The Ministry of Higher and secondary education of the Republic of Uzbekistan The Uzbekistan state World Languages University

2.2. “Communication between UNESCO and the government of Uzbekistan is good and improving”
Last July, the topic of protecting the historical monuments of Uzbekistan, which are on the UNESCO lists, turned out to be one of the most painful. Many feared that at the 43rd session of the World Heritage Committee, which was held in Baku, Samarkand would be included in the List of sites in danger, but this, fortunately, did not happen. However, the construction work that is being carried out today almost throughout Uzbekistan often poses a threat to monuments, and civic activists, defenders of architectural heritage and journalists talk about it loudly and often, although the public discussion still does not add up - developers avoid talking.
Ferghana was interested in whether UNESCO itself can protect what it has taken under protection, how the relations of the international organization with government officials are built, and what happened at the session in Baku, where Samarkand, Bukhara and Shakhrisabz were discussed, because the official information provided by the Uzbek side , was dosed and censored to a crunch.
We sent questions to the UNESCO office in Uzbekistan, and its head, FuadPashayev, answered them in writing. The Tashkent office chose not to specify the Baku hearings, referring us (and our readers) to watch the video broadcast (two and a half hours in English), and then to the UNESCO documents that are in the public domain (these are more than 50 files in English and French). ). The UNESCO office also did not comment or evaluate the actions of the Uzbek officials, and we did not receive any answers about how exactly the struggle for preserving the heritage is going.
And that is why the interview only confirms the position that defending historical monuments is the business of the Uzbeks themselves, and no international organizations with their cumbersome bureaucracy and complex ties with local authorities will help in this, even UNESCO. Let'sadd - especially UNESCO
— The Government of Uzbekistan claims to be actively cooperating with UNESCO. However, the draft documents (meaning the message about the threat of delisting) on ​​the website of the head office of UNESCO say otherwise. What does “active cooperation” mean in this case?
— Before answering this question, I would like to clarify some concepts in the article you provided. In fact, there is no concept of a black list, there is a list of objects in danger of losing their outstanding universal value, that is, objects that need to be given priority. It includes, on a temporary basis, objects exposed to various hazards caused by natural causes or human intervention: armed conflicts, natural disasters, pollution and disorderly construction. The inclusion of objects in a special list indicates the need for special attention to them and the adoption of urgent measures to preserve them.
In addition, the document referenced provides information on the state of conservation of the sites that were planned to be discussed at the World Heritage session, and there is no mention that Samarkand will be included in the list of sites under threat. (There is mention of the possible inclusion of Samarkand cultural sites in this list: “The full scope of the development projects, both planned and underway, including hotel development and restoration projects and the 'Samarkand City Tourist Zone' project, and with a view to determining whether any threat to the property constitutes an ascertained or potential danger to its OUV and would warrant its potential inscription on the List of World Heritage in Danger, in line with Paragraph179 of the Operational Guidelines." - Note by Ferghana).
I would also like to note that Uzbekistan is actively cooperating with UNESCO in other areas of its competence, namely in the areas of education, science, communication and information, as well as in the implementation of the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) and other obligations. CULTURE is not the only area of ​​cooperation.
- Is there a specialist in cultural heritage, especially in historical monuments, on the staff of the UNESCO office in Tashkent?
— Yes, of course, there are experts on tangible and intangible cultural heritage in UNESCO staff.
Is it really forbidden for the UNESCO office in Uzbekistan to interfere in the issues of construction in historical cities, and all these issues are directly dealt with by the headquarters in Paris?
This question is affirmative, and it means that somewhere someone said that Uzbekistan is cooperating directly with Paris. I would like to know on the basis of what sources this question is formulated.
The UNESCO Office in Uzbekistan operates within its mandate, as well as in accordance with the Convention (1972) and the Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the Convention on the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (2003), which were ratified by Uzbekistan. This serves as the basis for our work to promote, conserve and protect cities on the UNESCO World Heritage List and to support the intangible cultural heritage on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, and to strengthen the role of culture in sustainable development in general.
- The state provided the committee with the necessary documents, maps and other required information. More details can be found at the link (document in pdf format in English, 84 pages. - Approx. "Fergana").
The procedure for agreement is as follows: in accordance with the Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the Convention on the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (paragraph 172), the World Heritage Committee encourages States Parties to the convention to inform the committee through the secretariat of their intentions to undertake or allow large-scale restoration or new construction in the protected area works that may have an impact on the property's Outstanding Universal Value. Notification should be given as soon as possible (for example, before drafting key documents for specific projects) and before any decisions are made that would be difficult to reverse, so that the committee can assist in finding appropriate solutions that guarantee the full preservation of the Outstanding Universal Value of the property.
— It is important to emphasize that any major developments and projects within the boundaries and buffer zone of a World Heritage property that may affect the Outstanding Universal Value must be coordinated with the World Heritage Committee. Appropriate approach and responsibility is required for the preparation and submission to the World Heritage Committee of all necessary information and documentation on new development projects at World Heritage properties. Just to give you an example, consider a market development project in the historical center of Bukhara, which was submitted to the World Heritage Committee for consultation and returned with comments to further improve the documentation.
TO THE QUESTION: - Why the UNESCO office in Tashkent and the headquarters of the organization in Paris have never published a press release, article, statement or communiqué regarding the massive destruction of historical heritage in Uzbekistan, which has been going on for many years and has intensified in recent years? Does the Director-General of UNESCO, Ms. Audrey Azoulay, plan to raise these issues during a meeting with the President of Uzbekistan this August?
The government replied: “The World Heritage Center has received notifications of the massive destruction that has taken place in Samarkand and, of course, responded by sending an official request to the government.
The program of the visit of the UNESCO Director General to Uzbekistan at the invitation of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan to participate in an international conference on the protection of tangible and intangible cultural heritage is being discussed.
— One of the pillars of the tourism industry is the desire of mankind to see and learn about the cultural identity of different countries. In domestic tourism, cultural heritage stimulates national pride in its history. In international tourism, cultural heritage stimulates respect for and understanding of other cultures and, as a result, promotes peace and understanding. Therefore, it is essential that governments study how best to develop these cultural heritage sites while protecting and conserving them. For this, international mechanisms, recommendations, and provisions for the protection of cultural and historical heritage have been developed. If they are not followed, irreparable and irreversible damage to the country's cultural identity may be inflicted.
- UNESCO, like all UN agencies accredited in Uzbekistan, in the prescribed manner send the government various reports on their activities in the field of science, education, culture, communication and information, including quarterly reports on their projects under the main program, as well as on extrabudgetary projects, etc.
The UNESCO Office in Uzbekistan carries out various activities and projects in Uzbekistan. All of them are aimed at providing the government with the necessary assistance in various fields of UNESCO's competence. Each project implemented by the UNESCO Office in Uzbekistan was successful and achieved the expected results.