Decision : 36 COM 7B.2
Taï National Park (Côte d’Ivoire) (N 195)
The World Heritage Committee,
1. Having examined Document WHC-12/36.COM/7B,
2. Recalling Decision 33 COM 7B.2, adopted at its 33rd session (Seville, 2009),
3. Congratulates the State Party for resuming, with support from international cooperation, conservation activities following the post-electoral crisis;
4. Welcomes the initiative of the State Party to establish Village Associations for Conservation and Development and Village Surveillance Committees to improve the participation of neighbouring populations in decisions concerning activities and development;
5. Notes with satisfaction the results of bio-monitoring of 2009-2010 indicating the maintenance of flagship species including chimpanzees, deukars and elephants but expresses its concern as regards the reduction in the populations of certain species of primates, the increase in poaching, gold-mining and agricultural encroachment since the post-electroal crisis;
6. Requests the State Party to evaluate the impact of the post-electoral crisis on the Outstanding Universal Value, quantifying the threats of poaching, agricultural encroachment and gold mining and providing an updated ecological monitoring report showing the evolution of the populations of primate species, including the Diana monkey, by 1 February 2013, to be transmitted to the World Heritage Centre;
7. Strongly urges the State Party to strengthen its action against poaching by concentrating efforts on surveillance of the vulnerable zones, agricultural encroachment and gold mining noted in the Park;
8. Encourages the State Party to continue its efforts to establish a sustainable funding mechanism and a business plan for the Park;
9. Also requests the State Party to publish as soon as possible the decree formalizing the extension of the territory of the Park and to submit, following publication, a request to modify the boundaries of the property to the World Heritage Centre for examination by the World Heritage Committee in this respect;
10. Further requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2014, a report on the state of conservation of the property with particular emphasis on the evolution of poaching, the animal populations (notably monkeys), the implementation of sustainable funding and the publication of the decree modifying the boundaries of the Park in view of a proposal for modification of the boundaries of the property, as well as on the implementation of the other recommendations of the 2006 mission, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 38thsession in 2014.
Original Decision Document