After more than ten years of preparation, inclusion on the tentative list of the three respective states that compose it (Monaco, Italy, and France), and finally after multiple evaluations by ministerial bodies and the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature), the UNESCO World Heritage nomination “The Mediterranean Alps” is in its final stage.
The nomination dossier submitted by Italy (Piedmont and Liguria regions) to the UNESCO World Heritage Centre’s secretariat also includes the Maritime Alps, Haute-Provence, and the Principality of Monaco.
A team of experts—geologists and naturalists specialized in plate tectonics, conservation, and management plans—is currently visiting—all this week—the entire cross-border area and the 8 sites that comprise it.
Their evaluation will be decisive for the final submission of the dossier, which will receive a definitive response at the 43rd session of the World Heritage Committee, to be held in Baku, Azerbaijan, from June 30 to July 10, 2019.
“The Mediterranean Alps”: a rich and diverse territory at the border of several states
This preserved area includes neighboring protected natural zones such as the European Park Alpi Marittime/Mercantour, the Alpi Liguri Park, cross-border sites of community interest, the Grande Corniche Departmental Park, two geosites, as well as a Mediterranean marine area encompassing a vast portion of the cross-border continental margin. The Monegasque state is concerned by its marine area. In total, nearly 80 cross-border municipalities are involved in this project, of which 42 are in the Maritime Alps.
