Decision : 35 COM 7B.33
Coiba National Park and its Special Zone of Marine Protection (Panama) (N 1138 rev)
The World Heritage Committee
1. Having examined Document WHC-11/35.COM/7B,
2. Recalling Decision 33 COM 7B.38, adopted at its 33rd session (Seville, 2009),
3. Regrets that the management plan for the Special Zone of Marine Protection has yet to be finalised or adopted, as previously urged by the World Heritage Committee in Decision 33 COM 7B.38, and considers that the property's lack of management capacity, if not addressed, could pose a potential threat to its Outstanding Universal Value;
4. Requests the State Party to urgently finalise the Management Plan for the Special Zone of Marine Protection, and to undertake an independent Management Effectiveness Evaluation, in line with the Enhancing Our Heritage toolkit, in order to inform the effective implementation of the management plans and fishing regulations for both Coiba National Park and its Special Protection Zone;
5. Reiterates its request that the State Party develop and implement a coastal zone development and conservation policy in order to ensure that cumulative development impacts on the property's Outstanding Universal Value are effectively addressed, and encourages the State Party to develop this policy on the basis of a Strategic Environmental Assessment of the coastal zone's development potential;
6. Notes that the State Party submitted an International Assistance Request for the removal of wild cattle from Coiba Island in March 2010, and strongly encourages the State Party to re-submit a revised request in line with the recommendations made by the World Heritage Centre and IUCN at the time of submission;
7. Also requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2012, a revised retrospective Statement of Outstanding Universal Value, for review by IUCN;
8. Further requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2012, a report on the state of conservation of the property and on the progress made on the issues above-mentioned, including increased fishing pressures, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 36th session in 2012.
Decisions Report2011 Coiba National Park and its Special Zone of Marine Protection
