Decision: 35 COM 7B.26

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC-11/35.COM/7B.Add,
2. Recalling Decisions 32 COM 7B.22 and 33 COM 7B.27 adopted at its 32nd (Quebec City, 2008) and 33rd (Seville, 2009) sessions respectively,
3. Expresses its outmost concern about that the State Party has not yet made an unequivocal decision to abandon the construction of the Altai gas pipeline through the property as requested in Decision 33 COM 7B.27, and about reports that the construction is scheduled to go ahead this year;
4. Reiterates that any decision to go forward with the construction of the gas pipeline through the property would constitute a threat to the Outstanding Universal Value of the property and represent clear case for its inscription of the property on the List of World Heritage in Danger, as noted in its Decision 32 COM 7B.22;
5. Urges the State Party to submit an independent Environmental Impact Assessment of the proposed pipeline to the World Heritage Centre before a decision is taken on the project, including a map showing all potential and preferred pipeline routes in relation to the property, in line with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines;
6. Requests the State Party to invite a joint World Heritage Centre / IUCN reactive monitoring mission to the property to determine the status of the proposed pipeline, to meet with representatives of the pipeline developers, and to evaluate the possible impacts of the proposed pipeline on the property's Outstanding Universal Value;
7. Also 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, including clarification of the status of the proposed pipeline and a copy of its Environmental Impact Assessment, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 36th session in 2012, with a view to considering the possible inscription of the property on the List of World Heritage in Danger.