UNESCO Status Blocks Municipal Property Management in Odesa

The UNESCO status paralyzes the work of municipal property management in Odesa - they can neither lease nor sell it due to bureaucracy.

This was stated by City Council member Roman Senyk during a meeting of the Standing Committee on Municipal Property, Economic, Investment, State Regulatory Policy and Entrepreneurship.

According to him, the inclusion of the historic center of Odesa in the UNESCO World Heritage List has created significant bureaucratic obstacles to the management of municipal property. The deputy complained about the complicated system of approvals, which effectively blocked any actions with property within the protected zone.

Currently, any operations with municipal property require approval from the Ministry of Culture, which, in turn, must obtain permission from the contact group in Paris.

"This is a great achievement of the city, which is now being criticized from all sides. This is UNESCO. If they could make the whole territory of Odesa a UNESCO site, we would be completely happy. Because now we cannot lease or sell any municipal property without the approval of the Ministry of Culture. The Ministry of Culture without the approval of the contact group. The contact group without a glass of wine in Paris. Do you understand? And as a result, nothing, everything related to the UNESCO zone, is moving in principle," Senyk said.

On February 12, a mission of UNESCO and ICOMOS paid an official visit to Odesa. Representatives of both organizations came to collect information and consultations on the preservation of World Heritage sites in the face of threats.

Last year, Odesa expanded the zone of the historic center, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

In the summer of 2023, the Ukrainian side sent proposals to the World Heritage Center regarding the new boundaries of the Historic Center of Odesa.

Ірина Глухова