Golden Mountains of Altai (Russian Federation) (N 768rev)Golden Mountains of Altai (Russian Federation) (N 768rev) Decision: 39 COM 7B.21 The World Heritage Committee, 1. Having examined Document WHC-15/39.COM/7B.Add, 2. Recalling Decision 37 COM 7B.25, adopted at its 37th session (Phnom Penh, 2013), 3. Regrets that the State Party did not submit a report, as requested by its Decision 37 COM 7B.25, as well as information requested by the World Heritage Centre on activities and signed agreements between the Governments of the Russian Federation and China on gas delivery via the western route, which includes the Altai pipeline; 4. Expresses its utmost concern about Government Order N° 1416-r of August 2013, which includes the Altai pipeline in its future pipeline development programme, in spite of the State Party’s assurance given to the Committee at the 37th session that the design works on the Altai pipeline project had been suspended and that no further funding for the design would be provided in the period 2012-2014; 5. Reiterates its request to the State Party to take an unequivocal decision to abandon the construction of the Altai gas pipeline through the property and urges the States Parties of the Russian Federation and China to consider alternative routes for gas supply projects; 6. Reiterates its position that any decision to go forward with the gas pipeline through the property would represent an ascertained danger to its Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) in line with Paragraph 180 of the Operational Guidelines, and would represent a clear case for inscription of the property on the List of World Heritage in Danger; 7. Also reiterates its request to ensure that Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) be submitted to the World Heritage Centre for any infrastructure development in or around the property, including the gas pipeline and hydropower projects, which could affect its OUV, in line with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines; 8. Reiterates its concern about Decree 212 N 202 dated 2 August 2012 of the Republic of Altai, which allows the “construction and exploitation of linear objects as well as structures that are an integral part of the process” and therefore, weakens the legal provisions protecting the property, stresses that, in accordance with Paragraph 180 of the Operational Guidelines, the modification of legal protection status of an area included in a property is considered as a potential danger to its OUV and a reason for inscription of the property on the List of World Heritage in Danger, and urges the State Party to revoke the decree; 9. Requests the State Party to continue its efforts to implement the recommendations of the 2012 Reactive Monitoring mission; 10. Also requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2016, an updated report, including a 1-page executive summary, on the state of conservation of the property in particular the status of the Altai pipeline project, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 40th session in 2016, with a view to considering, in case of the confirmation of ascertained or potential danger to Outstanding Universal Value, the possible inscription of the property on the List of World Heritage in Danger. |