Decision 40 COM 7A.33

Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve (Honduras) (N 196)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/16/40.COM/7A,
2. Recalling Decision 39 COM 7A.20, adopted at its 39th session (Bonn, 2015),
3. Commends the State Party and governmental and non-governmental partners for further progress made in integrated monitoring and granting negotiated local access to land and natural resources, and encourages the State Party and partners to continue these efforts;
4. Expresses its concern that another eviction has been carried out and strongly urges the State Party to prevent new illegal settlements so as to avoid further evictions in the future;
5. Reiterates its concern that illegal activities continue to impact on the property and that no apparent progress has been made in terms of human, financial and logistical resources beyond the securing of external funding and cooperation;
6. Encourages the State Party to use the conclusions and recommendations of the discussions facilitated by International Assistance, as a foundation to develop a proposal for a significant boundary modification, with the technical support of the World Heritage Centre and IUCN, as required;
7. Also recalls its consideration that the Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger (DSOCR) should be revised once the boundaries of the property have been clarified;
8. Recalls its request to the State Party to report on the possible impacts of the Patuca III project;
9. Requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2017, an updated report on the state of conservation of the property and the implementation of the above, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 41st session in 2017;
10. Decides to retain Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve (Honduras) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.