 37 COM 7A.4 adopted at its 37th session (Phnom Penh, 2013),
3. Notes with appreciation the efforts deployed by the park staff to continue to ensure the conservation of the property despite life threatening conditions, and expresses its most sincere condolences to the families of the guards killed in operations for the protection of the property;
4. Reiterates its deep concern about the fact that the State Party has not revised the authorizations for petroleum exploration in the Park, as requested in its previous Decisions, as well as about the commencement of oil exploration activities in Lake Edward and the statement by the Minister for Hydrocarbons that the government envisages to proceed with petroleum exploitation inside the property if economically viable oil reserves are confirmed;
5. Reiterates its request to the State Party to cancel all the oil exploitation permits granted within the property and reiterates its position that oil, gas and mineral exploration and exploitation are incompatible with World Heritage status;
6. Congratulates the TOTAL Company for its commitment not to explore or exploit for oil or gas in sites inscribed on the World Heritage List, a principle to which the Shell Company had already subscribed;
7. Takes note of the press statement of SOCO not to undertake or commission any exploratory or other drilling within Virunga National Park unless UNESCO and the DRC Government agree that such activities are not incompatible with its World Heritage status, not to conduct any operations in any other World Heritage site and to ensure that any current of future operations in buffer zones adjacent to World Heritage sites do not jeopardize the Outstanding Universal Value for which these sites are listed;
8. Reiterates its request to States Parties to the Convention to do their utmost to ensure that the mining or petroleum companies established on their territories do not damage World Heritage properties, in accordance with Article 6 of the Convention ;
9. Notes with concern that while the security situation has improved slightly there is still the presence of different armed groups active in and around the property, resulting in limited progress in the implementation of the corrective measures due to the instability in the region;
10. Expresses its utmost concern about the limited support park staff is receiving from the Government to address the threats to the property, in particular the continued involvement of the military in various illegal activities such as charcoal making, poaching and illegal fishing, and the lack of support from the authorities to address encroachment on the property, and further reiterates its request to the State Party to implement the commitments made by the Congolese Government in the Kinshasa Declaration of January 2011;
11. Requests for a clear and written commitment from SOCO, or any other oil company, not to explore nor exploit oil and gas in any World Heritage site, including Virunga National Park;
12. Urges the State Party to implement the corrective measures as updated by the 2014 joint World Heritage Centre / IUCN reactive monitoring mission:
    1. Cancel all the oil exploitation permits granted within the property,
    2. Take all necessary measures to stop the involvement of the Congolese Army and Navy in the illegal exploitation of the natural resources of the park, in particular poaching, charcoal making and fishing,
    3. Strengthen the efforts to disarm all armed groups operating in and around the property,
    4. Take measures at the highest level to enable the Congolese Nature Conservation Institute (ICCN) to continue without political interference, the peaceful evacuation of illegal occupants from the property,
    5. Continue law enforcement focusing on priority areas, and pursue activities to re-establish a system of good governance for fishing activities on Lake Edward,
    6. Pursue communication and awareness-raising actions targeted towards the authorities and local populations,
    7. Pursue actions to eliminate all production of charcoal within the property, and promote alternative energy sources, in particular the development of small scale hydropower outside the property;
13. Also requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2015, a detailed report, including a 1-page executive summary, on the state of conservation of the property, including an update of the progress accomplished in the implementation of the corrective measures, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 39th session in 2015;
14. Decides to continue the application of the Reinforced Monitoring Mechanism of the property;
15. Also decides to retain Virunga National Park (Democratic Republic of the Congo) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.

38 COM 7A.42

General Decision on the properties of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC-14/38.COM/7A.Add,
2. Recalling Decision 37 COM 7A.9, adopted at its 37th session (Phnom Penh, 2013) and reaffirming the need to implement the Kinshasa Declaration adopted in 2011,
3. Notes that the security situation in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has improved since the last session but that it still remains unstable and commends the courage of the staff of the Congolese Institute for Nature Conservation (ICCN) and its efforts to protect the World Heritage properties;
4. Urges the State Party to guarantee the implementation of the commitments undertaken in the Kinshasa Declaration and to ensure the execution of the Strategic Plan of Action and requests the State Party to approve the decree to officialise the creation of an inter-ministerial committee and allocate the necessary technical and financial means to ensure adequate monitoring in the implementation of the Kinshasa Declaration;
5. Reiterates its utmost concern as regards the Hydrocarbons Code that could make possible oil exploitation activities in protected areas and also urges the State Party to ensure that the protection status of the World Heritage properties be maintained;
6. Also requests the State Party to review the mining and oil exploration and exploitation titles to exclude the World Heritage properties and not to grant further titles within the boundaries of the properties of the DRC and recalls its position that mining and oil exploration is incompatible with World Heritage status;
7. Congratulates the TOTAL Company for its commitment not to carry out oil or gas exploration and exploitation activities in properties inscribed on the World Heritage List, a principle to which the Shell Company has already subscribed;
8. Takes note of the press statement of SOCO not to undertake or commission any exploratory or other drilling within Virunga National Park unless UNESCO and the DRC Government agree that such activities are not incompatible with its World Heritage status, not to conduct any operations in any other World Heritage site and to ensure that any current or future operations in buffer zones adjacent to World Heritage sites do not jeopardize the Outstanding Universal Value for which these sites are listed;
9. Warmly welcomes the support of donor countries in the conservation of the five DRC properties, and calls on the international community to continue to provide support in the implementation of the corrective measures and the Strategic Action Plan to create the necessary conditions for the rehabilitation of the Outstanding Universal Value of the five DRC properties;
10. Further requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2015, a detailed report, including a 1-page executive summary, on the implementation of the Kinshasa Declaration, the situation regarding mining and oil exploration and exploitation titles that encroach World Heritage properties, and the Hydrocarbons Code, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 39th session in 2015.

38 COM 8C.2

Update of the List of World Heritage in Danger (retained sites)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined the state of conservation reports of properties inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger (WHC-14/38.COM/7A and WHC-14/38.COM/7A.Add),
2. Decides to retain the following properties on the List of World Heritage in Danger:

• Afghanistan, Minaret and Archaeological Remains of Jam (Decision 38 COM 7A.14)
• Afghanistan, Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley (Decision 38 COM 7A.15)
• Belize, Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System (Decision 38 COM 7A.31)
• Central African Republic, Manovo-Gounda St Floris National Park (Decision 38 COM 7A.34)
• Chile, Humberstone and Santa Laura Saltpeter Works (Decision 38 COM 7A.21)
• Colombia, Los Katíos National Park (Decision 38 COM 7A.32)
• Côte d'Ivoire, Comoé National Park (Decision 38 COM 7A.35)
• Côte d'Ivoire / Guinea, Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve (Decision 38 COM 7A.36)
• Democratic Republic of the Congo, Virunga National Park (Decision 38 COM 7A.37)
• Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kahuzi-Biega National Park (Decision 38 COM 7A.38)
• Democratic Republic of the Congo, Garamba National Park (Decision 38 COM 7A.39)
• Democratic Republic of the Congo, Salonga National Park (Decision 38 COM 7A.40)
• Democratic Republic of the Congo, Okapi Wildlife Reserve (Decision 38 COM 7A.41)
• Egypt, Abu Mena (Decision 38 COM 7A.1)
• Ethiopia, Simien National Park (Decision 38 COM 7A.43)
• Georgia, Bagrati Cathedral and Gelati Monastery (Decision 38 COM 7A.16)
• Georgia, Historical Monuments of Mtskheta (Decision 38 COM 7A.17)
• Honduras, Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve (Decision 38 COM 7A.33)
• Indonesia, Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra (Decision 38 COM 7A.28)
• Iraq, Ashur (Qal'at Sherqat) (Decision 38 COM 7A.2)
• Iraq, Samarra Archaeological City (Decision 38 COM 7A.3)
• Jerusalem, Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls (Decision 38 COM 7A.4)
• Madagascar, Rainforests of the Atsinanana (Decision 38 COM 7A.44)
• Mali, Timbuktu (Decision 38 COM 7A.24)
• Mali, Tomb of Askia (Decision 38 COM 7A.25)
• Niger, Air and Ténéré Natural Reserves (Decision 38 COM 7A.45)
• Palestine, Birthplace of Jesus: Church of the Nativity and the Pilgrimage Route, Bethlehem (Decision 38 COM 7A.5)
• Panama, Fortifications on the Caribbean Side of Panama: Portobelo-San Lorenzo (Decision 38 COM 7A.20)
• Peru, Chan Chan Archaelogical Zone (Decision 38 COM 7A.22)
• Senegal, Niokolo-Koba National Park (Decision 38 COM 7A.46)
• Serbia, Medieval Monuments in Kosovo (Decision 38 COM 7A.18)
• Solomon Islands, East Rennell (Decision 38 COM 7A.29)
• Syrian Arab Republic, Ancient City of Damascus (Decision 38 COM 7A.12)
• Syrian Arab Republic, Ancient City of Bosra (Decision 38 COM 7A.12)
• Syrian Arab Republic, Site of Palmyra (Decision 38 COM 7A.12)
• Syrian Arab Republic, Ancient City of Aleppo (Decision 38 COM 7A.12)
• Syrian Arab Republic, Crac des Chevaliers and Qal’at Salah El-Din (Decision 38 COM 7A.12)
• Syrian Arab Republic, Ancient Villages of Northern Syria (Decision 38 COM 7A.12)
• Uganda, Tombs of Buganda Kings at Kasubi (Decision 38 COM 7A.26)
• United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Liverpool – Maritime Mercantile City (Decision 38 COM 7A.19)
• United States of America, Everglades National Park (Decision 38 COM 7A.30)
• Venezuela, Coro and its Port (Decision 38 COM 7A.23)
• Yemen, Historic Town of Zabid (Decision 38 COM 7A.13)