UNESCO: The Ohrid Region’s Values Continue to Deteriorate

Albania and North Macedonia will have another five years to implement the measures required to protect the Natural and Cultural Heritage of the Ohrid Region. With this decision, UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee has, for the time being, avoided placing the area on the List of World Heritage in Danger.

However, UNESCO stresses that the deterioration of the region’s outstanding universal values is continuing and has not been halted.

The World Heritage Committee made the decision at its 48th session, after reviewing the report on the state of conservation of the Natural and Cultural Heritage of the Ohrid Region.

Engineer and environmentalist Arian Merolli believes the enthusiasm shown by the deputy prime minister during the World Heritage Committee’s online meeting, after the Ohrid Region was not included on the List of World Heritage in Danger, was misplaced.

Merolli said: “The deputy prime minister was very pleased that the Ohrid Region was not placed on the List of World Heritage in Danger. This surprised me, because it would have been better if it had been placed on that list. This would have increased pressure from UNESCO and international institutions on the government to take concrete measures to protect the region.”

He warns that, without political will, the five-year period set by UNESCO could end without results.

“Five years from now, this government may no longer be in power and could say: ‘It doesn’t matter; it’s no longer our responsibility.’ That is why they are not concerned that a five-year deadline was granted. My concern is whether they know what they need to do during these five years. I believe they do not,” Merolli continued.

According to engineer Arian Merolli, the strategy prepared at UNESCO’s request for the management and revitalization of Lake Ohrid should be supplemented by a detailed implementation plan setting out deadlines and budgets. He noted that North Macedonia has made more progress in this process, as it has approved the strategy at a government meeting and established an interinstitutional group to oversee its implementation. In this regard, Albania continues to lag behind.