Kahuzi-Biega National Park
Factors affecting the property in 2021*
- Civil unrest
- Commercial hunting
- Illegal activities
- Land conversion
- Mining
- War
- Other Threats:
Villages in the ecological corridor between the highland and lowland sectors of the park
Factors* affecting the property identified in previous reports
- Presence of armed groups, lack of security and political instability rendering a large part of the property inaccessible to the guards
- Attribution of mining permits inside the property (issue resolved)
- Poaching by armed military groups
- Bush meat hunting
- Villages in the ecological corridor between the highland and lowland sectors of the park
- Illegal mining and deforestation
Threats for which the property was inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger
- Adverse refugee impact
- Irregular presence of armed militias and settlers at the property
- Increased poaching
- Deforestation
Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger
A draft has been developed during the 2017 Reactive Monitoring mission (https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/137/documents), but the biological indicators still need to be quantified based on the results of a census of large mammals available at late 2018
Corrective Measures for the property
Adopted in 2017, see page http://whc.unesco.org/fr/decisions/6954
Timeframe for the implementation of the corrective measures
In progress
UNESCO Extra-Budgetary Funds until 2021
Total amount granted: USD 1,003,900 from the United Nations Foundation (UNF), and the Governments of Italy and Belgium, and by the Rapid Response Facility (RRF), USD 300,000 from the Government of Norway (2021-2022).
International Assistance: requests for the property until 2021
Total amount approved : 170,025 USD
2021 | Projet d’identification des villages se trouvant à ... (Approved) | 29,055 USD |
2018 | Organisation du survol (Approved) | 21,700 USD |
2000 | Emergency assistance to World Natural Heritage of the ... (Approved) | 5,400 USD |
1999 | Support to Resident Staff of Garamba, Virunga, Kahuzi ... (Approved) | 20,000 USD |
1995 | Purchase of a vehicle for Kahuzi Biega National Park (Approved) | 30,000 USD |
1994 | Financial contribution for the protection of ... (Approved) | 25,000 USD |
1992 | Review of the state of conservation of World Heritage ... (Approved) | 3,750 USD |
1988 | Purchase of a 4x4 Jeep for Kahuzi Biega National Park (Approved) | 20,000 USD |
1980 | Equipment for Kahuzi-Biega National Park (Approved) | 15,120 USD |
Missions to the property until 2021**
1996-2006: several World Heritage Centre missions in the framework of the DRC Programme; December 2009 and April/May 2017: joint World Heritage Centre/IUCN Reactive Monitoring missions
Conservation issues presented to the World Heritage Committee in 2021
Analysis and Conclusion by World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies in 2021
On 26 March 2020, the State Party submitted a report on the state of conservation, and additional information on 12 March 2021, available at http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/137/documents, containing the following information:
- Collaboration between the Congolese Institute for Nature Conservation (ICCN), the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC), local chiefs and authorities continues to improve the management of the property;
- Improved security in 2019 allowed for activities across all seven sectors of the property (two opened in 2019), resulting in the neutralization of Mai-Mai, Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) and Nyatura warlords. Increased patrols (1,921 patrols) covered 69.2% (16,758 km2) of the property (35.6% in 2017; 37.4% in 2018);
- No significant progress regarding the evacuation of armed groups from the property apart from the declaration of cessation of hostilities signed by 70 armed groups on 17 November 2020 in Bukavu;
- Antipoaching efforts included patrols, establishment of a Centre for the Coordination of Operations (CCOPs) for real-time monitoring and a judicial cell to monitor legal cases. 98 poachers were arrested for trapping, illegal logging and artisanal ore digging, leading to 27 convictions;
- Measures to address illicit trafficking, particularly of great apes, include media campaigns, awareness-raising with local communities, gorilla surveillance patrols, dismantling of poaching networks and installation of road checks. No cases of baby gorilla or chimpanzee trafficking were recorded in 2019;
- All mining sites in the property have been closed. Patrols recorded 19 small-scale artisanal mining excavation holes, of which seven active holes were subsequently dismantled by patrols;
- There has been no change to eco-guard numbers. Capacity building activities included humanitarian law and first aid; scientific monitoring techniques (Geographic Information Systems, Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool) and infantry tactics. Teams were deployed in all stations of the property;
- The recommendations of the 2015 “National Forum on Governance and Valorization of the Property” are being implemented by strengthening surveillance patrols in the ecological corridor and peaceful resolution of the conflict with neighboring communities/Batwa, as well as raising awareness of state service staff on global heritage values;
- Efforts to address encroachment include awareness-raising, surveillance patrols, law enforcement collaboration, and plans for a provincial high-level dialogue on sustainable protection of the property and coexistence with local communities;
- Sustainable development activities include establishment of a Community Conservation Governance Council (CGCC), promoting animal breeding, microcredits and education;
- The demarcation of boundaries continued with two missions, and the identification of the villages located within the property; however, no information has been provided on the distance covered by the demarcation beyond 2018;
- The property was ranked third in Africa during the 2019 Sustainable Destination Awards and ongoing sustainable tourism is reported as a sustainable financing measure.
The improved security situation in the property in 2019 and the continued collaboration between ICCN, FARDC and local authorities are encouraging, allowing patrol access to all seven sectors of the property. This has allowed a significant increase in overall surveillance coverage (69.2%), for the first time meeting the 60% corrective measure threshold. Eco-guard capacity building activities are welcomed and should be continued in line with the corrective measures.
The closing down of all remaining artisanal mining activities throughout the property is a major achievement and if this situation can be maintained over a longer period, this would be a major step towards improving the state of conservation of the property.
The various measures to address poaching and trafficking, particularly of great apes, including anti-poaching cells, arrests and the report that no trafficking of baby gorillas or chimpanzees was recorded in 2019, are welcomed. However, it would be important for the State Party to provide, in its future reports, more data on the results of such actions taken to address illegal activities.
Although the report provides little detail on the extent of boundary demarcation achieved, it is encouraging that such efforts have continued and it is recommended that the process be accelerated, taking advantage of the improved security situation. Unfortunately, the State Party does not provide further information on the status of the ecological corridor, following confirmation in 2019 that the corridor had been evacuated and the Committee’s request for the State Party to evaluate the human impacts on the ecological corridor and to develop a rehabilitation plan to facilitate the regeneration of natural vegetation and restoration of the integrity of the property. These activities should be implemented, and the State Party should also undertake to identify a long-term solution for the villages, which were included in the National Park at the time of its extension towards the lowland in 1978.
The promotion of a range of community engagement measures is welcomed, including establishment of a CCGC, sustainable development for associated communities through alternative livelihoods, microfinancing and education and the strengthening of measures to address encroachment. However, recent reports on the official Facebook page of the park indicate that encroachment in the highland sector is an increasing issue and this will need to be addressed as a matter of priority. Through support from the Government of Norway, it is also foreseen that UNESCO supports the efforts of the State Party to finalize participatory demarcation and build community resilience.
The efforts for peaceful conflict resolution with communities, in particular the indigenous Batwa, are welcomed. However, the State Party’s lack of response to concerns raised by indigenous Batwa regarding delays in the implementation of the recommendations from the 2019 Bukavu Dialogue is regrettable, and these actions and should be further strengthened as a matter of priority, in line with the Policy on the integration of a sustainable development perspective into the processes of the World Heritage Convention.
With the evacuation of the ecological corridor reported last year and the closure of all mining sites reported this year, significant progress has been made towards restoring the integrity of the property. These achievements are crucial elements contributing towards achieving the Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger (DSOCR). It is therefore unfortunate that no quantitative wildlife data, particularly on flagship gorilla species, have been provided. Repeated requests for the State Party to provide the data of the inventory of the property that commenced in 2014, and was expected to be finalized in 2018, have not been actioned. Recalling Decisions 42 COM 7A.48 and 43 COM 7A.8, that these results are crucial for the evaluation of the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property and to achieve the DSOCR, the Committee should request the State Party to provide clarification on the status of wildlife inventories and to subsequently prepare indicators based on this information to finalize the DSOCR.
It is recommended that the Committee retain the property on the List of World Heritage in Danger and continue the application of the Reinforced Monitoring Mechanism.
46. General decision on the World Heritage properties of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Current conservation issues
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.
Analysis and Conclusions of the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies
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.
Summary of the interventions
Decisions adopted by the Committee in 2021
44 COM 7A.42
Kahuzi-Biega National Park (Democratic Republic of the Congo) (N 137)
The World Heritage Committee,
- Having examined Document WHC/21/44.COM/7A,
- Recalling Decision 43 COM 7A.8, adopted at its 43rd session (Baku, 2019),
- Welcomes the improved security situation and continued collaboration between the Congolese Institute for Nature Conservation (ICCN), the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) and local authorities, which has resulted in a significant increase in patrol coverage of the property, meeting for the first time the 60% corrective measure threshold;
- Notes with satisfaction the reported closing down of all remaining artisanal mining activities throughout the property and considers that this is a major achievement and, if maintained over a longer period, would be a major step towards restoring the integrity of the property;
- Notes the State Party’s continued efforts to address poaching and trafficking in the property, and requests it to provide, in its future reports, more data on the results of anti-poaching activities;
- Also welcomes the efforts for peaceful conflict resolution with the communities, in particular the indigenous Batwa, notes however the concerns raised by the indigenous Batwa about the delays in the implementation of the recommendations resulting from the 2019 Bukavu Dialogue, and also requests the State Party to address this issue as a priority in full consultation with the Batwa community, in line with the Policy on the integration of a sustainable development perspective into the processes of the World Heritage Convention;
- Reiterates its request for the State Party to provide details on the status of the ecological corridor and to develop a rehabilitation plan for the ecological corridor to facilitate the regeneration of natural vegetation and to submit to the World Heritage Centre, for review by IUCN, all information, including maps, to assess the impact of encroachment on the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property;
- Thanks the donors, in particular the Governments of Germany and Norway which continue to provide support for the conservation of the property;
- Expresses concern about the increasing pressure of encroachment in the property and urges the State Party to address this as a matter of priority;
- Further requests the State Party to urgently provide an update on the status of wildlife inventories, and also reiterates its requests to the State Party to submit the results of the wildlife inventory to the World Heritage Centre for review by IUCN, and to finalize, in cooperation with the World Heritage Centre and IUCN, indicators for the Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger (DSOCR), once the results of the wildlife inventory are available;
- Also urges the State Party to continue the implementation of the corrective measures, as updated by the 2017 mission;
- Requests furthermore the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2022, 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 45th session;
- Decides to continue the application of the Reinforced Monitoring Mechanism;
- Also decides to retain Kahuzi-Biega National Park (Democratic Republic of the Congo) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
44 COM 7A.46
General decision on the World Heritage properties of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
The World Heritage Committee,
- Having examined Document WHC/21/44.COM/7A,
- Recalling Decision 42 COM 7A.52, adopted at its 42nd session (Manama, 2018),
- Appreciates the continued efforts of the State Party to implement the Kinshasa Declaration adopted in 2011, in particular the progress made with the operationalization of Corps responsible for the security of the National Parks and relevant protected areas (CorPPN) at the level of each of the five World Heritage properties in order to face the continuing threats of poaching, including by professional poaching groups;
- Notes with significant concern the reports on alleged human rights abuses towards indigenous peoples and local communities during law enforcement operations and requests the State Party to take urgent measures to further strengthen its efforts to address this issue, 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 protected area staff on human rights issues as part of regular law enforcement training, as well as ensuring that management processes follow a rights-based approach and ensure full involvement of all stakeholders, in particular local and indigenous communities, in line with relevant international norms, the Policy on World Heritage and Sustainable Development, and taking into consideration the outcomes of the Independent Review;
- Welcomes the improvement in the security situation in most properties, and urges the State Party to take advantage of this improved security situation to address the fundamental threats to the different properties, including by closing all remaining illegal mining operations and reclaiming parts of the properties occupied by armed forces since the start of the conflict, ensuring the support of all appropriate ministries and agencies as well as traditional and political authorities to achieve this, in line with the 2011 Kinshasa Declaration;
- Expresses its utmost concern regarding the continued insecurity in Virunga National Park and Okapi Wildlife Reserve which resulted in further park staff being killed in the line of duty, strongly condemns this violence once again and addresses its sincere condolences to the families of the victims and all ICCN staff;
- While noting the statement by the State Party that the government is currently no longer pursuing oil exploration or exploitation activities within Virunga and Salonga National Parks, strongly regrets that the State Party has not cancelled the oil concessions it has attributed which overlap with these properties, and that it has not yet provided the Committee with a firm commitment not to authorize any oil exploration and exploitation within the boundaries of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) World Heritage properties, as requested in previous decisions;
- Reiterates its position according to which oil and gas exploration and exploitation is incompatible with World Heritage status and also urges once again the State Party to cancel these concessions and to undertake a commitment not to authorize any new oil exploration and exploitation within the boundaries of any World Heritage property;
- Commends the efforts of the State Party to make operational the “Okapi Fund for Conservation – FOCON” as the Trust Fund for protected areas in the DRC, and also requests the State Party, and the donor community, to provide it with adequate funding to effectively respond to the management needs of the DRC World Heritage properties;
- Also appreciates the important efforts to mobilize funding for the management of the DRC properties and the implementation of the corrective measures, as well as the firm commitment of the various donors to provide substantial financial and technical support, but notes that the funding situation remains precarious, in particular for Salonga and Kahuzi-Biega National Parks and Okapi Wildlife Reserve, and stresses the importance of ensuring a sustainable financing mechanism, while regretting that no further information was provided on the status and capitalisation of the FOCON Trust Fund, and further requests the State Party to report on progress in this regard;
- Finally requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2022, a detailed report on the implementation of the Kinshasa Declaration, the security situation in the properties, and the status of the oil exploration and exploitation concessions that encroach on World Heritage properties, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 45th session.
44 COM 8C.2
Update of the List of World Heritage in Danger (Retained Properties)
The World Heritage Committee,
- Having examined the state of conservation reports of properties inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger (WHC/21/44.COM/7A, WHC/21/44.COM/7A.Add, WHC/21/44.COM/7A.Add.2, WHC/21/44.COM/7A.Add.2.Add),
- Decides to retain the following properties on the List of World Heritage in Danger:
- Afghanistan, Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley (Decision 44 COM 7A.28)
- Afghanistan, Minaret and Archaeological Remains of Jam (Decision 44 COM 7A.29)
- Austria, Historic Centre of Vienna (Decision 44 COM 7A.32)
- Bolivia (Plurinational State of), City of Potosí (Decision 44 COM 7A.35)
- Central African Republic, Manovo-Gounda St Floris National Park (Decision 44 COM 7A.39)
- Côte d'Ivoire / Guinea, Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve (Decision 44 COM 7A.40)
- Democratic Republic of the Congo, Garamba National Park (Decision 44 COM 7A.41)
- Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kahuzi-Biega National Park (Decision 44 COM 7A.42)
- Democratic Republic of the Congo, Okapi Wildlife Reserve (Decision 44 COM 7A.43)
- Democratic Republic of the Congo, Virunga National Park (Decision 44 COM 7A.45)
- Egypt, Abu Mena (Decision 44 COM 7A.5)
- Honduras, Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve (Decision 44 COM 7A.55)
- Indonesia, Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra (Decision 44 COM 7A.52)
- Iraq, Ashur (Qal'at Sherqat) (Decision 44 COM 7A.6)
- Iraq, Hatra (Decision 44 COM 7A.7)
- Iraq, Samarra Archaeological City (Decision 44 COM 7A.8)
- Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls (site proposed by Jordan) (Decision 44 COM 7A.10)
- Kenya, Lake Turkana National Parks (Decision 44 COM 7A.47)
- Libya, Archaeological Site of Cyrene (Decision 44 COM 7A.11)
- Libya, Archaeological Site of Leptis Magna (Decision 44 COM 7A.12)
- Libya, Archaeological Site of Sabratha (Decision 44 COM 7A.13)
- Libya, Old Town of Ghadamès (Decision 44 COM 7A.14)
- Libya, Rock-Art Sites of Tadrart Acacus (Decision 44 COM 7A.15)
- Madagascar, Rainforests of the Atsinanana (Decision 44 COM 7A.48)
- Mali, Old Towns of Djenné (Decision 44 COM 7A.1)
- Mali, Timbuktu (Decision 44 COM 7A.2)
- Mali, Tomb of Askia (Decision 44 COM 7A.3)
- Mexico, Islands and Protected Areas of the Gulf of California (Decision 44 COM 7B.56)
- Micronesia (Federated States of), Nan Madol: Ceremonial Centre of Eastern Micronesia (Decision 44 COM 7A.30)
- Niger, Aïr and Ténéré Natural Reserves (Decision 44 COM 7A.49)
- Palestine, Palestine: Land of Olives and Vines – Cultural Landscape of Southern Jerusalem, Battir (Decision 44 COM 7A.17)
- Palestine, Hebron/Al-Khalil Old Town (Decision 44 COM 7A.16)
- Panama, Fortifications on the Caribbean Side of Panama: Portobelo-San Lorenzo (Decision 44 COM 7A.36)
- Peru, Chan Chan Archaelogical Zone (Decision 44 COM 7A.37)
- Senegal, Niokolo-Koba National Park (Decision 44 COM 7A.50)
- Serbia, Medieval Monuments in Kosovo (Decision 44 COM 7A.33)
- Solomon Islands, East Rennell (Decision 44 COM 7A.53)
- Syrian Arab Republic, Ancient City of Aleppo (Decision 44 COM 7A.18)
- Syrian Arab Republic, Ancient City of Bosra (Decision 44 COM 7A.19)
- Syrian Arab Republic, Ancient City of Damascus (Decision 44 COM 7A.20)
- Syrian Arab Republic, Ancient Villages of Northern Syria (Decision 44 COM 7A.21)
- Syrian Arab Republic, Crac des Chevaliers and Qal’at Salah El-Din (Decision 44 COM 7A.22)
- Syrian Arab Republic, Site of Palmyra (Decision 44 COM 7A.23)
- Uganda, Tombs of Buganda Kings at Kasubi (Decision 44 COM 7A.4)
- United Republic of Tanzania, Selous Game Reserve (Decision 44 COM 7A.51)
- United States of America, Everglades National Park (Decision 44 COM 7A.54)
- Uzbekistan, Historic Centre of Shakhrisyabz (Decision 44 COM 7A.31)
- Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of), Coro and its Port (Decision 44 COM 7A.38)
- Yemen, Historic Town of Zabid (Decision 44 COM 7A.25)
- Yemen, Old City of Sana’a (Decision 44 COM 7A.26)
- Yemen, Old Walled City of Shibam (Decision 44 COM 7A.27).
Draft Decision: 44 COM 7A.42
The World Heritage Committee,
- Having examined Document WHC/21/44.COM/7A,
- Recalling Decision 43 COM 7A.8, adopted at its 43rd session (Baku, 2019),
- Welcomes the improved security situation and continued collaboration between the Congolese Institute for Nature Conservation (ICCN), the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) and local authorities, which has resulted in a significant increase in patrol coverage of the property, meeting for the first time the 60% corrective measure threshold;
- Notes with satisfaction the reported closing down of all remaining artisanal mining activities throughout the property and considers that this is a major achievement and, if maintained over a longer period, would be a major step towards restoring the integrity of the property;
- Notes the State Party’s continued efforts to address poaching and trafficking in the property, and requests it to provide, in its future reports, more data on the results of anti-poaching activities;
- Also welcomes the efforts for peaceful conflict resolution with the communities, in particular the indigenous Batwa, notes however the concerns raised by the indigenous Batwa about the delays in the implementation of the recommendations resulting from the 2019 Bukavu Dialogue, and also requests the State Party to address this issue as a priority in full consultation with the Batwa community, in line with the Policy on the integration of a sustainable development perspective into the processes of the World Heritage Convention;
- Reiterates its request for the State Party to provide details on the status of the ecological corridor and to develop a rehabilitation plan for the ecological corridor to facilitate the regeneration of natural vegetation and to submit to the World Heritage Centre, for review by IUCN, all information, including maps, to assess the impact of encroachment on the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property;
- Thanks the donors, in particular the Governments of Germany and Norway which continue to provide support for the conservation of the property;
- Expresses concern about the increasing pressure of encroachment in the property and urges the State Party to address this as a matter of priority;
- Further requests the State Party to urgently provide an update on the status of wildlife inventories, and also reiterates its requests to the State Party to submit the results of the wildlife inventory to the World Heritage Centre for review by IUCN, and to finalize, in cooperation with the World Heritage Centre and IUCN, indicators for the Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger (DSOCR), once the results of the wildlife inventory are available;
- Also urges the State Party to continue the implementation of the corrective measures, as updated by the 2017 mission;
- Requests furthermore the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2022, 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 45th session in 2022;
- Decides to continue the application of the Reinforced Monitoring Mechanism;
- Also decides to retain Kahuzi-Biega National Park (Democratic Republic of the Congo) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
Exports
* :
The threats indicated are listed in alphabetical order; their order does not constitute a classification according to the importance of their impact on the property.
Furthermore, they are presented irrespective of the type of threat faced by the property, i.e. with specific and proven imminent danger (“ascertained danger”) or with threats which could have deleterious effects on the property’s Outstanding Universal Value (“potential danger”).
** : All mission reports are not always available electronically.