The case of Butrint/Zhupa: The government should abandon the concessionary models

2024-06-29 10:29:00, Aktualitet CNA

The case of Butrint/Zhupa: The government should abandon the concessionary

PD MP, Ina Zhupa

DP MP, Ina Zhupa, in a statement to the media, has denounced that Butrinti has been added to the list of World Cultural Heritage assets in danger.

Zhupa has stated that the government does not implement UNESCO's recommendations. Instead of reflecting and implementing the clear and detailed requirements of UNESCO, Zhupa says that the government will bypass them with methods reminiscent of the cultural revolutions or the popular tribunals of the communist period, where after the fact they will the hearing for the Visitor's Center, where the first and only one to ask is precisely UNESCO.

The MP said that the only way the government should follow is to give up the concessionary models and implement UNESCO's recommendations.

"You can't cover the sun with a sieve, you can't hide a truth that is obvious. And how can there be "complete harmony with UNESCO" when its recommendations are blatantly ignored?

In Riyadh, the World Heritage Committee expressed its 'deepest concern' about the Drilon-Tushemisht Water Park and even called for a halt to work there. However, the government and AADF ignore UNESCO's recommendations, irreversibly violating the Outstanding Universal Values ??of the Albanian part of Lake Ohrid, protected by UNESCO. As a result of these irresponsible actions, it was the World Heritage Committee itself that stated that Lake Ohrid could even 'be inscribed on the List of World Heritage Properties in Danger'.

Unfortunately, the same situation can be repeated in Butrint.

The fact that Butrint is in danger of being included in the World Heritage List is neither a fabrication, nor anyone's 'hope', as Minister Gonxhja alluded. While we have done and do everything for you to implement the Paris Convention.

On the contrary 'Butrint's return to its dark past of the List of World Heritage in Danger', to quote Mr. Gonxhja, the architects of the unparalleled hybrid model that is being imposed on the Albanians in Butrint have foreseen.

This comes out more clearly in the Business Plan itself, an integral part of the Integrated Management Plan, of the concession, law 50/2022.

Specifically, in its paragraph 3.5 (p. 117), it is expressly acknowledged that the 'essence' of the Butrint approach 'must rest on economic profit'. So, we accept what the DP has said out loud: the return of Butrint to a commercial commodity, and the passing of UNESCO's requests and recommendations for its protection, preservation and conservation to the background.

Secondly, the Business Plan refers to 'other works' in Butrint – where I quote expressly – 'in the event that Area A3 will retain UNESCO's Outstanding Universal Status during and after the transitional period…'. [p. 119].

So, those who accept with their mouths the possible violation of Butrint's Outstanding Universal Values ??are the very architects of Butrint's alienation, the authors and sponsors of the Integrated Management Plan.

Mr. Gonxja must have seen the Draft Decision on Butrint himself, which is expected to be approved in July in New Delhi.

In point 8, the Projekt Vendimi essentially attacks the hybrid model of indirect management of the AADF, which 5 judges of the Constitutional Court did not have the professional courage to declare unconstitutional. Point 8 'emphasizes that in order to achieve effective management and accountability' Butrinti 'and the buffer zone must be managed in a coordinated manner and as a whole (as a whole)'. So not in a fragmented way and as a 'state within a state', as the current model envisages.

Whereas in point 10 of the draft Decision - which talks about the Visitor Center - UNESCO asks the Albanian government to 'fully implement' the recommendations of ICOMOS, including carrying out a full Heritage Impact Assessment, which should assess the impact of the Visitor Center to the Outstanding Universal Values ??of Butrint, based on diverse and in-depth archaeological research, including the landscape dimension, as well as to allow more time for the completion of the assessment.

But where is this "complete harmony" of the government with these concrete demands, which in fact constitute a strict criticism of the AADF?

Ignoring them in tune with UNESCO according to the minister. Instead of reflecting and implementing the clear and detailed requirements of UNESCO, they want to bypass them with methods reminiscent of cultural revolutions or popular tribunals of the communist period, where after the fact they will hold hearings for the Visitor's Center, where the first and only one that should be asked is precisely UNESCO.

Therefore, the only path before the government for Butrint would be to renounce immediately and without any equivocation the fragmenting and alienating approach devised by Richard Hoxhesi and blindly supported by the AADF; abandoning concessionary 'give me the finger and grab your hand' models.

The withdrawal of the government as soon as possible from the concession of Butrint passed by Law 50/2022, the return of the law to the responsible Commission, as well as in a plenary session in the Assembly, where it is subject to a review through a comprehensive and consensual debate, to bring Butrint in full compliance with the UNESCO and Ramsar Conventions.

This is the only way that Mr. Gonxha if it really intends to be in full tune with UNESCO and in compliance with its recommendations. There is no middle way", said Zhupa./ CNA