The World Heritage Committee,
1. Having examined Document WHC-08/32.COM/7B.Add,
2. Recalling Decision 29 COM 7B.3, adopted at its 29th session (Durban, 2005),
3. Notes with concern the extensive threats to the property in the Lake Habema and southern lowland regions and the inadequate functioning of the management agency;
4. Acknowledges the increased funding allocated to the property in 2008 as compared to 2007 and the cooperation with international partners to improve conservation; however, also notes with concern reports of projected future overall funding reductions from an already inadequate level of funding;
5. Calls upon the international community to continue to support the property and increase financial and technical assistance;
6. Urges the State Party to increase political, financial and technical support for the property; and to engage more closely with the Papua provincial government to ensure that adequate legal protection and financial support is accorded to the property for its effective management;
7. Requests the State Party to fully implement the recommendations of the 2008 Reactive Monitoring mission and to prioritise those which are most urgent, in particular:
a) address the threats in the Lake Habema Region of the property from road construction, forest die-back and illegal logging through the following activities:
i) cease road construction, rehabilitate recently constructed roads and mitigate impacts;
ii) engage with local and provincial governments to resolve the threat of road development and potential impacts arising from decentralisation of government;
iii) engage with all indigenous communities within the property to identify options for sustainable development;
iv) identify and control die-back disease threatening the Nothofagus forests in the Lake Habema region;
v) address illegal logging;
b) improve management agency functioning through the following activities:
i) finalise and implement the 2005 - 2010 (2007-2012) strategic plan;
ii) initiate consultation for strategic (precinct) planning of Lake Habema Region;
iii) seek external assistance for capacity building, technical assistance, equipment, and financing;
iv) increase capacity of staff through training and recruitment of technical experts;
v) survey and map ecosystems within alpine-montane landscapes in the property to improve basis of management;
vi) conduct independent technical and engineering assessment and design of road construction options in alpine-montane tract to minimise environmental impact;
c) improve management of the southern lowlands region through the following activities:
i) mark marine boundaries and promote awareness within Government and the fishing industry to halt illegal fishing;
ii) collaborate with appropriate agencies on law enforcement to effectively protect the marine environment;
iii) initiate a programme to control and prevent further spread of hyacinth into the property;
iv) develop liaison with Freeport for tracking of results of on-going monitoring of the impact of effluent discharge from mine tailings;
v) promote independent monitoring of marine portion of the property;
8. Also requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre a report, by 1 February 2010, on the state of conservation of the property, and progress on the implementation of recommendations of the 2008 monitoring mission, in particular on the cessation of damaging road construction, rehabilitation of existing roads, mitigation of impacts, and research into forest die-back, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 34th session in 2010.