The Director-General of UNESCO names Koïchiro Matsuura as Special Envoy on Preah Vihear
Mr Matsuura, former Director-General of UNESCO, will visit Bangkok and
Phnom Penh to discuss how the World Heritage site can be safeguarded. He
will examine with both sides how to lessen tension and promote dialogue
around the preservation of the Temple, within the Organization's
mandate.
The Director-General informed Cambodia and Thailand about Mr Matsuura's mission.
Preah Vihear Temple was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2008 on
the grounds of its outstanding universal value. States Parties to
UNESCO's World Heritage Convention of 1972 undertake to recognize that
"such heritage constitutes a world heritage for whose protection it is
the duty of the international community as a whole to co-operate".
Cambodia and Thailand are both signatories to the Convention.
UNESCO Director-General to send Special Envoy to Bangkok and Phnom Penh
She announced that she would shortly send a Special Envoy on a mission
of good offices to Bangkok and Phnom Penh, following appropriate
consultations with both capitals.
The Director-General also stated that any assessment mission to the
Preah Vihear site could only take place once calm has been restored to
the area.
Meanwhile, UNESCO is in close touch with senior officials of both countries.
The temple was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2008. Dedicated
to Shiva, is composed of a series of sanctuaries linked by a system of
pavements and staircases over an 800-metre-long axis; it dates back to
the first half of the 11th century AD. The site is exceptional for the
quality of its carved stone ornamentation and its architecture, adapted
to the natural environment and the religious function of the temple.
Director-General expresses alarm over escalation of violence between Thailand and Cambodia
Reports indicate that troops on either side have exchanged fire
resulting in the loss of life and also some damage to the temple.
The Director-General expresses her distress at this sudden turn of
events and calls upon both sides to exercise restraint for the sake of
the preservation of the Temple of Preah Vihear and open direct channels
of communication at the highest levels to defuse the tension.
05.02.2011