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SCANDAL/ Minister Kumbaro admits to UNESCO that she sacrificed Butrint Park for "Manastiri Resort"!

2024-03-02 10:17:40Aktualitet SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
SCANDAL/ Minister Kumbaro admits to UNESCO that she sacrificed Butrint Park for
Mirela Kumbaro

The UNESCO-ICOMOS report criticizes with "deep concern" the shrinking of the Butrint National Park, after 600 ha have been removed from it.

Referring to the presentation of the maps included in this report, this area starts from Ksamil and extends to the Bay of Manastir, which Minister Mirela Kumbaroi refers to as the "small point". A luxury resort is currently being built there.

"There is a situation where the buffer zone of the World Heritage National Park now includes a large tourist resort" - the report raises concern.

Considering a "pragmatic approach", the Ministry of Culture itself has justified itself to the UNESCO monitoring group that "it is sacrificing this small part of the coastline, approximately 100-150 ha, but it would cement the further expansion of urbanization, thus preserved 9000 ha of the national park".

It refers to the period 26 - 28 October 2023 and contains criticisms on the way of administration and changes in the borders of the National Park of Butrint.

Citizens Channel secured the report from the National Institute of Cultural Heritage, while UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) told Citizens that reports from advisory missions can only be shared publicly in agreement with states, interested parties.

"This shows a lack of awareness on the part of the authorities about the protective function of the buffer zone", - the report criticizes the January 2022 decision to reduce the area.

The buffer zone of any world heritage site is a buffer space surrounding the protected area, and as such there are legal restrictions on its use and development.

The removal of this area of ​​600 ha from the National Park has not been notified to the World Heritage Center. The flow of area B symbolizes a change in the protection system of the buffer zone, which is now outside the National Park.

The report states that apart from the creation of this foundation for the management of Butrin Park, no other alternative has been presented.

"Only the establishment of the Foundation cannot fulfill the recommendations of the previous missions of the World Heritage Committee for an integrated management of this park that is part of the World Heritage" - the report is quoted.

Area A3, which has a large concentration of monuments and archaeological potential, is the only part that is envisaged to be under the management of the new foundation created by the collaboration between the Ministry of Culture and the Albanian-American Development Foundation (AADF), five other areas of the park are left out of management: areas A1, A2, B, C1 and D.

In relation to the visitor center which has passed through two phases and the winner was declared "Kengo Kuma & Associates", the monitoring mission states that it has not been informed of any details regarding the location, size or nature of this center.

In the recommendations of the report, it is emphasized that an accurate map with clear boundaries of the Park, which includes the boundary of the property and the boundary of the buffer zone of this world heritage, should be sent as soon as possible. A document that the Albanian side violated the deadlines, as it should have been sent on February 15, 2023.

After Ina Zhupa, deputy of the Democratic Party, published the UNESCO-ICOMOS report, the Constitutional Court reopened the case of the Butrint National Park for trial.

"There is a flagrant violation of the World Heritage Convention to which Albania accedes," architect Kreshnik Merxhani told Citizens.

According to him, Article 172 of the World Heritage Convention specifically requires from the state, that the World Heritage Center be notified in advance when there are certain ideas, to make decisions, draft projects, or policies that directly affect the integrity physical territorial and management side of a world heritage.

"The state side has put UNESCO in front of a "de facto" situation that we don't change anything and you accept us as we are," Merxhani emphasizes.

In May 2022, the draft law on the agreement on the administration of the Butrint National Park, signed between the Ministry of Culture and the Butrint Management Foundation, was approved today. The Ministry of Culture and AADF established the Foundation for the Management of the Butrint National Park, for a 10-year term, with the right of renewal.

After a long session with heated debates from all sides, the government law was approved with 75 votes in favor and 18 votes against.

A group of 36 deputies has asked the Constitutional Court to annul as unconstitutional the law on the administration of the Butrin National Park, based on an agreement between the Ministry of Culture and the Butrint Management Foundation.

"A structure parallel to the state, which does not account to the state for many things, does not pay customs, does not pay excise duties, does not pay VAT, therefore it keeps all finances by itself and manages them by itself" - analyzes Kreshnik Merxhani.

Merxhani suggests that it would be good for the Institute of Monuments and Archeology to be involved in this way of organization, in a more direct way, without the need of the ministry, which is ultimately a political body.

"Without budgets, there is no long-term political strategy to increase professional and administrative quality. I'm talking about the public system, now that one of the most important locations of our cultural heritage is taken over, which is not only important for the large fund of monuments, but also for the finances it has brought" - concludes Merxhani.

After closing the investigation in November 2023 and reopening it as a case in February 2024, the Constitutional Court is expected to hold its next session on March 21, 2024./ Citizens Channel


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