UNESCO approves the decisions for Butrint, Gjirokastra and Berat, the decision for Ohrid is postponed to next year

2024-07-25 19:44:00, Aktualitet CNA

UNESCO approves the decisions for Butrint, Gjirokastra and Berat, the decision

Illustrative photo

The UNESCO World Heritage Committee, meeting in New Delhi, India, on Thursday approved the decisions on the Albanian World Heritage Centers, Butrint, Berat and Gjirokastra, and postponed the decision on the Albanian-Macedonian cross-border area of ??Lake Ohrid until next year. .

In the Butrint decision, UNESCO asks the Albanian authorities to submit a map of Butrint's property boundaries, which were changed two years ago by the Albanian government, without the knowledge and approval of UNESCO.

In the decision, UNESCO says that it "regrets that the clarification of the boundaries of the property and its buffer zone is still pending and asks Albania to submit, as a matter of priority, a clear and accurate map showing the boundary of the World Heritage property and the boundary of the buffer zone which will be considered by the World Heritage Center".

UNESCO also requires the Ministry of Economy, Culture and Innovation to maintain oversight of all World Heritage Properties.

"To achieve effective management and accountability", UNESCO emphasizes, "the World Heritage property and its buffer zone must be managed in a coordinated and holistic manner".

UNESCO says it further requests "that Albania provide clarifications to the World Heritage Center on the current protective regulations and designated uses for all areas of the National Park in relation to the protection of the World Heritage property and the function of its buffer zone, and on how different management regimes will be harmonized to avoid fragmentation”.

UNESCO says in the decision that "notes that ICOMOS has prepared a technical review of the project of the Visitor Center and the relevant documentation submitted by Albania and asks the Albanian authorities to fully implement the recommendations, including giving sufficient time to prepare an Assessment complete Heritage Impact Assessment which, among other things, should be based on thorough archaeological research and include the landscape space".

UNESCO requests that "Albania continue to submit to the World Heritage Center for consideration by the Advisory Bodies details of projects that may affect the Outstanding Universal Values ??of Butrint (VUU) before any irreversible decision is taken on their implementation, and that projects to be implemented only after UNESCO has agreed".

UNESCO requests Albania to submit to the World Heritage Center, by February 1, 2025, an updated report on the state of preservation of the property and the implementation of the decision, including a detailed action plan with a timeline for the implementation of the recommendations of the 2022 mission, for consideration by the World Heritage Committee at its 47th session.

Meanwhile, in the decision for Gjirokastra and Berat, UNESCO says that "it notes with regret that, despite previous requests, Albania has not fully implemented the project for the development of the Management Plan in cooperation with the government and civil sector, financed by the World Heritage Fund". .

"Albania should update the Management Plan as a matter of priority taking into account the comments and recommendations already made by the Advisory Bodies and actively involving the local authorities of Berat and Gjirokastra", says UNESCO.

UNESCO further states that it "regrets the completion of the construction of the Gjirokastra bypass road without implementing UNESCO's requirements, and therefore calls on Albania to urgently carry out a full independent assessment of the project's impact on the heritage of Gjirokastra and submit it to the World Heritage Center for consideration by the Advisory Bodies".

UNESCO requests Albania to undertake an integrated study to assess the impact of multiple infrastructure and development projects and submit it to UNESCO for review by advisory bodies.

UNESCO says it welcomes Albania's commitment to improve the town planning regulations of Berat and Gjirokastra, but seeks to clarify the connections between the Integrated Management Plan and the special plans for the preservation, protection and administration of the historic centers of the two cities.

Regarding the decisions of UNESCO, the Ministry of Economy, Culture and Innovation ((MEKI) said through a statement that "it supported without any reservations the decisions of the World Heritage Center project that the UNESCO Committee formalized with a unanimous opinion that we consider it as very objective, completely correct and extremely professional".

MEKI says that even the single point in which regret is expressed for the delay in clarifying the boundaries of world wealth, reflects the situation at the time when the UNESCO draft decision was prepared.

MEKI says it has sent the first package of maps to Paris and received preliminary comments from the World Heritage Centre.

But while MEKI talks "about a first package" of Butrint maps when UNESCO has requested a map of the property, the Albanian authorities have not yet clarified why the decision was made two years ago to remove from the Butrint Park about 800 hectares without notice and without obtaining the approval of UNESCO.

During an interpellation held on Thursday with the Minister of Economy, Culture and Innovation, Blendi Gonxhe, opposition MP Ina Zhupa said that large construction projects were being developed in the former buffer zone of the National Park of Butrint.

Showing in the parliament two photos of the investments, Mrs. Zhupa said that "these are development models that ignore UNESCO, that build in protected areas and that fragment Butrint"./ Voa