Decision : 34 COM 7A.8
Okapi Wildlife Reserve (Democratic Republic of the Congo) (N 718)
The World Heritage Committee,
1. Having examined Document WHC-10/34.COM/7A,
2. Recalling Decision 33 COM 7A.8, adopted at its 33rd session (Seville, 2009),
3. Expresses its utmost concern about the renewed upsurge in poaching involving elements of the Congolese Army, which might endanger the process of regeneration of the property's Outstanding Universal Value and could jeopardize the timeframe of three years (2010-2012) proposed by the 2009 monitoring mission to achieve the indicators that describe the Desired State of Conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger;
4. Welcomes the progress made in the preparation of the management plan and the establishment of different management zones, including a central integrally protected zone;
5. Reiterates the need to put in place appropriate actions to facilitate the control of traffic on the RN4 road crossing the reserve by the management authority of the property, in particular the closure of the road for traffic during the night and the installation of a toll system;
6. Requests the State Party to continue to implement the updated corrective measures adopted by the World Heritage Committee at its 33rd session (Seville, 2009);
7. Also requests the State Party to monitor the implementation of the corrective measures and to undertake, before the 35th session in 2011, a study to prepare the methodology to be used for the 2012 inventory and to enable the monitoring of any increases in wildlife numbers and invites the State Party to request assistance from the World Heritage Fund for this purpose;
8. Further requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2011, a report on the state of conservation of the property, in particular on progress accomplished in the implementation of the corrective measures and the other recommendations of the 2009 mission, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 35th session in 2011;
9. Decides to retain Okapi Wildlife Reserve (Democratic Republic of the Congo) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
Original Decision Document