The "Lena Pillars Natural Park" nomination dossier will be re-represented in the World Heritage Centre before February, the 1st, 2010

The "Lena Pillars Natural Park" nomination dossier, which was not recommended by the IUCN for inscribing on the World Heritage List because of any of the stated criteria, had been withdrawn from the 33rd WH session consideration by the Russian Federation. Adapted nomination will be re-represented in the World Heritage Centre before February, the 1st, 2010.

The "Lena Pillars Natural Park" nomination, claiming to be inscribed on the List according to vii-x criteria, has been turn over to WH Centre in January 2008 and had to be considered at the 33rd session of the World Heritage Committee (Seville, 22-30 June 2009).

Announced 6 weeks before the session IUCN's recommendation not to inscribe the "Lena Pillars Natural Park" on the List because of criteria mismatching had been declared by leading Russian and foreign scientists as controversial and requiring further discussion. The most controversial IUCN's conclusion had been declared in point of viii and vii criteria. As a result of the consultations it was decided to withdraw the nomination dossier, about what Maria Jesus San Segundo - the chairman of World Heritage Committee - was informed in official letter.

Negotiations with IUCN representatives, held by the Russian delegation during the Committee session, enable to make the following conclusions. Nomination dossier could be giving in again, but it should be adapted, taking into account first of all the potential of outstanding universal value (OUV) of territory in terms of thermokarst landscapes (viii criteria). For its most complete submission the nominated territory boundaries are likely to be changed. In addition, rest of the criteria grounding should be rewrite with a clear emphasis and clear evidence of OUV. At the suit of the Russian side the IUCN will determine an international consultant in the short run, who will provide necessary recommendations on documents revision with an eye to turn over a new nomination dossier to the World Heritage Centre before February, the 1st, 2010.

The "Lena Pillars Natural Park" nomination was prepared in 2004-2008 and is the result of collaboration between organizations from Moscow and the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia): the Institute of Biological Problems of Cryolitozone of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (SB RAS), the Sakha (Yakutsk) State University, Institute of Diamonds and Noble Metal Geology of SB RAS, Lena Pillars Nature Park, RAS Institute of Geography, Russian Research Institute for Cultural and Natural Heritage and the Natural Heritage Protection Fund.