I Republic of Macedonia
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Republic of Macedonia I Government of the Republic of Macedonia Ministry of Culture . i National Commission for UNESCO Ministry of Culture Republic of Macedonia No. 34 - 11732/ .2.~ EMBS 4219651 Date:;.~ 11'1 .2018 National Commission for UNESCO To Mrs. Mechtild Rossler Gjuro Gjakovich No.61 IOOOSkopje Director Republic of Macedonia UNESCO World Heritage Centre tel.: +389 (2)23240 517, fax: +389(2)23240 561 Subject: Progress report on the implementation of the www.kultura.gov.mk recommendations of the Decision 41 COM 7B.34 of the World Heritage Committee concerning the World Heritage property "Natural and Cultural Heritage of the Ohrid region" Dear Mrs. Rossler, With reference to Decision 41 COM 7B.34 adopted in Krakow 2017, and the recommendations by the Reactive Monitoring Mission (held in April 2017), I take this opportunity to submit a Progress Report on the current situation concerning the state of conservation of the World Heritage property ''Natural and Cultural Heritage of the Ohrid region". Let us take this occasion to once more express our firm dedication in the implementation of the World Heritage Convention. National authorities are ready to provide further information on any issues related to the World Heritage Site "Natural and Cultural Heritage of the Ohrid Region", all necessary clarification about the undertaken activities· and to further improve its content upon derivation ofUNESCO suggestions. Please accept, dear Mrs. Rossler, the assurances of my highest consideration. Prepared by: Tatjana Kraljevska- Lazarova, Counsellor Approved by: Biljana Prentoska,MA, Secretary General ofNa(Com Controlled by: Majlinda Hoxha Berisha, Officer in the Cabinet Agreed by: Irina Dlmovska, MA, State Counsellor PEnY6n~KA MAKEAOH~JA MVIHVlCTEPCTBO 3A KYJlTYPA 5p. )Y ~• lf~l-32-/ 2 ~ Annex 13 of the Operational Guidelines ).~ ht ·20J1.J_roA. Cl<OnJE (~} fiW1 ~~.e UnltedNations World Ed caHonat.Sctentlficand Hentage CliUuratOrganlzatlon Cotwentlon FORMATFOR THE SUBMISSION OF STATE OF CONSERVATION REPORTS BY THE STATES PARTIES (in compliance with Paragraph 169 of the Operational Guidelines) WORLD HERITAGE NATURAL AND CULTURAL HERITAGE OF THE OHRID REGION (Republic of Macedonia) (C/N 99ter) State of Conservation Report on the implementation of the recommendations from the Decision of the World Heritage Committee 41 COM 7B.34 State of Conservation Report on the implementation of the recommendations from the Decision of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee adopted at its 41't session (Krakow, Poland 1 2 17) on the status of the Natural and Cultural Heritage of the Ohrid Region- a property inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List This report has been prepared in compliance with the Decision of the UNESCO World Heritage ommittee (41 COM 7B.34) on the status ofthe World Heritage property- Natural and Cultural Heritage o the Ohrid Region (Republic of Macedonia) (C/N 99ter), adopted at the 41st session of the World eritage Committee held in Krakow, Poland. The Decision was adopted based of the recommendations of t e Reactive Monitoring Mission ofUNESCOIICOMOS/IUCN to the property, which took place in April 2 17. The Government of the Republic of Macedonia has reviewed the recommendations set forth in t e Decision of the World Heritage Committee (Krakow, 2017) that refer to the Natural and Cultural eritage ofthe Ohrid Region, and being fully committed to the preservation of the integrity ofthe natural a d cultural properties in the Ohrid region, undertakes concrete steps, in compliance with the UNESCO r commendations. Short summary of the Report The Ohrid Region, situated on the shores of Lake Ohrid, is one of the most representative regions i the Republic of Macedonia due to the great concentration of natural and cultural values. Beginning om the historical monuments of the town of Ohrid, as its centre, than the town of Struga, located along t e banks ofthe Crn Drim River, which flows out ofthe lake, the several fishermen's settlements located n the coast, as well as the richness of archaeological sites, Christian spiritual centres, Ottoman onuments, characteristic architecture and rich tradition, the Ohrid Region possesses an Outstanding niversal Value, which is a result of human impacts and natural phenomena. In 1979, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee decided to inscribe the Ohrid Region on the orld Heritage List as a natural heritage under criterion (iii), that is, today criterion (vii), while in 1980 t e world heritage property was extended to include the cultural heritage criteria (i), (iii) and (iv), and was i scribed in the category of mixed World Heritage properties. In 2009, at its 33rd session (21-30 June 009, Seville, Spain), the UNESCO World Heritage Committee adopted the proposed modification of the oundaries of the Natural and Cultural Heritage of the Ohrid Region, thus encompassing a greater part of t e Galichica National Park. This report has been prepared in compliance with the Decision of the World Heritage Committee ( 1 COM 7B.34), on the state of conservatQon of the World Heritage property -Natural and Cultural eritage of the Ohrid Region (Republic of Macedonia) (C/N 99ter), adopted at the 41st session of the orld Heritage Committee in Krakow, Poland (20 17). The decision was adopted in response to the latest evelopment and infrastructural planning projects that could have a negative impact on the Outstanding niversal Value of the World Heritage property, as well as on the observations of the Reactive onitoring Mission, which took place in April 2017. Upon the Krakow Decision, the Report had been submitted to the World Heritage Centre in ebruary 2018. That RepOii presented the progress made concerning the steps undertaken and the degree f implementation of the recommendations of UNESCO's Reactive Monitoring Mission, in the scope of he protection of the natural and cultural heritage in the region. 2 The preservation of the integrity and authenticity of the natural and cultural heritage in the Ohrid r gion is a high priority of the Government of the Republic of Macedonia and a topic of interest of state a thorities, the civil society sector and the wider public. Along with the Government, also the Parliament o the Republic of Macedonia had shown an exceptional interest and initiated activities related to this t pic. Namely, a group of MPs and civic organizations had formed an informal group called Friends of t e Ohrid Region, which intercedes for the Ohrid Region in the Parliament and in front of the public. dditionally, in May-June 2018, the Parliament has held an oversight hearing on the state of conservation o the property and has submitted its opinions and conclusion to the Government with the scope of p eserving the Outstanding Universal Values in the region. Within the process of extending the Natural and Cultural Heritage of the Ohrid Region also on the t rritory of the Republic of Albania, the Republic of Macedonia had involved its experts and emonstrated a significant interest by becoming a part of the process of preparation of the nomination !e. In this regard, the Republic of Macedonia has expressed its consent on the extension of the property y sending a letter for support that had been submitted to the World Heritage Centre in April 2018. The cooperation with Albania was also accentuated concerning the undertaking of future steps for t e joint protection of the property, by employing a participatory approach in the quest for joint anagement models of the natural and cultural heritage of the Ohrid region as a whole, encompassing all ake Ohrid region values, for the present and future generations. During the period from the visit of the Mission (April 20 l 7) to the preparation of the State of onservation Report, parliamentary and local elections, and shortly later a referendum (September 2018) ere held in the Republic of Macedonia, resulting in changes at central and local level, but also impacting e timeframe and slowing down the activities for acting upon the Decision. The Government, along with he sectoral authorities and institutions, within the short period of time following the parliamentary lections, seriously devoted itself to reviewing and revising part of the activities envisaged for the Ohrid egion and started to adopt decisions aiming to provide a balance between the future development of the egion focused on the preservation of the historically Outstanding Universal Values of the Natural and ultural Heritage of the Ohrid Region as a World Heritage property. This was an additional and time onsuming procedure that had reflected on the implementation of a part of the envisaged activities. The Government of the Republic of Macedonia, at its 40th session held on 28.11.2017, reviewed nd adopted the Information on the Decision of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee adopted at its 1" session (Krakow, Poland 20 17) regarding the status of the Natural and Cultural Heritage of the hrid Region -a property inscribed on the World Heritage List, that was followed by many actions for lfilment of the Mission's recommendations and implementation of the World Heritage Committee An inter-sectoral working group received a mandate from the Government to coordinate the implementation of the Decision and the recommendations. ln cooperation with all relevant competent institutions and the local self-government, this working group had prepared the State of Conservation Report. The updated Repmi on the implementation of the recommendations from the Decision, as well as the undertaken actions, had been adopted by the Government at its 105th session held on 27.11.2018. 1. Response from the Republic of Macedonia to the Decision adopted at the 41st session of the World Heritage Committee 41 COM 7B.34. 3 1. Based on the analyzed documentation submitted by the Republic of Macedonia WHC/17/41. COM/7B. Add, 2. Recalling Decision 40 COM 7B.68, adopted at the 4d" session (Istanbul/UNESCO, 2016) 3.