UNESCO/IUCN mission to evaluate the state of conservation of the Western Caucasus World Heritage site has completed its work

In pursuance of a decision of the XXXI Session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee a UNESCO/IUCN expert mission was held in Russia on April 18-25. The mission's task was to evaluate the current state of conservation of the Western Caucasus World Heritage site, its management situation, and those of the development projects in the areas neighbouring the World Heritage site, which are connected to the pre-Olympic building activities in the Krasnodarsky Krai and the construction of a motor road in the territory of the Republic of Adygeya.

In the course of the mission UNESCO/IUCN experts visited the Kavkazsky State Reserve and specially protected areas in the Republic of Adygeya composing the Western Caucasus World Heritage site, and also held several meetings in Moscow, Sochi and Maikop. In order to achieve a fair presentation of the current state of affairs the experts met representatives of all the parties concerned, namely:
the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources, the Russian National Commission for UNESCO, the Government of the Republic of Adygeya, the Service for Oversight in the Sphere of Nature Use (Rosprirodnadzor) of the Krasnodarsky Krai, Kavkazsky State Biosphere Reserve, Sochinsky National Park, the Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee, the Olympstroi State Corporation and public organizations (the Sochi Department of Russian Geographic Society, WWF, Environmental Watch on the North Caucasus, Natural Heritage Protection Fund).

A report will be drawn up based on the materials and information gathered during the mission. This report is to be considered at the XXXII Session of the World Heritage Committee (Quebec, July 2-10, 2008).