ICOMOS Georgia Concerned About Draft Amendments to the Law on Culture Heritage

Interpresnews 

ICOMOS Georgia (Georgian National Committee of International Council on Monuments and Sites) is concerned about the amendments drafted for the Law on Culture Heritage. ICOMOS Georgia spread statement and calls on members of the Georgian Parliament not to pass the proposed edition, to ensure public discussion of the bill with participation of all interested parties. 

ICOMOS Georgia intends to hold press-conference on the issue.

The statement of the organization:

“SOS! Protection of Culture Heritage Cancelled!

ICOMOS Georgia is concerned about the draft amendments to the Law on Culture Heritage submitted to the Parliament of Georgia by the Government of Georgia.

The bill aims to amend Article 17 of the Law, which states “cancellation of a listed property status shall be admissible only on the basis of relevant Board and if the listed property in question has obliterated or damaged to such a degree that has lost its historical or culture value and cannot be restored. 

We believe the drafted amendments contradict the international principles of preservation of culture heritage, Article 34.2 of the Constitution of Georgia and undermine the future of the Georgian culture properties. The proposed mechanism simplifies the procedures for the government to cancel the status from the property and leaves the heritage without any protection and creates threat of government’s aggressive interference.

As a result, in the name of economical development we will witness demolishment of culture heritage. It is noteworthy that before the bill was initiated, the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia requested the Ministry of Culture to cancel status of culture heritage from two buildings on Agmashenebeli Avenue in order to construct “two new buildings on their place.”

It should also be noted that professionals did not participate in the process and parliament is discussing the issue without interested parties.

We are astonished with the fact that according to the proposed amendments, the Ministry of Culture and Monument Protection declines its responsibility to protect culture heritage monuments and hardly analysis real impacts of this decision.

It is noteworthy that you will nowhere find analogue of this norm and status is cancelled only in exceptional cases as a result of court discussion and long term discussions.

We call on the members of the Parliament of Georgia to be cautious about the issue, not to vote for the proposed edition of the bill and ensure its public discussion with the participation of all interested parties,” the statement reads.