"Battle" for Butrint/ Former American congressman, letter of concern: The foundation is abusing the prestige of the USA

2023-08-22 13:38:00, Aktualitet CNA

"Battle" for Butrint/ Former American congressman, letter of concern:

The former American congressman, Joseph J. DioGuardi, is continuing his battle for the protection of Butrint National Park, so that it is not privatized by a private foundation such as the Albanian-American Foundation for Development, which violates it.

DioGuardi has sent a letter of concern to Assistant Secretary of State Michelle J. Sison requesting that she address the concern to USAID, to order the AADF Board of Directors to immediately cease and desist from its systematic efforts to took possession of Butrint.

According to him, the foundation is abusing the pretense of the US has exerted pressure on the Albanian government to take over the ownership, control, management and use of the World Heritage Property of Butrint.

"To add insult to injury, the AADF is seriously undermining the integrity of Butrint National Park, in other words, its 'wholeness' and 'integrity', by dividing and parcelling Butrint, and taking over complete the invaluable Archaeological Park, while the rest of the Park is left to the current structures of Albania. In exchange for all of this, the AADF has pledged to build a visitor center in the Park. We can all imagine how we would feel in the US if a foreign foundation offered to build a visitor center in Yellowstone National Park in exchange for assuming full ownership, control, use and management of this national treasure. of the USA", is written, among other things, in his letter.

In the following, the full letter of the former congressman, published by PD MP Ina Zhupa, who expressed her gratitude for his strong support for the protection of our property of exceptional universal value, the Butrint National Park.

The letter of the former US congressman.

Hon. Michele J. Sison

Assistant Secretary

Bureau of International Organization Affairs (IO)

United States Department of State

Washington, DC

Phone: 202-647-9600

August 11, 2023

Ref: Return to UNESCO of the United States of America and serious compliance problems for the World Heritage Site of Butrint in Albania, caused by an American entity

Dear Assistant Secretary of State Sison,

Joseph J. DioGuardi writes to you. I am a former US Congressman and Founding President of the Albanian-American Civic League (“AACL”), a non-profit organization dedicated to strengthening US-Albania relations. I strongly congratulate you on the decision to return the United States of America to UNESCO. This is undoubtedly a historic achievement of the administration of President Biden and, as stated by the Director General of UNESCO, Dr. Audrey Azoulay, "with this return, UNESCO will be in an even stronger position to carry out its mission".

The return of the US to UNESCO is particularly important even for a country like Albania, where a US-based foundation, the Albanian-American Development Foundation (“AADF”) has attempted to take over ownership, control, management and the use of Butrint, a national park, registered since 1992 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its Outstanding Universal Value. AADF's actions far exceed the goals of the organization's legal mandate, and must be curtailed.

As you may know, AADF's parent corporation, the Albanian-American Enterprise Fund, was established in 1996 pursuant to the Support for Democracy in Eastern Europe Act of 1989 (commonly referred to as the "SEED Act"). As it expressly stated, the purpose of the law was to encourage "private sector development," but not to usurp the management and operation of another sovereign country's national park with the dubious support of local parties with vested interests.

AADF's unwanted actions on Butrint have sparked great controversy in Albania and, instead of enhancing the US reputation for our generosity, have fueled suspicion and disillusionment. Moreover, AADF's actions not only violate US laws and policies, they are in direct violation of the 1972 UNESCO Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (“Paris Convention ”) regarding the sovereignty of the States Parties.

As you know, here in the US it is our own state National Park Service that is exclusively tasked with preserving, protecting, managing, using and controlling our national parks which are also World Heritage Properties. Our model has strongly inspired the model of the Paris Convention, where the duty to identify, protect, preserve, present and bequeath for future generations World Heritage Properties is exercised "primarily" by States Parties. However, abusing the prestige and reputation of the United States, the AADF has pressured the Albanian government to take over the ownership, control, management and use of the Butrint World Heritage Site.

To add insult to injury, the AADF is seriously undermining the integrity of Butrint National Park, in other words, its "wholeness" and "integrity", by dividing and parcelling Butrint, and taking control of complete the invaluable Archaeological Park, while the rest of the Park is left to the current structures of Albania. In exchange for all of this, the AADF has pledged to build a visitor center in the Park. We can all imagine how we would feel in the US if a foreign foundation offered to build a visitor center in Yellowstone National Park in exchange for assuming full ownership, control, use and management of this national treasure. USA.

Naturally, these actions have met with fierce resistance in Albania. For example, the country's President vetoed and reversed the law that allowed the AADF to manage Butrint; The deputy of the Assembly of Albania, Ina Zhupa, representative of Saranda where Butrinti is located, has undertaken the initiative for legislative changes that would close any legal space that allows such actions; while the Constitutional Court of Albania is currently examining the case.

To summarize, as a result of the actions of the AADF and its leaders, serious violations of the sovereign rights and obligations of a State Party according to articles 4, 5, 6, 17 and 29 of the Paris Convention are found. I have already raised these concerns with USAID, which exercises oversight authority over AADF, but unfortunately USAID Headquarters has so far failed to intervene.

I must say that UNESCO has repeatedly raised serious concerns with the Albanian government, asking it to determine the governmental authority responsible for the World Heritage Site of Butrint, in accordance with the Paris Convention, which of course would be the National Agency for Protected Areas of Albania. The government of Edi Rama has responded to UNESCO by suggesting "an inter-ministerial organization, under the authority of the prime minister's office" where the AADF, through the "new dedicated foundation", becomes an integral part of this organization, because it is placed in the same level with other government ministries, such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Education, etc.

I do not believe that, when the US Congress enacted the SEED Act and funded the Enterprise Funds to carry out the purposes of that Act, it intended to allow such unprecedented interference by a US entity in the sovereign functions of a state foreign, or his fraudulent cooperation with factions of the government of that country.

The mere suggestion that the AADF could take a ministry-level role in the Government of Albania raises serious US foreign policy concerns that cannot be ignored. Further, such an action would be in direct violation of Article 7 of the Paris Convention, which defines the "international protection" of the world's cultural and natural heritage assets.

While we are very excited that the United States once again became an active member of UNESCO, I would respectfully recommend that you address this major anomaly in AADF's handling of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Butrint. , “a publicly funded US foundation,” directing USAID to order the AADF Board of Directors to immediately cease and desist from its systematic efforts to assume possession, control, use, and management of the World Heritage Site of Butrint in South Albania.

With respect

Joseph J. DioGuardi

/signature/

For knowledge:

Hon. Dr. Audrey Azoulay

Director General of UNESCO

Hon. Ina K. Zhupa

Member of Parliament of Albania