Decision 18 EXT.COM 5.2: Emergency inscription of the Historic Centre of Odesa on the World Heritage List and the List of World Heritage in Danger (2023)

Summary

On 25 January 2023, at its 18th extraordinary session in Paris (24-25 January 2023), the UNESCO World Heritage Committee adopted Decision 18 EXT.COM 5.2. Using what the decision calls the 'emergency procedure', it inscribed the Historic Centre of Odesa, Ukraine, on the World Heritage List under criteria (ii) and (iv) and, in the same decision, on the List of World Heritage in Danger. UNESCO's announcement linked the use of the emergency procedure to the threats to the city since the beginning of the war. The Committee has since retained Odesa on the Danger List in Decisions 46 COM 7A.6 (2024), 47 COM 7A.26 (2025) and 48 COM 7A.32 (2026).

Sources: UNESCO World Heritage Centre, UNESCO World Heritage Centre, UNESCO World Heritage Centre, UNESCO World Heritage Centre, UNESCO World Heritage Centre, UNESCO World Heritage Centre

Legal basis

The decision is made by the World Heritage Committee, the body of States Parties that decides which sites are on the World Heritage List and the List of World Heritage in Danger. Decision 18 EXT.COM 5.2 is titled 'Nominations to be processed on an emergency basis - Ukraine' and states that the property is inscribed 'according to the emergency procedure'; UNESCO's announcement says this is an emergency procedure provided for in the Operational Guidelines. The text of the relevant Operational Guidelines paragraphs and of the Convention's Danger List article was not read for this entry, so no article or paragraph number is quoted here. The decision records that, because no site mission took place, assessments of the integrity and authenticity of individual buildings were still needed. Later decisions (46 COM 7A.6, 47 COM 7A.26 and 48 COM 7A.32) call on the Russian Federation to refrain from any action that would cause direct or indirect damage to the property and to fulfil its obligations under international law, including Article 6 of the World Heritage Convention.

Sources: UNESCO World Heritage Centre, UNESCO World Heritage Centre, UNESCO World Heritage Centre, UNESCO World Heritage Centre

Outcome

Decision 18 EXT.COM 5.2 (18th extraordinary session, 24-25 January 2023): (1) inscribed 'The Historic Center of the Port City of Odesa' on the World Heritage List under criteria (ii) and (iv) 'according to the emergency procedure'; (2) adopted a statement of Outstanding Universal Value; (3) also inscribed the property on the List of World Heritage in Danger; (4) recommended that the State Party invite a joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring mission, if feasible; (5) requested a map and coordinates of modified boundaries by 1 June 2023; (6) recommended that the State Party give urgent consideration to seven points (including extending the buffer zone, reinforcing legal regulation of the Integrated Protection Zone and integrating heritage impact assessment mechanisms); (7) requested a report on implementation by 1 February 2024 for examination at the 46th session; and (8) decided to change the property's name to 'The Historic Centre of Odesa'. Later decisions: 46 COM 7A.6 (2024), 47 COM 7A.26 (2025) and 48 COM 7A.32 (Busan, 2026) each decided to retain the property on the List of World Heritage in Danger; 47 COM 8B.50 (2025) referred Ukraine's minor boundary modification back rather than approving it. The sources reviewed do not state whether the January 2023 decision was taken by vote or consensus.

Sources: UNESCO World Heritage Centre, UNESCO World Heritage Centre, UNESCO World Heritage Centre, UNESCO World Heritage Centre, UNESCO World Heritage Centre

Timeline

1. August-October 2022
   Ukraine prepares an accelerated nomination

   Ukraine's Ministry of Culture states that it began an accelerated procedure in August 2022 and that the nomination file was submitted in October 2022. UNESCO states that President Zelensky made the nomination official in October 2022 and that Italy and Greece supported it.

   Sources: UNESCO World Heritage Centre, Ministry of Culture of Ukraine (mincult.gov.ua)

2. 24 January 2023
   Russian Federation delegation submits an amendment to the draft decision

   The Delegation of the Russian Federation submitted an amendment, dated 24 January 2023, to Draft Decision 18 EXT.COM 5.2. The document shows insertions and deletions in a single text (with some duplicated paragraph numbers). Among its elements, it retained inscription under the emergency procedure and on the Danger List, added a paragraph encouraging the State Party to resubmit the nomination under the normal procedure, and a paragraph that procedures be applied to allow examination of the reviewed nomination under the normal procedure at the 45th session, and had the property name changed to 'The Historic Centre of Odessa'. The sources reviewed do not state which parts, if any, were adopted; the adopted decision (src_02) inscribes the property under the emergency procedure, inscribes it on the Danger List and renames it 'The Historic Centre of Odesa'.

   Sources: UNESCO World Heritage Centre

3. 25 January 2023
   18th extraordinary session inscribes Odesa on the World Heritage List and the List of World Heritage in Danger

   UNESCO announced that the Committee, at its 18th extraordinary session (Paris, 24-25 January 2023), 'has used an emergency procedure provided for in the Operational Guidelines' and inscribed the property on the World Heritage List and, at the same time, on the List of World Heritage in Danger. The decision is 18 EXT.COM 5.2; it inscribes the property 'according to the emergency procedure' under criteria (ii) and (iv), also inscribes it on the Danger List, and renames it 'The Historic Centre of Odesa'.

   Sources: UNESCO World Heritage Centre, UNESCO World Heritage Centre, UNESCO World Heritage Centre

4. 1 June 2023
   Deadline set for a boundary map

   Decision 18 EXT.COM 5.2 asked Ukraine to submit by 1 June 2023 a map and coordinates of modified boundaries, wider than those in the dossier, excluding the port area, and placing the port in the buffer zone. It also asked for a progress report by 1 February 2024.

   Sources: UNESCO World Heritage Centre

5. 2024
   46th session retains Odesa on the Danger List (46 COM 7A.6)

   The Committee took note of the map submitted by the State Party, which it considered consistent with the boundaries as inscribed; reiterated its recommendation to give urgent consideration to extending the buffer zone and invited the State Party to submit a minor boundary modification; noted with appreciation Ukraine's invitation for a joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring mission and expressed regret that the mission could not take place due to the ongoing security situation; reiterated its request for a proposal for the Desired state of conservation for removal from the Danger List, for adoption at the 47th session; requested an updated report by 1 February 2025; and decided to 'retain The Historic Centre of Odesa (Ukraine) on the List of World Heritage in Danger'.

   Sources: UNESCO World Heritage Centre

6. 2025
   47th session retains Odesa on the Danger List (47 COM 7A.26) and refers a boundary proposal back (47 COM 8B.50)

   In 47 COM 7A.26 the Committee took note of the conclusions of a 2025 joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring mission, reiterated its call on the Russian Federation to refrain from any action that would cause direct or indirect damage to the property, requested an updated report by 1 February 2026 and decided to retain the property on the Danger List. In 47 COM 8B.50 it referred the examination of the minor boundary modification back to the State Party, asking among other things for the proposed buffer zone to be extended to the north, west and south of the Historic Centre.

   Sources: UNESCO World Heritage Centre, UNESCO World Heritage Centre

7. 2026
   48th session (Busan) retains Odesa on the Danger List (48 COM 7A.32)

   The Committee expressed its grave concern that over 60 cultural sites within the property have been damaged since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, encouraged the State Party to develop without delay a proposal for the Desired state of conservation for adoption at the 50th session, requested an updated report by 1 February 2027 for examination at the 49th session, and decided to retain the property on the Danger List.

   Sources: UNESCO World Heritage Centre

Connected pages

• Ukraine — State Party that nominated the property and where it is located
• Historic Centre of Odesa — heritage site