Garamba National Park

• Armed conflict and political instability
• Poaching by nationals and trans-border armed groups
• Inappropriate management capabilities to address the poaching crisis (resolved)

• Increased poaching
• Pressure linked to the civil war, thereby threatening the flagship species of the property

In progress

Adopted in 2010, see page https://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/4082 
Revised in 2016, see page https://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/6652 

In progress

Total amount granted: USD 937,000 from the United Nations Foundation, the Governments of Italy, Belgium and Spain and the Rapid Response Facility; USD 200,000 from the Government of Norway in 2020

On 26 March 2020, the State Party submitted a state of conservation report on the property, and additional information on 12 March 2021, all available at http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/136/documents/, providing the following information:

• The agreements between the Congolese Institute for Nature Conservation (ICCN) and the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) are renewed every three months. In 2019, 90 sections of the FARDC were under the command of the Park authority for strategic and operational exercises;
• The technical capacities of the guards have been strengthened and the site has a canine unit available to improve surveillance in the Park. The number of guards has increased from 243 to 286 (238 guards and 48 security agents). The number of patrols has increased from 447 (2018) to 630 (2019) and to 744 (2020), leading to arrests and seizures of illegal products. Surveillance coverage represents 68% of the property and 32% of the hunting grounds, and 100% for aerial patrols;
• A first meeting on transboundary cooperation was organized with the State Service responsible for South Sudan Wildlife (SSWLS) and the signature of a Memorandum of Understanding is foreseen;
• The preparation of a Land-use Plan for the hunting grounds continues. A ministerial decree now prohibits artisanal exploitation in the hunting grounds of Gangala Na Bodio, Azande and Mondo Missa. A six-month moratorium was given to the illegal operators to evacuate the sites;
• The implementation of the sustainable development strategy (2018) is underway, and access to health care and various activities covering educational to environmental services is provided to the staff of the Park and the neighbouring communities;
• The results of the anti-poaching combat (APC) mark a significant reduction in elephant poaching (8 individuals against 50 in 2017), 77 arrests of which the transfer of 17 cases to the competent courts, the confiscation of 18 firearms and no loss of life of guards for the third year running;
• An aerial survey of elephants, a genome study and the surveillance of elephants by means of radio collars provided information on the state of conservation of the species. Thanks to the support of the Government of Norway and UNESCO, several groups of elephants are continuously monitored using satellite collars placed on 38 individuals. No indication of the presence of white rhinoceros has been recorded since 2008. The giraffe population has increased by seven individuals since 2018 and the species has not suffered from poaching.

The results of the implementation of International Assistance reveal that the elephant population has stabilized at around 700 individuals, and that the Kordofan giraffe population has already exceeded the target of 60 individuals for 2022.  Finally, the management of invasive species remains a major challenge for the site.

The efforts undertaken by the State Party and its partners to strengthen the APC measures are warmly welcomed. The increase in the number of guards in the Park and the strengthening of their operational capacity has enabled an increase in the level of surveillance coverage of the site by regular ground patrols (68%) against 100% for aerial patrols. The maintenance of permanent efficient surveillance of the Park is encouraged.

The significant decrease in the number of poached elephant carcasses, the seizure of wildlife products and the absence of poaching of giraffes is positive, but the continuing poaching inside the Park is a cause for concern, and the measures to control this threat must continue in the long-term. The estimate of the elephant population within the Garamba complex at around 700 individuals indicates the significant impact of poaching on the species.  It should be recalled that the elephant population of the property was estimated at more than 11,000 individuals in 1995, before the start of the conflict (in 1996) and that the last census in 2017 estimated the population at 1191 elephants. Noting also that the African savanna elephant (Loxodonta Africana) is “Endangered” on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species in 2021, it is recommended that the State Party consolidate and strengthen protection efforts of the species.

Recent surveillance data on wildlife indicate a gradual reconstitution of the Kordofan giraffe population with seven new individuals for a total of 62 giraffes recorded. With regard to the conservation status of the species (in critical danger of extinction), it is recommended that the Committee reiterate its request to the State Party to continue strengthening the protection of the species in the framework of a priority Action Plan. 

Noting that a scientific project for assisted reproduction from genetic material taken from the most recent specimens in captivity is ongoing, the lack of any indication of the presence of white rhinoceros in the Park since 2008 would confirm that the sub-species is probably extinct in the wild state. Given that the white rhinoceros is a flagship species, a reflection on the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property is indispensable.

The relaunch of transboundary cooperation with the State Party of South Sudan is positive, and it is important that the State Party finalize the Memorandum of Understanding to concretize and render operational collaboration on the ground.

The lack of a Management Plan for the site remains of concern and it is regrettable that no information has been provided concerning the preparation process for this strategic document in accordance with Decision 43 COM 7A.7. The ongoing preparation of the Land-Use Plan and the ministerial decree prohibiting artisanal exploitation in the hunting grounds are welcomed and it is important to finalize the Land-Use Plan as well as the reconversion process for the gold miners and the transfer of the gold mining activity outside the hunting grounds to provide the property with a functional buffer zone.

The implementation of the sustainable development strategy to reinforce the resilience of the local communities is welcomed. However, these efforts must be strengthened to increase the autonomy of these communities.

Finally, the absence of the Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger (DSOCR) is worrying and it is recommended that, based on the inventory data available, including the International Assistance results, the State Party finalize the DSOCR prepared by the 2016 mission. It is also recommended to maintain the property on the List of World Heritage in Danger. However, in view of the progress achieved by the State Party, despite all, it is recommended that the Committee no longer apply the reinforced monitoring mechanism for the property.

46. General decision on the World Heritage properties of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

On 26 March 2020, the State Party submitted a report on the implementation of Decision 42 COM 7A.52, available at: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/718/documents and providing the following information:

• Progress accomplished in the implementation of the 2011 Kinshasa Declaration and the corrective measures for each of the five properties of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is described (see Document WHC/21/44.COM/7A);
• A special army Corps responsible for security of the National Parks and relevant protected areas (CorPPN), which was created in June 2015, is now operational: a command structure was established in 2018, and in 2019 anti-poaching units were dispatched to six priority sites in the DRC, including all five World Heritage properties. Senior officers, logistics and operations rooms were put in place in the different sites;
• With regard to oil exploitation in Salonga and Virunga National Parks, the report states that oil exploitation, at this stage, does not threaten the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the two properties, as no exploration or exploitation activities are on-going. The report further states that “la volonté traduite à son temps par le gouvernement n’est plus à l’ordre du jour” (sic) (“the will expressed by the government at that time is no longer on the agenda”);
• A list of funding mobilised for the five properties for the period 2016 to 2023, totalling more than 100 million Euros, is provided. Key donors include the European Commission and the Government of Germany through the German Development Bank (KfW). No further information is provided on the status of the Trust Fund “Okapi Fund for Conservation – FOCON” for sustainable funding of the protected areas in the DRC;

The World Heritage Centre also received several letters on alleged human rights abuses by eco-guards in two properties (Salonga and Kahuzi-Biega National Parks). These were forwarded to the protected area authority, the Congolese Institute for the Conservation of Nature (ICCN). An Independent Review was initiated by WWF, and in Salonga National Park, a code of conduct for the eco-guards and a complaint mechanism were established, while guards have received training on human rights issues.

The operationalization of the CorPPN at the level of each of the World Heritage properties, together with the creation of operational rooms and capacity building of the eco-guards, are important steps to further professionalize law enforcement in the properties and address the continuing threats of poaching, including by professional poaching groups. The reported alleged human rights abuses towards  indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs) are highly concerning, and it is crucial that the State Party urgently implement strong measures to ensure that the rights of IPLCs are fully respected in all management decisions. Measures should include the establishment of a code of conduct and provision of training on human rights issues for all patrol units that includes appropriate law enforcement techniques with regard to the use of force and forearms, to ensure law enforcement operations are conducted in a way that fully respects the rights of IPLCs, and avoids excessive use of force and loss of human lives, in full respect  of relevant international norms. Furthermore, management processes should follow a rights-based approach and ensure full involvement of all rightsholders and stakeholders, in particular IPLCs, in line with the Policy on World Heritage and Sustainable Development. It is encouraging that the protected area authority and its partners have already taken measures to address these issues and it is recommended that the Committee request the State Party to further strengthen these efforts including by establishing and implementing a national code of conduct for eco-guards and a grievance mechanism for human rights abuses, and by training all law enforcement staff on human rights issues as part of regular training. It is also recommended that the outcomes of the Independent Review are taken into consideration.

It is noted that the security situation is reported to have improved in most of the properties. It is important that the State Party takes advantage of this situation to address the drivers of fundamental threats impacting the different properties linked to insecurity and lawlessness. These include the closure of illegal mining operations and reclaiming parts of the properties occupied by armed forces since the start of the conflict. Encouraging achievements so far are the evacuation of illegal occupants in the corridor between the highland and lowland sectors in Kahuzi-Biega National Park and the closure of artisanal gold mines in the hunting areas surrounding Garamba National Park. It is crucial that the protected area authority receives the full support of all appropriate ministries and agencies, as well as traditional and political authorities to achieve this, in line with the 2011 Kinshasa Declaration.

It is concerning however, that issues of insecurity persist, noting particularly in Virunga National Park and Okapi Wildlife Reserve, where, since the previous session of the Committee, a further 25 park staff were killed in armed attacks. It is recommended that the Committee again strongly condemn this violence, address its condolences to the families of the victims and ICCN staff, and express its utmost concern regarding the continuing insecurity in and around Virunga National Park.

The confirmation by the State Party that there is currently no oil exploration or exploitation on-going in Virunga and Salonga National Parks and that the government is currently no longer pursuing oil development projects inside the two properties, is noted. However, as long as the concessions that have been attributed by Presidential Decree to companies for oil blocks overlapping with these properties are not revoked, the potential for oil projects to legally proceed in future remains, thereby continuing to impose a potential threat to the OUV of the properties, in line with Paragraph 180 of the Operational Guidelines. This potential for extractive activities to occur has been demonstrated again by the legal action taken by certain companies against the State Party, asserting their legal rights to activate concessions. It is therefore recommended that the Committee express its regret that the State Party has neither cancelled these concessions nor provided the Committee with an unequivocal commitment not to authorize any new oil exploration and exploitation within the boundaries of the DRC properties. The Committee should also reiterate its clear position concerning the incompatibility of oil exploration and exploitation with World Heritage status and urge once again the State Party to cancel all concessions for oil blocks that overlap with World Heritage properties. 

The important efforts to mobilize funding for the management of the properties of the DRC and the implementation of corrective measures, as well as the firm commitment of the various donors to provide substantial financial and technical support, are welcomed. However, it is noted that the funding situation remains precarious, in particular for Salonga and Kahuzi-Biega National Parks and Okapi Wildlife Reserve. The importance of a sustainable financing mechanism also needs to be stressed, as all properties currently fully depend on outside project funding supported by international donors, which can be unpredictable and is not sustainable in the long term. In this respect, it is regrettable that no further information was provided on the status and capitalisation of the FOCON Trust Fund.