UNESCO/ICOMOS Technical Assistance Programme: World Heritage Property “The Historic Centre of Odesa”

This technical assistance is part of the UNESCO Emergency Assistance Programme for Ukraine, funded by Japan, which aims to better protect Ukrainian cultural heritage from the increased threats posed by the ongoing war and to use it as a source of resilience and recovery for communities, preserving it for present and future generations. In this context, the technical assistance aims to provide guidance for the revision of the management plan of the World Heritage property “The Historic City Centre of Odesa”, including an emergency preparedness plan, as well as for the establishment of a Desired State of Conservation and corrective measures for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger (DSOCR).

To this end, ICOMOS is mobilising a team of six international experts, specialised in disaster reduction and emergency preparedness, conservation of historic buildings, structural engineering and architectural structure, urban morphology and conservation and management of World Heritage sites.

In collaboration with the World Heritage Centre and the UNESCO Antenna in Ukraine, the ICOMOS expert team is responsible for carrying out several activities, including conducting online working sessions for Ukrainian cultural heritage professionals, two field missions to Odesa, and developing sets of recommendations and guidelines for the revision of the management plan and for the establishment of the DSOCR. The project will conclude with a final workshop in Odesa to present the recommendations and guidelines, and to train local stakeholders in disaster risk reduction and emergency preparedness in a World Heritage context.