Okapi Wildlife Reserve

• Intensive poaching of large mammals, in particular elephants
• Mining activities inside the property
• Uncontrolled migration into the villages located within the property
• Illegal timber exploitation in the Ituri Forest, which might affect the property in the near future
• Planned rehabilitation of the National Road RN4 crossing the property, for which no proper Environmental Impact Assessment was conducted 

• Impact of the conflict: looting of the infrastructures, poaching of elephants
• Presence of gold mining sites inside the property

Indicators adopted in 2009 and revised in 2014, see page https://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/5983

Adopted in 2009 and revised in 2014, see page  https://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/5983 

In progress

Total amount granted: USD 1,450,000, from the United Nations Foundation (UNF), Government of Belgium, the Rapid Response Facility (RRF) and the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund (UNPF), USD 550,000 from the Government of Norway (2020- 2022)

On 8 April 2022, the State Party submitted a report on the state of conservation of the property, available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/718/documents/. A progress report was further submitted by the management authority in February 2023 in the framework of a technical project. These reports include the following:

• Efforts to remove armed groups and illegal miners from the property continue. In 2021, 175 law enforcement patrols grouped into three large-scale operations covered more than 12,700 km (almost 37% of the property). A total of 202 people were removed, and 84 arrests linked mainly to poaching and illegal mining were made of which 28 cases involving 57 arrested persons are pending court hearings. A ranger’s position was installed at the closed illegal gold mining site of Bapela. A large-scale awareness raising campaign was organized in other illegal mining sites, urging miners to vacate the area before being forcefully removed. However, some semi-industrial mining operations are being conducted, including by foreign companies in the possession of mining titles issued illegally by the mining regulatory authorities (CAMI). The Congolese Institute for Nature Conservation (ICCN) is continuing its high-level lobbying to have these permits invalidated;
• Pressure from artisanal and semi-industrial mining activities in the property is increasing and facilitating other illegal activities. The persistent and even increasing insecurity is hampering the efforts to control illegal mining and is leading to increased migration into the property. New access roads are being opened by these semi-industrial mining operations, facilitating access into the property and enabling illegal logging, agricultural invasions, poaching and the establishment of illegal settlements;
• To combat illegal trafficking of natural resources, in particular poaching of Okapi, intelligence is gathered combined with awareness raising activities. Four checkpoints are active on the National Road 4 (RN4) crossing the property to check vehicle traffic for bushmeat and other illegal products;
• 58 new rangers were recruited, and a new rapid intervention unit is being created, equipped, and trained. A military officer of the special army Corps responsible for security of the National Parks and relevant protected areas (CorPPN) is now permanently stationed at the property and facilitating cooperation with the military operating in the region;
• The construction of the necessary infrastructure to enable effective protection and management of the property continued with the construction of offices and the acquisition of vehicles;
• Income generating activities are being supported in the villages through the community conservation governance board (Conseil de Gouvernance de Conservation Communautaire). Eight local stays and passages control committees (Comités de contrôle des séjours et des passages) were re-trained on guidelines for access to natural resources in demarcated agricultural zones in the property;
• Discussions are underway with the traditional authorities to demarcate the western boundary of the property. These discussions are hampered by the presence of a mining company inside the property in this area;
• Re-stocking the Okapi breeding station by capturing some specimens in the property has been delayed;
• Discussions are underway with several donors to substantially increase funding for the management of the property.

The existence of semi-industrial mining sites was confirmed by a UNESCO project evaluation mission that visited the property in 2022.

On 14 April 2023, the World Heritage Centre sent a letter to the State Party requesting additional information on the status of artisanal and semi-industrial mining activities in the property and the measures taken to address this issue. At the time of writing of this report, no reply was received from the State Party.

9. General Decision on the World Heritage properties in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Current conservation issues

On 8 April 2022, the State Party submitted a report on the State of Conservation of the five properties in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), available at http://whc.unesco.org/en/documents/193020.

Unfortunately, the report did not include any specific information in response to Decision 44 COM 7A.46.

The expansion of mining and the associated increase of illegal activities is jeopardizing the integrity of the property and therefore directly affecting its Outstanding Universal Value (OUV). Noting also that efforts to set up a commission with CAMI to resolve the issue of the concessions issued within the property have so far not led to any concrete results, it is of utmost importance that illegal mining is addressed urgently by the State Party at the highest level in line with the commitments made in 2011 and that all mining permits issued within the property are revoked by the mining authorities, that the mining sites inside the property are closed and restored, and access roads to these mining sites blocked.

The presence of semi-industrial mining operations within the property also complicates the aforementioned efforts to clarify the western boundaries of the property with the traditional and local authorities.

While the efforts to strengthen the law enforcement capacity in the property through the recruitment of additional rangers, arrest and prosecution of illegal hunters and miners, and the establishment of a second rapid intervention team is welcomed, it is concerning that patrol coverage is continuing a downward trend in recent years, decreasing from 52% in 2016, 47% in 2019 to 37% in 2021, which is well below the 60% corrective measure threshold. It is hoped that the additional recruitment of rangers will make it possible to progressively increase the coverage once again and that discussions with different donors will result in increased funding for the property.

The intention to populate the okapi breeding station is noted, but it is reiterated that no action should be undertaken to initiate such an initiative before the security situation is stable. It is also recommended again that the State Party, as part of the update of the Integrated Management Plan (PAG), develop an integrated in-situ and ex-situ okapi conservation strategy and engage best practice expert guidance, such as through the IUCN Species Survival Commission Giraffe and Okapi Specialist Group.

It is regrettable that the report provides no assessment of progress towards meeting the indicators defined in the Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger (DSOCR), and that it has again not addressed previous Committee concerns and requests. No data are provided, for example concerning the number of residents in the property and the villages located along the RN4, to assess the impacts of the increase in populations on land-use within the property. It is also regrettable that no information is provided on the update of the PAG and the formalization of the Central Integral Conservation Zone. It is clear from the information provided on the implementation of the corrective measures that the management of the property remains challenging in light of persistent insecurity and the increasing threats of mining and associated illegal resource use. It would therefore be important to provide the previously collected SMART data in order to enable an assessment of the impacts of illegal activities on the OUV of the property and data concerning progress accomplished with regard to the indicators defined in the DSOCR.

Given the increasing threats to the OUV of the property, in particular as a result of the increased pressure from mining and the emergence of semi-industrial mining operations inside the property, it is recommended that the Committee request the State Party to invite a joint UNESCO/IUCN Reactive Monitoring mission to the property.

It is furthermore recommended that the Committee retain the property on the List of World Heritage in Danger and continue the application of the Reinforced Monitoring Mechanism.

9. General Decision on the World Heritage properties in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Analysis and Conclusions of the World Heritage Centre and IUCN

It is regrettable that the State Party did not provide any specific information in response to Decision 44 COM 7A.46, which raises several important general issues related to the state of conservation of the properties in DRC and the implementation of the Kinshasa Declaration, adopted in 2011. An in-depth analysis of these issues is therefore not possible, and it is recommended that the Committee reiterates the points raised in its Decision 44 COM 7A.46.

Regarding the overall security situation in the five properties of the DRC, the individual state of conservation reports show that the security situation appears to have now normalized in Salonga National Park and improved in Kahuzi-Biega and Garamba National Parks. The situation remains challenging in Okapi Wildlife Reserve. However, the most concerning is the situation in Virunga National Park, which has again been the scene of heavy fighting since 2022. Large areas of the park are now again controlled by the rebel forces. This situation is having serious impacts on management activities such as patrolling, wildlife monitoring and enforcement, and has tragically resulted in further loss of life among park staff and in particular park rangers. More details are provided in the report on Virunga National Park (see Item 7A, sub-item n°8). It is recommended that the Committee again strongly condemn this violence, offer its sincere condolences to the families of the victims and ICCN staff, express its utmost concern regarding the continuing insecurity in and around Virunga National Park, Kahuzi-Biega National Park and Okapi Wildlife Reserve and urge the State Party to continue to strengthen the capacity of ICCN to continue to ensure the management of the properties in the current difficult security situation as well as the efforts to restore peace and stability in and around the properties.

The continued cooperation between the ICCN and the DRC military (FARDC) for the protection of the properties is considered essential, however allegations of human rights abuses linked directly to law enforcement operations are of deep concern. While the challenges of protecting World Heritage properties in a region characterized by ongoing armed conflict and the proliferation of armed groups engaging in activities that may threaten the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV), such as the exploitation of natural resources or mining and wildlife trafficking, are acknowledged, it is essential that human rights are respected, and that human rights are never abused as a result of conservation interventions. It is recommended that the Committee reiterate again the importance of implementing strong measures to ensure that the rights of IPLCs are fully respected in all management decisions and actions. Measures already taken in Salonga National Park and Kahuzi-Biega National Park to establish a code of conduct for park rangers, provide rangers with training on human rights issues (also underway for Virunga National Park), as well as the establishment of a grievance mechanism for human rights abuses, are all welcomed, and such initiatives should be expanded urgently to all World Heritage properties in the DRC.  The establishment of a specific entity in charge of human rights in the ICCN General Direction could catalyze good practice and sharing of experiences between the sites. It is recommended that the Committee recall once again the importance of management processes that are founded on rights-based approaches and ensuring full involvement of all rightsholders and stakeholders, in particular IPLCs, in line with the 2015 Policy on World Heritage and Sustainable Development and the UNESCO Policy on Engaging with Indigenous Peoples.  The State Party is therefore requested to further strengthen on-going efforts by establishing and implementing a national code of conduct for eco-guards and a grievance mechanism for human rights abuses in all properties, as well as ensuring human rights issues are included in all regular training of law enforcement staff.

The news that the State Party included the two oil blocks overlapping with Virunga National Park in the new public tender process for oil blocks in 2022 is of utmost concern (see also report on Virunga National Park). At the time of writing of this report, it is unclear if these blocks have been attributed.

It needs to be recalled that one of these blocks had been opened up for oil exploration in the past but that the company involved finally relinquished the block in 2014 after public outcry and several investors divesting from the company. Since then, the World Heritage Committee has consistently requested the State Party to revoke all oil concessions attributed by Presidential Decree and overlapping with Virunga and Salonga National Parks.

In addition, several semi-industrial gold mining operations are now active in the Okapi Wildlife Reserve (see report on Okapi Wildlife Reserve, Item 7A, sub-item n°7). Reportedly the companies involved were attributed mining licenses based on erroneous map used by the mining cadaster.  It is therefore recommended that the Committee express its utmost concern on these new developments, reiterate its clear position concerning the incompatibility of mining, oil exploration and exploitation with World Heritage status and urge once again the State Party to cancel all concessions for oil blocks and mining concessions that overlap with World Heritage properties.

On 14 March 2023, the UNESCO Assistant-Director General for the Culture Sector informed the State Party on UNESCO’s willingness to organise a national workshop on heritage protection in conflict zones in the DRC.