Brussels, 25 August – A Committee monitoring the implementation of the UNESCO Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage has urged the Chinese authorities to review its urban development plan for Lhasa, the Tibetan capital. The decision was taken during the 27th session of the UNESCO’s world Heritage Committee held in Paris from 30 June to 5 July this year. The Committee made a series of recommendations to the Chinese authorities “to mitigate the negative impact on the World Heritage value of this property caused by development pressures” and called for a national policy to protect all remaining historic traditional buildings in Lhasa. In 2002 the Chinese authorities demolished historic Tibetan houses in Lhasa (www.savetibet.org/News) raising serious concerns about Beijing’s commitment to fulfill its obligations to the UNESCO Convention. the Committee called for a halt to demolitions, “particularly in the Shöl area. Soon after experts from UNESCO and ICOMOS (International Council on Monuments and Sites) conducted missions to Lhasa in October 2002 and April 2003 respectively.
Question of Olivier Dupuis, member of the European Parliament, radical, to the Commission:
“What initiatives is the Commission undertaking or going to undertake to insure that the Chinese authorities fulfil their obligations following the requests made by UNESCO? Does the Commission envisage to stop funding any kind of projects in Tibet should the Chinese authorities continue to disregard the requests of the international community regarding the protection and safeguard of the Tibetan culture and heritage?”
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