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Congo: Heritage in Danger

10-26 September 2004

Programme of the Workshops and Conference

Ensuring the protection of sites in DRC: An Experts Workshop

13 September 2004

9:30 – 10:00 Opening
  • Mr Francesco Bandarin, Director of the World Heritage Centre, UNESCO
  • Mr Natajaran Ishwaran, Director, Division of Ecological Sciences, UNESCO
  • Ms Eulalie Bashige, Director-General of Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature (ICCN)
10:00 – 13:00 Session I: Evaluation of the first phase of the UNESCO/UNF Project

Introduction and Chairmanship:
Mr Jean-Pierre d’Huart, Consultant, UNESCO

Keynote presentations:
Questions and answers
Discussion:

 The impact of UNESCO / UNF project on biodiversity in DRC, and on the main lessons to share with the international community

Moderator:
Mr Jean-Pierre d’Huart

Conclusion
14:30 – 17:30 Session II: Assisting with remote sensing tools for monitoring World Heritage Sites in DRC

Introduction and Chairmanship:
Ms Brigitte Decadt, Federal Office for Science Policy, Belgium

Keynote presentations:
  • Use of space technologies to monitor gorilla habitat in DRC
    Mr Diego Fernández Prieto, European Space Agency (ESA)
  • Deriving cartography for World Heritage Sites
    Mr Philippe de Maeyer, University of Gent, Belgium
  • The need for good tools for monitoring biodiversity in WH sites in DRC
    Mr John Hart, Wildlife Conservation Society
Questions and answers
Round table:

The use of satellites images and high technologies is crucial for monitoring but capacity building and a minimum of infrastructure is needed as well.

Moderator:
Mrs Brigitte Decadt

Panellists include:
  • Mr Carlos de Wasseige (UCL)
  • Mr Marc Languy (WWF)
  • Mr Mirindi Jobogo (ICCN)
Conclusion
17:30 – 18:00 Conclusions of day 1

Mr Jean-Pierre d’Huart, Consultant, UNESCO

14 September 2004 Morning session

9:30 – 10:00 Session III: The importance of the DRC World Heritage Sites for the conservation of great apes

Introduction and Chairmanship:
Mr Jean Ngog Nje, Regional School for the Integrated Management of Tropical Forests (ERAIFT)

Keynote presentations:
  • The perception of great ape conservation in different historical, political and socio-cultural contexts
    Mr Frédéric Joulian, Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales
  • Mountain gorillas in the Virunga National park: State of conservation and eco-tourism.
    Ms Annette Lanjouw, International Gorilla Conservation Programme (IGCP)
  • The bonobos in Salonga National Park: prospects for conservation.
    Dr Gay Reinartz, Zoological Society of Milwaukee (ZSM)
  • Great apes and bush meat trade in Central Africa: current state and need for a regional cooperation strategy
    Mr Jean Bihini won wa Musiti, World Conservation Union (IUCN)
  •  Epidemiological aspects: the case of Ebola fever in the region of the Odzala Biosphere Reserve
    Mr Mathieu Ebéké, GRASP Cameroon
  • Role of the press in awareness raising for great apes conservation
    Ms Rachel Fléaux-Mulot, Sciences et avenir
Questions and answers
Round table:

The importance of DRC World Heritage Sites for the conservation of great apes

Moderator:
Mr Jean Ngog Nje

Panellists include:
  • Mr Bernard Fosso, GRASP Focal point Cameroon
  • Mr Dieudonné Ankara, GRASP Focal point Republic of Congo
  • Ms Melanie Virtue, UNEP – GRASP Team leader
  • Ms Annette Lanjouw, International Gorilla Conservation Programme
  • Dr Gay Reinartz, Zoological Society of Milwaukee
Conclusion
14:00 – 17:00 Session IV: The implication of local communities in the Conservation of World Heritage Sites in DRC: lessons learned and future perspectives

Introduction and Chairmanship:
Mr Marc Languy, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)

Keynote Presentations:
Questions and answers
Discussion:

The implication of local communities in the conservation of World Heritage sites in DRC: lessons learned and future perspectives Moderator: Mr Marc Languy, WWF

Conclusion
17.00 – 18.00 Conclusions of the day 2 and closing remarks

Mr Jean-Pierre d’Huart, Consultant UNESCO

Partners for World Heritage in the Democratic Republic of Congo : a meeting between the public and private sector

15 September 2004

Chairmanship: Mr Grégoire Bakandeja wa Mpungu, Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Kinshasa and President of the National Commission for Economics and Finances, DRC

10:30 – 10:50 Introduction to the World Heritage Convention
10:50 – 11:20 UNF Commitment to the World Heritage Convention
11:10 – 12:00 Biodiversity Conservation in Regions of Armed Conflict: Preserving World Heritage Sites in DRC
12:00 – 13:00 The relationship between business and the natural environment
14:00 – 14:20 The business context in DRC

The changing face of DRC’s business environment
Mr Emmanuel Mbi, World Bank

14:20 – 15:40 Challenges and opportunities in DRC: Case studies
  •  Developing & implementing corporate responsibility policy & practice in DRC
    Ms Kate Harcourt, Social & Environmental Manager, Adastra
  • The Congolese business community’s perspective
    Mr Victor Kasongo, Director General, Centre d’Evaluation, d’Expertise et de Certification
  • Presentation of the Interafrican Forest Industries Association’s action
    Mr Jean – Pierre Landrot, General Secretary, IFIA
  • Artisanal mining in the DRC
    Ms Jackie Damon, Coordinator, Initiative for Central Africa, OECD
15:40 – 16:20 Discussion panel

An open forum for representatives from Governments, the business sector, NGOs, the World Bank, UNESCO and other partners to react to presentations and explore possible areas of co-operation.

Moderator: Mr Grégoire Bakandeja wa Mpungu

16:20 – 16:30 Closing remarks

Mr Francesco Bandarin, Director of UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre

Followed by a Guided tour of the exhibition "Congo: Nature and Culture in the Democratic Republic of Congo" curated by the Royal Museum for Central Africa of Tervuren (Belgium).

Promoting and Preserving Congolese Heritage Linking Biological and Cultural Diversity

16 September 2004

10:00 – 11:30 Inauguration ceremony

Speeches by:

11:30 – 13:00 Theme I: Promoting and Preserving Congolese Heritage

Introduction and Chairmanship by:
Mr Walter Erdelen, Assistant Director-General for Natural Sciences, UNESCO

Keynote presentations:
Round table:

The Role of Local Knowledge in the Preservation of Congolese Heritage

Introduction and Moderation by:
Mrs Shaje Tshiluila, Director of the National Museums of the DRC

Panellists include:
14:30– 16:00 Theme II: Protecting the Congo Basin Biodiversity

Introduction and Chairmanship by:
 Mr Kalemani Jo Mulongoy, Head of the Division of Scientific, Technical and Technological Matters, Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity

Keynote presentations:
15:45 Discussion and conclusion by the Chairperson
16:30 – 18:00 Theme III: The World Heritage of the Democratic Republic of the Congo: The Heart of Congo Basin

Introduction and Chairmanship by:
Mr Natajaran Ishwaran, Director of the Division of Ecological Sciences, UNESCO

Keynotes presentations:
17:45 Discussion and conclusion by Chairperson
18:00 Special Presentation:

Congo: Nature and Culture in DRC Mr Guido Gryseels, Director of the Royal Museum for Central Africa, Tervuren, Belgium

18:15 Cocktail and Guided Tour of the Exhibition Congo: Nature and Culture in the DRC

17 September 2004

10:00 – 13:00 Theme IV: Conserving World Heritage Biodiversity in Times of Conflict

Introduction and Chairmanship by:
Mr Noureini Tidjani-Serpos, Assistant Director-General, Africa Department, UNESCO

Keynote presentations:
11:45 Questions from the floor
12:15 Round table:

Looking ahead: Democratic Republic of Congo’s World Heritage in the Next Decade

Moderation by Mr Jean-Pierre d’Huart

Panellists include:
  • Ms Eulalie Bashige, Director-General of the Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature (ICCN)
  • Mr Jérôme Mabiala ma Khete, Director, Permanent Forest Management and Inventory Service (SPIAF)
  • Mr Samy Mankoto, President of Réseau des Aires Protégées de l’Afrique Centrale (RAPAC), former DG of ICCN
  • Mr John Lukas, President of the International Rhino Foundation, Director of Gilman International Conservation
  • Ms Annette Lanjouw, Technical Advisor International Gorilla Conservation Programme (IGCP)
  • Mr Guy Debonnet, Programme Specialist, UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre
14:30 – 18:00 Theme V: Partners for World Heritage in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Introduction and Chairmanship by:
Mr Francesco Bandarin, Director of UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre

14:45 Declaration by the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo Highlighting the Political Commitment for the Preservation of World Heritage Sites in Danger

Mr Anselme Enerunga, Minister for the Environment, Nature, Conservation and Forestry, Democratic Republic of Congo

Presentations by Donors Supporting the World Heritage in the Democratic Republic of the Congo:
15:00 Government representatives:
  •  Government of Belgium
    Mr Eric Duchêne, Ambassador, Deputy Director General of the Belgian Cooperation
  •  Government of Germany
    Ms Gudrun Grosse Wiesmann, Deputy Director General for Africa, Ministry of Development Cooperation
  • Government of USA
    Ms Ann Carson, Permanent Delegation of USA to UNESCO
  •  Government of France
    Ms Bérengère Quincy, Director for Technical Cooperation, DGCID
  • Government of Italy
    Mr Roberto Tortoli, Under-Secretary for Environment
16:15 Intergovernmental agencies:
  • World Bank / Global Environmental Facility
    Mr Emmanuel Mbi, Country Director of Operation for the Democratic Republic of Congo
  • European Union
    Mr Gilles Fontaine, Permanent Delegate of the European Union to UNESCO and OECD
  •  United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) / Global Environmental Facility
    Mr Abdoulaye Ndiaye, Regional Coordinator Biodiversity for West/Central Africa
  • European Space Agency (ESA)
    Mr Jean-Charles Bigot, Director of International Relations, ESA
17:00  Non-governmental representatives:
  • United Nations Foundation (UNF)
    Mr David Carter, Vice President for Finance
  • Conservation NGO partners of UNESCO
  • International Rhino Foundation (IRF)
  • World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)
  • Zoological Society of London (ZSL)
  • Fauna and Flora International (FFI)
  • African Wildlife Foundation (AWF)
  • Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)
  • Gilman International Conservation (GIC)
  • Zoological Society of Milwaukee (ZSM)
  • Frankfurt Zoological Society (FZS)
17:30 Discussion and conclusion by the Chairperson
17:50 Report from the workshop “Partners for Heritage in DRC”

Mr Grégoire Bakandeja wa Mpungu, Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Kinshasa and President of the National Commission for Economics and Finances, DRC

18:00 – 18:30 Closing ceremony

Speeches by:

Activities 1
Natural World Heritage in the Congo Basin
News 1
Rescuing the Congo's natural world heritage
7 January 2011
See Also 1
When

Friday, 10 September 2004
08:00:00
Sunday, 26 September 2004
08:00

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Where
Paris, France
Decisions (1)
Code: 38COM 7A.42
Title: General Decision on the properties of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

The World Heritage Committee,

  1. Having examined Document WHC-14/38.COM/7A.Add,
  2. Recalling Decision 37 COM 7A.9, adopted at its 37th session (Phnom Penh, 2013) and reaffirming the need to implement the Kinshasa Declaration adopted in 2011,
  3. Notes that the security situation in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has improved since the last session but that it still remains unstable and commends the courage of the staff of the Congolese Institute for Nature Conservation (ICCN) and its efforts to protect the World Heritage properties;
  4. Urges the State Party to guarantee the implementation of the commitments undertaken in the Kinshasa Declaration and to ensure the execution of the Strategic Plan of Action and requests the State Party to approve the decree to officialise the creation of an inter-ministerial committee and allocate the necessary technical and financial means to ensure adequate monitoring in the implementation of the Kinshasa Declaration;
  5. Reiterates its utmost concern as regards the Hydrocarbons Code that could make possible oil exploitation activities in protected areas and also urges the State Party to ensure that the protection status of the World Heritage properties be maintained;
  6. Also requests the State Party to review the mining and oil exploration and exploitation titles to exclude the World Heritage properties and not to grant further titles within the boundaries of the properties of the DRC and recalls its position that mining and oil exploration is incompatible with World Heritage status;
  7. Congratulates the TOTAL Company for its commitment not to carry out oil or gas exploration and exploitation activities in properties inscribed on the World Heritage List, a principle to which the Shell Company has already subscribed;
  8. Takes note of the press statement of SOCO not to undertake or commission any exploratory or other drilling within Virunga National Park unless UNESCO and the DRC Government agree that such activities are not incompatible with its World Heritage status, not to conduct any operations in any other World Heritage site and to ensure that any current or future operations in buffer zones adjacent to World Heritage sites do not jeopardize the Outstanding Universal Value for which these sites are listed;
  9. Warmly welcomes the support of donor countries in the conservation of the five DRC properties, and calls on the international community to continue to provide support in the implementation of the corrective measures and the Strategic Action Plan to create the necessary conditions for the rehabilitation of the Outstanding Universal Value of the five DRC properties;
  10. Further requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2015, a detailed report, including a 1-page executive summary, on the implementation of the Kinshasa Declaration, the situation regarding mining and oil exploration and exploitation titles that encroach World Heritage properties, and the Hydrocarbons Code, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 39th session in 2015.

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