During the Extraordinary Session of the World Heritage Committee, which was held at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris today, a decision was made to inscribe “The City and Port of Odessa” on the prestigious list.
Italy strongly supported the Ukrainian candidacy and provided the Kiev government with technical assistance, which made it possible to quickly complete the inscription process. A coordination table between the Italian and Ukrainian Ministries of Culture has been working over the past few months on the preparation of the required technical documentation, making use of the experience gained by the UNESCO Service of the Italian Ministry.
On instruction from the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Permanent Delegation of Italy to UNESCO requested and obtained that the World Heritage Committee express its opinion on the nomination following the “emergency” procedure, in light of the threat to which the cultural heritage of the city of Odessa is exposed.
According to Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani, “the inscription of Odessa on the World Heritage List testifies to the necessary commitment of the international community to support a cultural site that is seriously threatened by the ongoing conflict. The recognition establishes that Odessa is the heritage of the whole of humanity, which is now called upon to be more vigilant in its protection. Also in the light of the historical relations that bind us to Odessa, Italy is proud to have contributed to this achievement, through its effective and determined action as a member of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee. In the light of today’s success, we will work with increasing attention and dedication in the activities of the World Heritage Committee.”
“Congratulations to the Ukrainian Government and to the Ukrainian Minister of Culture, Oleksandr Tkachenko, to whom I had promised Italy’s support. Odessa shares a strong historical bond with Italy: we are proud to have contributed to the recognition of the outstanding universal value of its cultural heritage, especially now that it is seriously threatened by the Russian invaders,” said the Italian Minister of Culture, Gennaro Sangiuliano.
