The World Heritage Committee,
- Having examined Document WHC-15/39.COM/7B,
- Recalling Decision 38 COM 7B.75, adopted at its 38th session (Doha, 2014),
- Commends the States Parties of Germany, Slovakia and Ukraine for their cooperation concerning the protection and management of the property and for signing the Joint Declaration of Intent and encourages the States Parties to continue their efforts;
- Welcomes the progress achieved by the State Party of Slovakia towards enhancing cooperation between relevant Ministries responsible for the management of Slovak components of the property, but notes with concern that an integrated management framework for the Slovak components of the property is still lacking and that forest management plans providing for logging apply to some areas within the property boundaries;
- Endorses the recommendations of the 2014 reactive monitoring mission and requests the State Party of Slovakia to implement them;
- Also requests the State Party of Slovakia to ensure that no logging operations take place within the property’s boundaries until this issue is resolved through the development, in consultation with the States Parties of Germany and Ukraine, of an integrated management framework for the Slovak components of the property, focused on nature conservation and taking into account all international designations, such as World Heritage property, Biosphere Reserve and European Diploma;
- Notes that the current delineation of the Slovak components of the property does not provide for adequate protection of the property’s Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) and further requests the State Party of Slovakia to develop a proposal for boundary modification of its components, in close cooperation with the States Parties of Germany and Ukraine, as well as other States Parties who are currently preparing a proposal for an extension of the property;
- Takes note of the State Party of Slovakia’s intention to invite a joint World Heritage Centre/IUCN Advisory mission to provide advice on the management of the Slovak components of the property and on the development of a proposal for boundary modification;
- Requests furthermore the State Party of Slovakia to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 December 2016, an updated report, including a 1-page executive summary, 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.