Administration
Budget
Capacity Building
Communication
Community
Conservation
Credibility of the World Heritage ...
Inscriptions on the World Heritage ...
International Assistance
List of World Heritage in Danger
Operational Guidelines
Outstanding Universal Value
Partnerships
Periodic Reporting
Reinforced Monitoring
Reports
Tentative Lists
Working methods and tools
World Heritage Convention








Decision 36 COM 7A.15
Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System (Belize) (N 764)

1.   Having examined Document WHC-12/36.COM/7A,

2.   Recalling Decision 35 COM 7A.15, adopted at its 35th session (UNESCO, 2011),

3.   Expresses its utmost concern that the State Party has not made a clear and unequivocal commitment to eliminate oil concessions granted within the boundaries of the property, which threaten to seriously and irreversibly affect its Outstanding Universal Value if activated, and reiterates its position that oil exploration and extraction are incompatible with World Heritage status;

4.   Notes with extreme concern that the property is highly threatened, taking into account possible offshore oil exploitation, uncertainty about the impact of invasive species, increasing risk from climate change, in addition to existing threats for which corrective measures exist but progress toward their implementation is unclear;

5.   Regrets that very little measurable progress has been achieved towards implementation of the corrective measures and the achievement of the Desired state of conservation for removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger and urges the State Party to increase significantly its efforts to implement the corrective measures adopted by the Committee at its 33rd session (Seville, 2009);

6.   Requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre as soon as possible, a copy of the Environmental Impact Assessment of the Yum Balisi resort, in accordance with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines, for review by the World Heritage Centre and IUCN;

7.   Also requests the State Party to seek assistance from the World Heritage Centre’s Marine Programme and to invite an IUCN reactive monitoring mission to consider the state of conservation of the property as a whole, update the corrective measures and establish a timeframe for their implementation, and assist the State Party in developing the Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger;

8.   Further requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2013, a detailed report on the state of conservation of the property, supported by appropriate detailed documentation including relevant laws, policies and Management Plans, including a report on concrete progress achieved in implementing the corrective measures and progress regarding the Desired state of conservation for removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 37th session in 2013;

9.   Decides to retain the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System (Belize) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.

Decision Code
36 COM 7A.15
Themes
Conservation, List of World Heritage in Danger, Reports
States Parties 1
Year
2012
State of conservation reports
2012 Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System
Documents
WHC-12/36.COM/19
Decisions adopted by the World Heritage Committee at its 36th session (Saint-Petersburg, 2012)
Context of Decision
WHC-12/36.COM/7A