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UNESCO programme specialist Ron Van Oers: â€œEach world heritage site like Icheri Sheher may face the risk of removal from the listâ€ - INTERVIEW

UNESCO programme specialist Ron Van Oers: â€œEach world heritage site like Icheri Sheher may face the risk of removal from the listâ€ - <font color=red>INTERVIEW</font>

22 October 2010 14:47 (UTC +04:00)

-How is UNESCO going to help the world countries to protect ancient monuments?

-UNESCO has been preparing guidelines to help the local governments manage world heritage cities. We say both world heritage site and world heritage city. When we say world heritage site we can mean a monument. But the world heritage city is a more complicated site, people live here. There are centers of interests belonging to various classes, these centers of interests have their own needs, strategy, policy, budget. Local government appealed to the UNESCO for help to manage these sites. At the beginning of the 21st century the local governments are facing a lot of problems concerning these issues. Compared with the present period it was much easier to manage these sites in the 1960s. Now life has become much more complicated.

-What will be the importance of the UNESCOâ€™s guidelines?

-Up to now conservation has been the major work at the world heritage sites and cities. Now we have come to the conclusion that attaching special attention only to conservation and ignoring the rest cause problems. If we speak about a concrete site, people are living here, then all these activities should be carried out in harmony. Suppose that we are speaking about Icheri Sheher, Icheri Sheher Reserve. We know that their authority covers the people living inside these fortress walls and this territory. It can not go beyond it. This is also a problem. If you make conservation, then the territory of the entire Baku should be taken into consideration. The great Baku has an influence on the inner territory of this fortress. Flame towers were built near the Martyrsâ€™ Alley. This is seen from Icheri Sheher, which has been included into the world heritage list. It externally influences Icheri Sheher. These guidelines aim to solve such issues properly. It does not mean that such flame towers should not be built. Flame towers can be built. The main thing is that such projects should minimally influence the world heritage sites.

-You have already familiarized yourself with Icheri Sheher. How do you assess the current state of this monument?

-According to the UNESCO experts, the work done by chief of Icheri Sheher Reserve is praiseworthy. It should be taken into account that the Reserve is new. We are speaking about the young leadership and their work. The progress is obvious. We are trying to improve the results by filling the gaps. We discussed these gaps and reach some agreement at the seminar.

-What are these gaps? What recommendations will UNESCO give to Azerbaijan to fill the gaps?

- Icheri Sheher should be joined with boulevard. It is a very important issue, because boulevard is great wealth for country from cultural, political and economic standpoint. It is impossible to deny its importance. As to Icheri Sheher, it assumes great importance from the viewpoint of cultural heritage. That is why, joining of Icheri Sheher and boulevard is advisable. The second, all governments in the world try to develop their economies by inflicting minimal harm on the environment. We call it â€œgreen economyâ€. Appropriate works are carried out in this regard. It seems to us that Azerbaijan may join this direction soon and reprofile its economy. It may let Azerbaijani society develop on the basis of ecological decisions.

-When will UNESCOâ€™s report on preservation and development projects be ready, which issues will be reflected there?

- We think to submit this report to Department of State Historical-Architectural Reserve Icheri Sheher until Christmas holiday. The report will consist of three main parts. We will note the infromation on works carried out by Reserve Icheri Sheher in the first part. The second part will explain common overall picture connected with future works. The third part will speak about practical recommendations. These recommendations will show how to realize future works.

-Icheri Sheher was removed from World Heritage List and was included again last year. May the situation in Icheri Sheher cause its removal from that list again?

- Indeed, Azerbaijan has territories included in the World Heritage List, it must understand the responsibility for this. This responsibiltiy will never dissappear. We do not speak only about Icheri Sheher. Manner of development in future may cause the removal of Icheri Sheher, or another place. Activity of Reserve Icheri Sheher is positive, but risks still remain. It concerns all sites. That is, each site may face removal from the World Heritage List.

-Is construction of modern buildings normal for Icheri Sheher?

- You touched a very important issue. We discussed this isssue at the seminar. I speak about â€œFour Seasonâ€ hotel. A part of this hotel belogns to Icheri Sheher. In fact, this hotel has been constrcuted on place of former destroyed building. It is a practice contradicting international standards. First you must pass through a long process for this constrcution. First of all, need to apply for permission and substantiate your position on why one construction must be destroyed and another one be built. We must help to prevent such cases in future.

-Are there a lot of such cases in Icheri Sheher?

- In principle, I want to say that management of Icheri Sheher has been organized in high level. With regard to such matters, yes, it is negative. However, you have to try to prevent such cases. Otherwise, Icheri Sheher may once again face the risk of removal from the list of world heritage sites. Such cases does not only belong to Baku. Such matters occur in several sites included in the World Heritage List.