Albania does not respond to U criticism NESTO for Butrint

Albania released the report for Butrint National Park on Monday, which will be reviewed by the World Heritage Committee in India in July of this year. Albanian Ministry of Economy, Culture and Innovation's 170-page report bypasses answers to some of the strong criticisms of the U mission NCO ICOMOS.

In the monitoring report, delivered to Albanian authorities in September 2023, the mission U n NESTO expressed a deep “concern for changing the borders of Butrinti National Park by the Albanian government with the removal of 600 hectares without the organisation's knowledge and approval.

But according to official documents, the first by the Voice of America, from Butrint National Park, 802 hectares have been removed and the area from 9424 hectares, now is 822 hectares.

The Albanian government's decision in January 2022 on Butrint's new borders and the decision of a month later to build a resort in the section removed from National Park are not cited in any row of the Albanian government's report.

Also, Albanian side report does not provide concrete answers to U criticism NCO also for the new model of management of the ancient city of Butrin, known as the A-3 area, through a nonprofit organisation (Fondation) created by the Albanian Ministry of Culture in partnership with the Albanian American Development Foundation (AADF).

Mission U n NESTO says in the 2023 report, that management of the A-3 area alone, with about 614.3 hectares, does not meet U. NESTO for integrated Butrint management, which combines archaeology, monuments and the natural part.

Mission U n NESTO has also demanded that the Ministry of Culture retain the authority of <x0-state side” for Butrinti, where the organisation seeks state responsibilities in line with U-set global standards NESTO.

“Agreements between the Culture Ministry, AADF and the new foundation do not provide an adequate solution, as they are not responsible for managing World Heritage property as such”, the mission says.

Albanian side responds to U NESTO that the Butrint Management Foundation, in co-ordination with the Ministry of Economy, Culture and Innovation, will adjust the Action Plan and work towards an agreement where the Ministry of Culture has the overall supervision authority for Butrint and responsibility to the World Heritage Committee.

In reality, the Ministry of Culture has no space for a new agreement, as the current agreement on the creation of the new foundation has a 10-year term. Also, the Ministry of Culture does not have the majority on the Butrint Management Foundation's Board as the highest decision-making body.

The Foundation's board consists of five members, led by the ministry responsible for culture, two representatives of the Albanian-American Development Foundation, the director of the National Cultural Heritage Institute and an international expert.

Albania's side report appears not to meet even some of the requirements the World Heritage Centre has addressed to Albanian authorities through a letter sent to Albanian ambassador to U NCO, Besiana Kadare, October of last year.

While W NESTO has requested <x0information from Albania on measures for integrated property protection and management and its buffer area”, Albanian authorities seem not ready to hand over the World Heritage Committee.

Started “Work is being pursued with technical meetings aimed at preparing a detailed short- and long-term action plan for implementation of U recommendations NESTO-ICOMOS”, the Albanian side report says.

Another U request NESTO is linked to detailed “clarifications and a clear and accurate map showing the property boundaries and buffer zone, as approved by the World Heritage Committee in 2007”.

This map has not yet been prepared by Albanian authorities and is not included in the report.

The Butrint Management Foundation will prepare a detailed and precise map, in co-operation and under the supervision of the Ministry of Tourism and Environment and the Ministry of Economy, Culture and innovation”, the report says.

But this conflicts with the responsibilities of the Butrint Management Foundation, which under the law adopted by the Albanian Parliament, has in administration and mandate to operate only in the Park area of A-3 by about 614.3 hectares, rather than throughout the current 8622 hectares of Butrint National Park.

Developments with borders of Butrint National Park have been seen with very critical tones from the last mission of U n NESTO, since they are also at odds with recommendations from the Butrint Management Plan that the Albanian government itself approved in 2020.

The management plan proposed only a revision of the 50 to 150 hectares that made up the building area of Ksamil and the creation of a green generation to curb further construction, but not the removal of 802 hectares from National Park.

America's voice verified in Albania's state geospace system (ASIG) the current map of Butrint National Park, reflecting border change and now out of the protected coastal area from the Cuka canal, in the coastal end of Ksamil.

The Albanian side's report for the World Heritage Committee for Butrint cites no evidence of developments in Albania's Constitutional Court regarding Butrint.

A group of 36 opposition deputies have asked this court to abolish the Law on the management of Butrint National Park as anti-unconstitutional.

Albanian government representatives at last November's plenary session at Constitutional Court did not present U Report NESCO, although last September the report had been handed over to the National Cultural Heritage Institute, but had not been made public by U. NESTO, since the Albanian side had not consented.

The Constitutional Court, in an unusual gesture, in January of this year, made a change in its procedures, urging the government to request the U report. NESTO and reopened the plenary session for Butrint.

New Culture and Economy Minister Blendi Gonge has not signed Park's transition to the management of the new foundation, which under the law adopted in Parliament, should take place on February 14th of this year.

Mr. Gonge, through a status on social networks, said that “wanted to provide maximum attention to managing the challenging process of changing the model management of Butrint National Park, in full implementation of international standards and the Albanian legal framework in force”.

Democratic Party MP Ina Joupa, who has led the initiative of opposition deputies in the Constitutional Court, has declared the battle for Butrinti is a battle for Albanian identity, history and heritage. / VOA