Take advantage of the search to browse through the World Heritage Centre information.

i
ii
iii
iv
v
vi
vii
viii
ix
x

Natural and Culturo-Historical Region of Kotor

Montenegro
Factors affecting the property in 2023*
  • Changes in traditional ways of life and knowledge system
  • Ground transport infrastructure
  • Housing
  • Impacts of tourism / visitor / recreation
  • Land conversion
  • Legal framework
  • Major visitor accommodation and associated infrastructure
  • Management systems/ management plan
  • Society's valuing of heritage
Factors* affecting the property identified in previous reports
  • Earthquake damage (issue resolved)
  • Lack of Management System/Management Plan
  • Inadequate legal framework
  • Building and development (accelerated urban development and urban pressure)
  • Ground transportation infrastructure (proposed major bridge at Verige and other proposed development projects)
  • Lack of buffer zone (issue resolved)
  • Major visitor accommodation and associated infrastructure
  • Land conversion
  • Society’s valuing of heritage
  • Changes in traditional ways of life and knowledge system
  • Impacts of tourism/visitor/recreation
UNESCO Extra-Budgetary Funds until 2023

N/A

International Assistance: requests for the property until 2023
Requests approved: 2 (from 1979-1982)
Total amount approved : 70,000 USD
1982 Equipment for the Institute for the Protection of ... (Approved)   50,000 USD
1979 Emergency assistance for the natural and ... (Approved)   20,000 USD
Missions to the property until 2023**

2003: joint World Heritage Centre / ICOMOS mission; January 2006: Management Planning Course; February 2008: joint World Heritage Centre / ICOMOS mission; March 2013: ICOMOS Advisory mission; October-November 2018: joint World Heritage Centre / ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring mission

Conservation issues presented to the World Heritage Committee in 2023

On 8 December 2022, the State Party submitted a state of conservation report, which is available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/125/documents/ and presents the following progress:

  • A study was prepared by the Administration for the Protection of Cultural Properties of Montenegro on the protection of cultural properties to inform amendments to the Municipality of Tivat’s Detailed Urban Plan (DUP) for Lepetani village and the Urban Plan (UP) for the Lepetani Tourist Zone;
  • The Municipalities of Kotor and Tivat are taking forward plans to designate the Vrmac hill as a protected nature park. A public consultation on a draft protection study, prepared by the Environmental Protection Agency, has taken place and is informing a revised proposal that will be sent to the Government for adoption;
  • The State Party has ensured that Heritage Impact Assessments (HIA) were prepared for a number of proposed projects located in the World Heritage property and its buffer zone, of which they submitted for technical review those for tourist facilities in Muo, Orahovac, Risan and Herceg Novi; a business centre in Škaljari; and residential projects at Prčanj, Dobrota and Tivat;
  • HIAs have been requested for numerous other proposed construction projects located in the World Heritage property and its buffer zone, namely at Risan, Morinj, Dobrota, Stoliv, Kotor, Orahovac, Prčanj, Škaljari, Muo, Strp, as well as for the Verige Bridge project and the tourist complex proposed for the Luštica-Montrose peninsula;
  • The State Party has sent a number of notifications in line with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines, regarding actions proposed for the World Heritage property and its buffer zone, including visual analysis of the Dub-Kuk section of the proposed cableway from Kotor to Cetinje and numerous projects planned for Sveti Marko Island;
  • Consent was given for the reconstruction and expansion of the Hotel Teuta on the basis of revised plans that took into consideration ICOMOS’ recommendations to reduce the negative impact of the existing hotel on the property’s Outstanding Universal Value (OUV).
Analysis and Conclusion by World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies in 2023

Progress has been made on some of the Committee’s recommendations, but it remains a concern that a series of documents requested from the State Party have not been submitted, making it difficult to accurately assess progress in improving the property’s management system. While acknowledging the delay caused by the pandemic and political changes at both national and local levels, it is of particular concern that the revision of the Management Plan has not been completed since the 2018 joint UNESCO World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring mission and it is recommended that this is prioritised. In addition, the Management Plan should be integrated into the evolving legal framework, particularly in anticipation of the challenges of tourism management and the potential impacts of major tourism infrastructure projects.

Moreover, a robust planning framework, based on World Heritage commitments, needs to be put in place to effectively address the increasing development pressure in and near the property. Although the updated HIA for Natural and Culturo-Historical Region of Kotor for Harmonizing Policy/Planning Framework and Instruments seems to have been completed and is currently under institutional review, it has not been shared with the World Heritage Centre, nor made publicly available. Information from third parties, which has been provided to the State Party for comment, indicates that the 2017 Law on Spatial Planning and Construction of Structures no longer envisages the preparation of spatial plans by municipalities. In addition, information was provided that the moratorium on new construction ended in 2020. Clarifications from the State Party on these issues is awaited.

The State Party has listed a large number of projects proposed within the World Heritage property and its buffer zone. Several of these have been subject to technical review by the Advisory Bodies, together with relevant HIAs. The construction of the Muo Hotel has been assessed as having a negligible potential impact on the OUV, as has the residential complex proposed for Dobrota – although in the latter case the accommodation seems to cater more to the needs of tourists than local residents. The ‘Anchor Centre’ at Škaljari and the four villas at Prčanj, while not problematic in principle, would require design improvements before approval. Two different hotels proposed for Orahovac were assessed as having minor/moderate negative impacts on the OUV. This latter case emphasises the urgent need for the planning framework to be completed, given the large number of projects proposed and their cumulative impacts which can be highly significant. In addition, indirect impacts of construction projects, such as those potentially favouring increased tourism (e.g., the Luštica peninsula road), need to be given greater consideration in both individual HIAs and strategic planning decisions. For example, the Committee already requested information on developments associated with the new Luštica peninsula road and the multiple projects being proposed in that area need to be assessed both individually and in terms of their cumulative impacts.

Meanwhile, it is also noted that some more sensitive projects have been approved without any information being provided in advance to the World Heritage Centre, as requested, such as the three stone quarries in the buffer zone that were authorised following HIAs. More recently, in the light of additional information received on this issue, the World Heritage Centre invited the State Party to comment on the existence of three quarries and plans to open three more, and to provide the corresponding HIAs. In view of the serious potential negative impact that quarries can have on OUV, the exact location of all quarries and their potential impacts need to be better understood. It also seems important to review the relevant sections of the Spatial Urban Plan adopted by the Municipality of Kotor and other planning documents to ensure that the proposed quarry locations are adequately considered in future with regard to World Heritage protection.

In light of all of the above, the State Party is requested to continue to ensure that information on all proposed projects is provided in advance to the World Heritage Centre, including any relevant HIAs. This relates to information on projects already requested in previous Committee decisions and the 2018 mission report, as well as on any new proposals that have the potential to affect the OUV. It would be beneficial for impact assessment teams to refer to the Guidance and Toolkit for Impact Assessments in a World Heritage Context to better integrate World Heritage considerations into future impact assessments and subsequent planning decisions.

Decisions adopted by the Committee in 2023
45 COM 7B.191
Natural and Culturo-Historical Region of Kotor (Montenegro) (C 125ter)

The World Heritage Committee,

  1. Having examined Document WHC/23/45.COM/7B.Add,
  2. Recalling Decision 44 COM 7B.51 adopted at its extended 44th session (Fuzhou/online, 2021),
  3. Welcomes the preparation of Heritage Impact Assessments (HIA) for a number of developments and the provision of information on various proposed projects, and encourages the State Party to continue to improve the HIA process and to give particular consideration to the indirect and cumulative impacts of the many projects being implemented, in the light of the strategic documents being prepared for the property and the Guidance and Toolkit for Impact Assessments in a World Heritage Context;
  4. Expresses concern about the slow pace of revision of the Management Plan and requests that it is completed as a matter of priority, incorporating the recommendations of the 2018 Joint Reactive Monitoring mission so that it becomes a fully operational instrument for the efficient management of the entire property and its buffer zone, with binding policies and provisions endorsed at national and local government level within the changing legal framework, addressing the following issues in particular:
    1. Development issues, in harmony with the Spatial urban Plan for Kotor Municipality,
    2. The conservation of the tangible and intangible attributes that convey Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) and other values,
    3. Disaster risk reduction,
    4. Tourism management, including issues related to the direct, indirect and cumulative impacts that tourism could have on the property;
  5. Notes that the moratorium on new construction and development ended in 2020 and urges the State Party to renew it until a complete suite of planning and protection measures are in force to satisfactorily accommodate possible sustainable developments within the sensitive landscape of the area and prevent any impact on the cultural and landscape values of the property;
  6. Reiterates its request to the State Party to submit the following documents to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies at the earliest opportunity:
    1. The updated HIA for Natural and Culturo-Historic Region of Kotor for Harmonizing Policy/Planning Framework and Instruments,
    2. The Detailed Urban Plan for Lepetani and the Urban Plan for the Lepetani Tourist Zone,
    3. The buffer zone study to define areas in and around the property where an impact assessment should be required for potential projects,
    4. An HIA for the Verige Bridge project,
    5. Documentation on the proposed underpass near Kotor old town and the planned developments associated with the Luštica peninsula road, even if these have already been authorised,
    6. The revised project for the Morinj accommodation complex,
    7. The detailed spatial plan under preparation for the conversion and construction of a hotel complex on the former Fjord Hotel site and the Jugooceanija building,
    8. Relevant documentation on any other projects proposed in the property, buffer zone or wider setting that may have a potential negative impact on the OUV, such as the projects proposed on the Sveti Marko Island and the projects located on either side of the entrance to Kotor Bay;
  7. Further expresses concern about quarries which were recently permitted in the buffer zone of the property, and about plans for future quarries, requests the State Party to provide as a matter of urgency to the World Heritage Centre precise maps indicating the exact location of these quarries, as well as the relevant sections of the adopted Spatial Urban Plan of the Municipality of Kotor with reference to quarries, and advises the State Party to immediately halt any further projects until an Impact Assessment has been completed and submitted to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies;
  8. Further requests that the planning for the property, its buffer zone and wider setting be carried out in the light of the State Party’s commitment to protecting the property’s OUV and be informed by a strategic approach to impact assessment that considers the potential cumulative impacts of proposed projects; and requests furthermore that decisions to authorise new developments should only be taken where it is clear that negative impacts on OUV will be avoided;
  9. Finally requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2024, an updated report on the state of conservation of the property and the implementation of the above, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 46th session.
Draft Decision: 45 COM 7B.191

The World Heritage Committee,

  1. Having examined Document WHC/23/45.COM/7B.Add,
  2. Recalling Decision 44 COM 7B.51, adopted at its extended 44th session (Fuzhou/online, 2021),
  3. Welcomes the preparation of Heritage Impact Assessments (HIA) for a number of developments and the provision of information on various proposed projects, and encourages the State Party to continue to improve the HIA process and to give particular consideration to the indirect and cumulative impacts of the many projects being implemented, in the light of the strategic documents being prepared for the property and the Guidance and Toolkit for Impact Assessments in a World Heritage Context;
  4. Expresses concern about the slow pace of revision of the Management Plan and requests that it is completed as a matter of priority, incorporating the recommendations of the 2018 Joint Reactive Monitoring mission so that it becomes a fully operational instrument for the efficient management of the entire property and its buffer zone, with binding policies and provisions endorsed at national and local government level within the changing legal framework, addressing the following issues in particular:
    1. Development issues, in harmony with the Spatial urban Plan for Kotor Municipality,
    2. The conservation of the tangible and intangible attributes that convey Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) and other values,
    3. Disaster risk reduction,
    4. Tourism management, including issues related to the direct, indirect and cumulative impacts that tourism could have on the property;
  5. Notes that the moratorium on new construction and development ended in 2020 and urges the State Party to renew it until a complete suite of planning and protection measures are in force to satisfactorily accommodate possible sustainable developments within the sensitive landscape of the area and prevent any impact on the cultural and landscape values of the property;
  6. Reiterates its request to the State Party to submit the following documents to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies at the earliest opportunity:
    1. The updated HIA for Natural and Culturo-Historic Region of Kotor for Harmonizing Policy/Planning Framework and Instruments,
    2. The Detailed Urban Plan for Lepetani and the Urban Plan for the Lepetani Tourist Zone,
    3. The buffer zone study to define areas in and around the property where an impact assessment should be required for potential projects,
    4. An HIA for the Verige Bridge project,
    5. Documentation on the proposed underpass near Kotor old town and the planned developments associated with the Luštica peninsula road, even if these have already been authorised,
    6. The revised project for the Morinj accommodation complex,
    7. The detailed spatial plan under preparation for the conversion and construction of a hotel complex on the former Fjord Hotel site and the Jugooceanija building,
    8. Relevant documentation on any other projects proposed in the property, buffer zone or wider setting that may have a potential negative impact on the OUV, such as the projects proposed on the Sveti Marko Island and the projects located on either side of the entrance to Kotor Bay;
  7. Further expresses concern about quarries which were recently permitted in the buffer zone of the property, and about plans for future quarries, requests the State Party to provide as a matter of urgency to the World Heritage Centre precise maps indicating the exact location of these quarries, as well as the relevant sections of the adopted Spatial Urban Plan of the Municipality of Kotor with reference to quarries, and advises the State Party to immediately halt any further projects until an Impact Assessment has been completed and submitted to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies;
  8. Further requests that the planning for the property, its buffer zone and wider setting be carried out in the light of the State Party’s commitment to protecting the property’s OUV and be informed by a strategic approach to impact assessment that considers the potential cumulative impacts of proposed projects; and requests furthermore that decisions to authorise new developments should only be taken where it is clear that negative impacts on OUV will be avoided;
  9. Finally requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2024, an updated report on the state of conservation of the property and the implementation of the above, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 46th session.
Report year: 2023
Montenegro
Date of Inscription: 1979
Category: Cultural
Criteria: (i)(ii)(iii)(iv)
Danger List (dates): 1979-2003
Documents examined by the Committee
SOC Report by the State Party
Report (2022) .pdf
arrow_circle_right 45COM (2023)
Exports

* : 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.


top