This week, UNESCO will evaluate Prague's monuments

Prague - This week, a mission from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) will visit Prague. During their multi-day visit, they want to assess the impact of the Blanka tunnel construction on the Prague heritage site. However, the delegation is not allowed to share their opinions with journalists or hosts; the report on their stay in Prague will serve as the basis for the annual meeting of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, said Josef Štulc, the director of the Czech branch of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS).
    According to information from ČTK, some members of the mission are expected to arrive in the capital as early as Tuesday and will stay until Saturday. According to Štulc, it will be a so-called joint mission, which indicates that the committee is paying increased attention to this issue. Normally, such missions are organized by ICOMOS, which is the main advisor to UNESCO on matters of cultural heritage protection.
    The delegation will include, for example, Mechtild Rössler, a worker from the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, which serves as a sort of secretariat for the UNESCO World Heritage Committee. "These experts are the extended eyes of UNESCO. Their task is to provide impartial information for the committee's discussions. Therefore, the mission is not allowed to share its opinions with the media or the hosting side," Štulc stated.
    This is also confirmed by the Prague City Hall; according to Jan Kněžínka, director of the municipal department of culture and heritage care, the members of the mission wish for no one to know about their visit. "They do not want journalists to know that they are here," Kněžínek told ČTK.
    Representatives from the Ministry of Culture, the capital city, and the Prague branch of the National Heritage Institute will accompany the mission from the Czech side. Kněžínek previously stated that the experts want to investigate not only the Blanka project but also the construction of tunnels under the National Museum, known as the museum mile, or the planned revitalization of the railway station. They might also address the criticized renovation of the Charles Bridge.
    The UNESCO World Heritage Committee meets once a year, typically in June or July. Last June, the committee expressed "its deep concern over the potential impacts of the Blanka tunnel complex" during a meeting in Seville, Spain. This year, the committee members will convene in Brazil.
    The UNESCO World Heritage Committee decides which sites will be inscribed on the World Heritage List. However, the committee can also reclassify sites to the list of endangered sites and subsequently remove them from the official list. Last year, for example, it removed the Elbe Valley in Dresden due to the controversial construction of a bridge.