Heritage protection report to be delivered to UN body

By December 1, the local government will deliver a report on the Macau Historical City’s Protection and Management Plan (the Management Plan) to the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (WHC).

Yesterday, the city’s Cultural Heritage committee held a meeting where the work in progress and the major content of the plan were introduced.

The report consists of a routine document made to comply with the reporting mechanism between the heritage locations and the WHC.

Primarily, the report includes updates on Macau’s legislation in regard to the cultural heritage protection, and updates on Macau’s master plan of urban development.

The report also informs the WHC that the Macau government, in 2019, will legislate regarding the Management Plan. 

In 2014, the local government conducted 12 public consultation activities on the Management Plan, having received 5,913 submissions from the public.

In 2015, a conclusion report was drafted. In 2016 and 2017, the Macau SAR government conducted the second phase of public consultations of the Management Plan.

By March 20 of 2012, the government had received 2,050 different submissions regarding the plan.

Besides the historical city’s protection and management progress, the WHC also required Macau to deliver a work report on the master plan concerning the new urban zone.

In response to the WHC’s request, the local government will submit documents about the new urban zone, with these documents including a technical report and a draft plan of the concerned land plot.

A second overall report relating to Macau’s urban master plan will also be delivered to the WHC. In that report, the relationship between the overall urban master plan and the plan of the new urban zone will be elaborated upon.

In addition, the Macau government will also provide an updated evaluation of any other construction or architectural project involving any of Macau’s historical heritage.

In regards to this specific aspect, the government promised to first submit an impact evaluation to the WHC of any construction projects that could pose an influence on outstandingly valuable historical heritage. The government will do so before it makes an irreversible decision.

The report contains renewals relating to a total of eight areas.

Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Alexis Tam, said that “[they] will certainly be open to be public in the future.”

The Management Plan draft was supported by the National Cultural Heritage Administration of China, which will also be the party responsible for submitting the report to the WHC on behalf of Macau.