UNESCO puts Panamas promise on web for world to see

An agreement by a Panamanian delegation to The World Heritage Committee of Unesco in June to suspend work on phase 3 of the Cinta Costera saved Casco Viejo  from being placed on the endangered list.

The decision was made on Thursday June 23, during the annual meeting of the Committee at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris. The resolution, which containing all the agreements reached with Panama was released on the weekend, for the world to see on the website whc.unesco.org.

"We have noted the efforts made by the State party [Panama] to improve the conservation status of the site, particularly the aspects related to site management and the suspension of the  the coastal strip project” in the says the resolution, which has been reproduced in La Prensa. {

The document shows that Panama has agreed to do nothing until a panel of experts has reviewed all options, which at the time included a tunnel alternative  which was immediately dismissed by  president, Ricardo Martinelli,  land fill and a marine bridge to connect Balboa Avenue and the Avenida des Poetas.
It also notes the “Government’s  commitment to submit to the World Heritage Centre and its advisory agencies, all projects, studies and proposals related to alternatives for the future work of the coastal strip, including the technical specifications of the project and and heritage impact assessments before approval." {jathumbnail off}
The document also reflects the recommendations of a mission of the World Heritage Centre and ICOMOS, who  in October,2010 conducted a monitored the Old Town and recommended a stop to phase 3 of the road works  given the impact that the works have in the Old Town.
It cited paragraph 172 of the Operations Guide World Heritage Convention, which stating  that Governments should notify the Committee of its intention to develop new constructions which might undermine the universal value of the site.
This notification must be done "before decisions are difficult to reverse, so that the Committee may assist in finding appropriate solutions."
Unesco will follow up on the commitments, and set a February 1, 2012 as the date on which Panama will deliver a report. Similarly, the issue will be reviewed again in the thirty-sixth session, the middle of next year.
 President Martinelli, says La Prensa,  has ignored the recommendations, although the content of the resolution was agreed in the presence of a Panamanian delegation that traveled to Paris only to participate in Committee meetings.
The delegation was led by Public Works Minister, Federico Suarez, the director of the National Institute of Culture, Maruja Herrera, director of Heritage, Sandra Cerrud, among others.
Panama’s case was examined on June 23.
Three days later, on June 26, Martinelli publivly disavowed the Unesco commitments negating  the resolution, although it was agreed in the presence of officials that he sent to Paris.
On that day he said there would be "no break" in the development of the coastal strip

“That was false information” he said. “That was not what was agreed there.  We  agreed that we are going to be in close collaboration and coordination, but the order to proceed has been given  and this will start as soon as possible, " he said.
"There is a personal agenda of some who have even misrepresented what was said at UNESCO in Paris, seeking to mislead the public and seeking personal interests them," he said.
On June 29, returned to challenge the Committee.
" Unesco congratulated us for everything we're doing," he said.
The resolution has no greeting whatsoever for the state of conservation of monuments.The reproduction of the Unesco report in La Prensa tells another story.