Previous Committee Decisions

29 COM 7B.19; 30 COM 7B.18; 31 COM 7B.31

Previous monitoring missions

1998: World Heritage Centre monitoring mission; 2001 and 2005: World Heritage Centre / IUCN monitoring missions

Main threats identified in previous reports

1. Lack of adequate management regime;
2. Uncertain legal protection;
3. Pollution;
4. Illegal timber harvesting;
5. Gas and oil pipeline project across the World Heritage property;
6. Illegal construction on the Lake shore;
7. Illegal sale of land;
8. Tourism development.

Decision: 32 COM 7B.24

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC-08/32.COM/7B,
2. Recalling Decision 30 COM 7B.3, adopted at its 31st session (Christchurch, 2007),
3. Welcomes the steps taken by the State Party to implement some of the recommendations from the 2005 monitoring mission, but notes that many have not yet been fully addressed;
4. Urges the State Party to implement the remaining recommendations effectively;
5. Requests the State Party to complete its review of the legal provisions relevant to the property and to ensure that the law "On protection of Lake Baikal" and other laws and regulations are effectively implemented;
6. Also requests the State Party to provide detailed information on any exemptions or amendments to the prohibited activities listed in Resolution 643 of the Baikal Law, and to confirm that activities incompatible with the World Heritage status, including mining, will continue to be prohibited;
7. Encourages the State Party to ensure adequate funding for management and monitoring of the property;
8. Also urges the State Party to finalise, as soon as possible, the municipal sewage treatment facilities to enable the operation of the closed water system within the Baikalsk Pulp and Paper Mill;
9. Further requests the State Party to set up legal and administrative frameworks to regulate tourism and recreation, to urgently develop and adopt effective planning regulations, and to establish a sustainable tourism strategy for the property;
10. Requests moreover the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2009, a clear and detailed report on the state of conservation of the property addressing the points above, and including the status of the Kholodninksoe zinc and lead deposit, and outlining further progress made in implementing the remaining recommendations of the joint 2005 World Heritage Centre / IUCN mission, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 33rd session in 2009.