UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Culture Ernesto Ottone sent on behalf of Director-General Audrey Azoulay a letter to Minister of Culture and the Media Vladan Vukosavljevic, in response to his letters from June and August regarding the construction of a Decani-Plav trunk road in the protected zone of the Visoki Decani monastery.
Q:
A:
UNESCO closely monitors situation regarding works in Visoki Decani zone
Belgrade,
2 September 2020
In the letter, Ottone expresses gratitude to Minister Vukosavljevic for his letters and concern for the condition of the Serbian cultural heritage in Kosovo-Metohija, especially of the medieval monuments that are on the UNESCO list of heritage sites in danger, and regarding the continuation of illegal works on the Decani-Plav trunk road that endanger the protected zone of the Visoki Decani monastery.
“Be assured that we have taken into account your concern for the endangerment of this property which is on the World Heritage list, and that UNESCO World Heritage Centre, together with UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe, is closely monitoring the situation.
In line with practice, and on the basis of UN Security Council Resolution 1244 from 1999, we informed the UNMIK and asked them to provide us with more detailed information regarding the illegal construction of the road in the protected zone of the Visoki Decani monastery.
On 24 August, we received information from the UNMIK that the works had been suspended.
All information obtained was sent to the competent advisory body, ICOMOS, for their technical evaluation of the situation that could affect the undeniable universal value of the monastery itself, in line with the Manual for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention,” the letter reads.
-
Belgrade, 13 November 202420th anniversary of Forum of Slavic Cultures marked
-
Belgrade/Timișoara, 8 November 2024Serbian culture unimaginable without contribution of Serbs from Romania
-
Belgrade, 19 October 2024Serbia, Cuba sign Agreement on preventing illicit trade in cultural goods
-
Belgrade, 19 October 2024Book Fair opens in Belgrade
-
Belgrade/Washington, 18 October 2024Serbian Film Festival opens in Washington, D.C.
-
Zaječar, 16 October 2024European Heritage Days central event held in Zaječar
-
Zaječar, 15 October 2024Construction of Felix Romuliana Cultural Heritage Interpretation Centre completed
-
Belgrade, 10 October 2024“Applied Nostalgia” exhibition dedicated to Belgrade, Budapest opened
-
Belgrade, 7 October 2024Old railway station building to be transformed into Historical Museum of Serbia
-
Belgrade/Paris, 4 October 2024Selaković attends inaugural opening ceremony of 19th Francophonie Summit