State of conservation of World Heritage Property Virgin Komi Forests (N 719)

Decision: 35 COM 7B.25 REV

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC-11/35.COM/7B,
2. Recalling Decision 34 COM 7B.25, adopted at its 34th session (Brasilia, 2010),
3. Expresses its utmost concern about the boundary changes made to the northern component of the property, Yugyd Va National Park (YVNP), which removes the protection status of these areas, and about the approval of a gold mine within the property at Chudnoe;
4. Considers that the excisions made to the property and the approved gold mine at Chudnoe represent a clear potential threat to the property's Outstanding Universal Value and integrity, as defined in Paragraphs 180(b) (i) and (ii) of the Operational Guidelines;
5. Urges the State Party to immediately implement the recommendations proposed by the 2010 World Heritage Centre / IUCN reactive monitoring mission to remove the potential danger to the Outstanding Universal Value;
6. Requests the State Party to implement the other recommendations of the 2010 World Heritage Centre / IUCN reactive monitoring mission, in particular:
   1. Develop a strategy to phase out the Zhelanoe and Obeiz quarries and develop environmental management plans for the quarries and the SRTO-Torzhok pipeline to minimise their environmental impacts,
   2. Establish a buffer zone with adequate protection status along the entire eastern boundary of the World Heritage property, in consultation with neighbouring regions,
   3. Upgrade the protection status of the Upper Illych Basin by including it either within the Yugyd Va National Park or the Pechoro-Illychsky Strict Nature Reserve, and of the PL 350 enclave by designating it as a regional protected area, and
   4. Strengthen the financial resources and staffing of the two components of the property in order to ensure that management can effectively conserve the Outstanding Universal Value of the property;
7. Commends the State Party for its intention to undertake an upgrade of the protection status of the Upper Illych Basin, located between the northern and southern components of the property, by integrating it within Yugyd Va National Park;
8. Urges the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Committee, by 1 February 2013, a major boundary modification request containing clarified boundaries of the property and following the recommendations of the 2010 World Heritage Centre / IUCN reactive monitoring mission regarding establishment of a buffer zone and including other valuable forest lands;
9. Further requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2012, a detailed report on the state of conservation of the property, describing the implementation of the recommendations, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 36th session in 2012.