UNESCO urges Albania to clarify Butrint boundaries and improve management

Tirana, July 21, 2024 - UNESCO has announced that it will not list Butrint as a World Heritage Site in Danger this year. However, it urges the Albanian authorities to address fragmented management and clarify property boundaries without delay.

The upcoming UNESCO assembly in India will review a draft decision requesting Albanian authorities to submit a map detailing Butrint's property boundaries. These boundaries were altered two years ago by the Albanian government without UNESCO's approval.

An analysis by the World Heritage Centre and a draft decision by UNESCO's committee indicate that Butrint will not be listed as a site in danger this year. However, UNESCO emphasizes the need for cohesive management and immediate clarification of the property limits.

UNESCO's analysis highlights concerns about the Management Plan, which includes establishing a foundation for managing zone A3, the ancient city area, during a transitional period. UNESCO warns that this could lead to fragmented management since sections A3 do not cover the entire property.

The analysis also points out that the Butrint Management Plan, approved by the Albanian government in 2020, should now undergo a mid-term review. UNESCO requests urgent clarifications on how sections outside A3, managed by the Butrint Management Foundation, will be preserved.

Additionally, the analysis stresses the importance of clarifying the property's boundaries and buffer zone, especially after 600 hectares were removed from the National Park near Ksamil in January 2022 for a residential tourism complex. This area lies within the buffer zone approved by UNESCO in 2007, and boundary changes might have affected parts of the property.

UNESCO regrets that the boundary clarifications, expected since February 2023, are still pending. The draft decision for the upcoming session in India underscores the need for coordinated management of the World Heritage property and its buffer zone.

The draft decision also calls on Albania to provide detailed protective regulations and usage plans for all areas of the National Park to prevent fragmentation.

In response, Albania's Ministry of Economy, Culture, and Innovation has acknowledged the objectivity of UNESCO's draft decision and report but did not explain why the boundary map has not been submitted. The ministry also did not clarify how it will legally manage the entire Butrint National Park, given that a non-profit organization will administer part of it for ten years.

Recent intensive meetings between Albanian officials and UNESCO leaders are seen as attempts to address UNESCO's concerns, highlighted in a monitoring mission report last October.

The Constitutional Court of Albania recently ruled narrowly against annulling the agreement for Butrint National Park's administration. The agreement allows a non-profit foundation, created by the Ministry of Culture and the Albanian-American Development Foundation, to manage zone A3, the ancient city area, for ten years. (VoA)