Ancient City of Tauric Chersonese and its Chora
Factors affecting the property in 2016*
- Other Threats:
Critical state of conservation of the ruins in the city of Tauric Chersonese, some of which are highly dilapidated or even close to collapse
Factors* affecting the property identified in previous reports
Threats identified at the time of inscription of the property in 2013:
- Erosion, in particular shore erosion
- Insensitive urban or infrastructure developments
- Critical state of conservation of the ruins in the city of Tauric Chersonese, some of which are highly dilapidated or even close to collapse
International Assistance: requests for the property until 2016
Total amount approved : 0 USD
Missions to the property until 2016**
Conservation issues presented to the World Heritage Committee in 2016
At the time of inscription of the property in 2013, the Committee, taking into consideration the critical state of conservation of the ruins in the City of Tauric Chersonese, some of which are highly dilapidated, encouraged States Parties to provide international cooperation to assist in financing the most urgent conservation requirements. The Committee recommended that the State Party submit a report to the World Heritage Centre outlining progress made in the implementation of its recommendations regarding the state of conservation of the property. No state of conservation report has been submitted by the State Party.
In its letters dated 7 October, 30 October and 10 December 2015, the Permanent Delegation of Ukraine requested UNESCO to undertake an assessment of the situation at the “Ancient City of Tauric Chersonese and its Chora”.
On 26 January 2016, following the above-mentioned letter received from the Ukrainian authorities, the World Heritage Centre requested the Advisory Bodies to the World Heritage Committee to provide any information that they may be able to obtain concerning the assessment of the situation in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea (Ukraine) within their fields of competence.
Analysis and Conclusion by World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies in 2016
The property has not been reported by UNESCO’s partners, NGOs or other concerned intergovernmental organizations, including ICOMOS and ICCROM, as facing threats to its Outstanding Universal Value.
On 24 March 2016, the Director-General convened an Information Meeting on the situation in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea (Ukraine) for Permanent Delegations at UNESCO Headquarters, with the participation of ICOMOS, Amnesty International, OSCE and OHCHR.
As a follow-up to the most recent Executive Board decision (199 EX/Decision 5 (I) E)) concerning the situation in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, the World Heritage Centre continues to gather information, to the extent possible, on the state of conservation of the property. Concerns recently expressed by the Ukrainian authorities regarding the state of conservation of the property are followed by the Secretariat in consultation with ICOMOS.
The World Heritage Committee may wish to request the State Party to invite, as soon as the situation allows, a joint World Heritage Centre / Advisory Bodies Reactive Monitoring mission to the property, to evaluate the nature and extent of any threats and propose the measures to be taken.
It is recommended that the World Heritage Committee call upon all parties currently associated with the state of conservation of the property to refrain from any action that can damage the property and to fulfil their obligations under international law by taking all possible measures to protect the property.
Summary of the interventions
Decisions adopted by the Committee in 2016
40 COM 7B.62
Ancient City of Tauric Chersonese and its Chora (Ukraine) (C 1411)
The World Heritage Committee,- Having examined Document WHC/16/40.COM/7B.Add,
- Recalling Decision 37 COM 8B.40, adopted at its 37th session (Phnom Penh, 2013),
- Also recalling the UNESCO Executive Board Decisions 197 EX/5(II) and 199 EX/5(I.E),
- Urges all parties currently associated with the state of conservation of the property to refrain from any action that would cause irreversible damages to the property and to fulfil their obligations under international law by taking all possible measures to protect the property;
- Reiterates its recommendations at the time of inscription, and more specifically its previous request to survey the wider chora landscape with the help of non-destructive remote sensing techniques and satellite images;
- Invites the World Heritage Centre to use remote sensing techniques to gather information on the state of conservation of the property;
- Requests the State Party to invite, as soon as the situation allows, a joint World Heritage Centre / Advisory Bodies Reactive Monitoring mission to the property to assess its state of conservation;
- Also reiterates its previous request to all States Parties to the World Heritage Convention to provide international cooperation to assist the World Heritage Centre in financing monitoring and survey activities.
Draft Decision: 40 COM 7B.62
The World Heritage Committee,
- Having examined Document WHC/16/40.COM/7B.Add,
- Recalling Decision 37 COM 8B.40, adopted at its 37th session (Phnom Penh, 2013),
- Urges all parties currently associated with the state of conservation of the property to refrain from any action that would cause irreversible damages to the property and to fulfil their obligations under international law by taking all possible measures to protect the property;
- Reiterates its recommendations at the time of inscription, and more specifically its previous request to survey the wider chora landscape with the help of non-destructive remote sensing techniques and satellite images;
- Invites the World Heritage Centre to use remote sensing techniques to gather information on the state of conservation of the property;
- Requests the State Party to invite, as soon as the situation allows, a joint World Heritage Centre / Advisory Bodies Reactive Monitoring mission to the property to assess its state of conservation;
- Also reiterates its previous request to all States Parties to the World Heritage Convention to provide international cooperation to assist the World Heritage Centre in financing monitoring and survey activities.
Ukraine
* :
The threats indicated are listed in alphabetical order; their order does not constitute a classification according to the importance of their impact on the property.
Furthermore, they are presented irrespective of the type of threat faced by the property, i.e. with specific and proven imminent danger (“ascertained danger”) or with threats which could have deleterious effects on the property’s Outstanding Universal Value (“potential danger”).
** : All mission reports are not always available electronically.
