23 June 2013

The last point on Panama Viejo and Casco Antiguo: in the morning session of the day 23 June 2013, World Heritage Committee approved the Decision 37 COM 8E, based on the Draft Decision 37 COM 8E modified, that included the document WHC-13/37.COM/8E.ADD. Is adopting Retrospective Statement of Outstanding Universal Valuethe, which will be reviewed (modified) Panama has met once Article 6 described under the heading 21 June 2013 of this blog Heritage Panama.

The document is self explanatory:

1) A Statement of Outstanding Universal Value represents a formalization, in an agreed format, of the reasons why a World Heritage property has Outstanding Universal Value. The concept of Statement of Outstanding Universal Value, as a prerequisite for the registration of a property on the World Heritage List, was introduced in the Operational Guidelines on 2005. All registered sites from 2007 present such a statement.
2) In 2007, World Heritage Committee (see Decision 31 WITH 11D.1) requested Statements of Outstanding Universal Value should be drafted and approved retrospectively for all World Heritage properties inscribed between 1978 and 2006, before the launch of the Second Cycle of the Periodic Report in each Region. (UNOFFICIAL translation, and Salón Documento WHC-13/37.COM/8E, page 2)

The Universal Declaration of Exceptional Value (retrospective) approved by the World Heritage Committee for “Archaeological Site of Panama Viejo and Historic District of Panama” contained in document WHC-13/37.COM/8E.ADD, from the homepage 2 to p 4.

21 June 2013

In the afternoon session of the World Heritage Committee, towards the end of the Session, the working group (Panama drafting group) gave the new decision for Old Panama Archaeological Site and Historic District of Panama, that developed with the consensus of its members. This decision was submitted for adoption without debate by the World Heritage Committee, and indeed was adopted in just five minutes, between the joy of living.

The text of the decision was read aloud, but simply passed on the screen to the World Heritage Committee. Not yet published the official text. I have two images captured on screen (French text):

Image 1: Article 3 Article 5

Image 2: Article 4 Article 6

Called my attention to Articles 5 and 6 (in French in the image):

5. Regrets that the State party has decided to launch the construction of Phase III of the Cinta Costera (viaduc maritime) which irreversibly alters the relationship between the historical center and its wider physical environment;
6. Application to the State Party to submit, d’ici le 1February 2015, a request for a significant boundary modification to enable it to justify a revision of the value…

(In Spanish, 5. Regrets the State party has decided to launch construction Phase III to Tape Coastal (marine viaduct) changing irreversibly relationship between the center historical and physical environment broader;
6. Requests State party submitting, before 1 of February 2015, demand significant change bounds that allow justify a review of buildings of monumental …(incomplete text)

It happens that the relationship between the historic center and the sea is essential for the Historic District of Panama (Casco Antiguo) communicate its outstanding universal value(1), value due to irreversible impairment, Panama must “revise” significantly after changing ownership limits “Archaeological Site of Panama Viejo and Historic District of Panama” to World Heritage.

Panamá, with great sobriety, stated through his spokesman, Panama's Permanent Ambassador to UNESCO Flavio Mendez, its work and thanked the working group, especially the delegates of Mali and its advice to the delegate of Brazil; said there is a lesson learned, Panama and faithfully discharge the opinion of Decision.

Once the full text of the Decision, know what the ambassador was referring lesson.

Video: Reactions to the final decision

Document: List of Participants. The Delegation of Panama is registered in the page 42 a la 43 Document http://whc.unesco.org/archive/2013/whc13-37com-2inf.pdf

20 June 2013

The afternoon session of the World Heritage Committee was suspended in order to allow time for the different teams that should address various topics of Session 37 COM. Among themselves, the working group to Panama (Panama drafting group) was working in the afternoon today (Cambodian hour). Yet reported their results.

In the working group could participate only representatives 21 Committee countries, This invited. The working group was selected,, organized and led by Cambodian Deputy, Sr. Ros Borat, Deputy Director of Heritage and Sustainable Development Cambodia. The other countries could attend the working group meetings as observers only. Panama is not among the 21 Member countries of the World Heritage Committee in Session 37 COM.

19 June 2013

Today 19 June in the early morning hours in Panama and around the 3:00 Cambodia PM, initiated the Panamanian property debate inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage, “Archaeological Site of Panama Viejo and Historic District of Panama“, based al repair 2013 and Draft Decision 37 COM 7B.100 (Document WHC-13/37.COM/7B.Add, on the pages 184 to 190). This draft decision (which is also found in the SOC) requesting the inclusion of Panamanian property in the World Heritage List in Danger. He even suggested the removal of the world heritage list, and it was suggested to delay the listing of World Heritage in danger for another year.

For an UNOFFICIAL translation of Status and Draft Decision, click here.

The debate was very intense. Committee members failed to agree, and has established a working group, to achieve consensus in the case of Panama. Tomorrow morning (Cambodian) should begin working on a possible solution. It is a very delicate, by the issue of marine viaduct Cinta Costera III. The debate renudará when the working group to contribute their results.

This is the debate on video in English, divided into six parts 14:30 minutes each:

Part 1 of 6

Part 2 of 6

Part 3 of 6

Part 4 of 6

Part 5 of 6

Part 6 of 6

The team will be led by Cambodian Deputy, Sr. Ros Borat, heritage expert with thirty years of experience and Deputy Director of Heritage and Sustainable Development of Cambodia. He emphasized the importance of the participation of ICOMOS in the working group, although the formation of it was entrusted entirely to Mr. Borat.

Live broadcast: http://whc.unesco.org/en/sessions/37COM/

Starts at 9:00 pm, When Panama.

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(1) “The World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies underscore the negative visual impacts of the Maritime Viaduct that will adversely impact on and transform the setting of the Historic Centre. They further note that the Maritime Viaduct is a structure of a very strong shape with a high visual impact which does not integrate harmoniously with the Historic District and establishes an undesirable contrast with regard to its maritime context. They consider that the ability of the property to convey its Outstanding Universal Value, as a fortified settlement in a Peninsula and as a testimony to the nature of the early settlements, with a layout and urban design adapted to a particular context, are being adversely compromised. The urban layout and scale and the relationship between the city and its setting, attributes crucial to the understanding of the evolution of the property, will also be adversely impacted.” State of Conservation Report 2013. Available in, http://whc.unesco.org/en/soc/1975 and also available in, http://whc.unesco.org/en/documents/123027 (on the pages 188 and 189). The bold were placed by the author of this blog.

Unofficial translation the same text: “The World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies underscore the negative visual impacts of the Maritime Viaduct that will adversely impact on and transform the setting of the Historic Centre. They further note that , the Maritime Viaduct is a structure of a very strong shape (.) with a high visual impact which does not integrate harmoniously with the Historic District and establishes an undesirable contrast with regard to its maritime context. They consider that the ability of the property to convey its Outstanding Universal Value, as a fortified settlement in a Peninsula and as a testimony to the nature of the early settlements, with a layout and urban design adapted to a particular context, are being adversely compromised. The urban layout and scale and the relationship between the city and its setting, attributes crucial to the understanding of the evolution of the property, also be impacted adversely.“

Note:

Thanks to the transparency policies of UNESCO and its World Heritage Centre, all documents cited in this article of the Blog, Patrimonio Panamá are public information of open access for all around the world from UNESCO websites, and by means of the Information System of the State of Conservation (SOC), open to the public from 2012 (Click here to see related news: http://whc.unesco.org/en/news/962/).