Conference to shed light on city’s buffer zone

Nicosia will host the 5th Anniversary Conference of the 7 Most Endangered programme, in an effort to mobilise efforts to save Europe’s most threatened monuments and heritage sites.

The conference will take place on 23-24 October, with the programme being established by Europa Nostra, the leading European heritage network, and the European Investment Bank Institute.

According to a press release, some 100 heritage players from 20 European countries, including decision-makers, professionals and volunteers, will participate in the conference, which is organised in the framework of the European Year of Cultural Heritage 2018.

The aim of this Conference is threefold. The first includes sharing the lessons learned since the launch of the 7 Most Endangered programme in 2013 and discussing the way forward, while presenting EU policies and actions taken for heritage at risk and various already existing funding schemes.

Another goal is to share some examples from best practices on saving endangered sites by the winners of the EU Prize for Cultural Heritage/Europa Nostra Awards, Europe’s highest honour in the field.

Finally, a third aim is to draw particular attention to the Buffer Zone in the Historic Centre of Nicosia, which was listed among the 7 Most Endangered heritage sites in Europe in 2013. Organisers believe this would give a special focus to a country belonging to the wider region of South East Europe.

Representatives from the two communities of Nicosia, Constantinos Yiorkadjis and Mehmet Harmanci, will participate in a panel discussion during the session on the Buffer Zone in the Historic Centre of Nicosia on the morning of 24 October.

Speakers at the two-day event will include Guy Clausse, Executive Vice-President of Europa Nostra, Androulla Vassiliou, Vice-President of Europa Nostra; Henry von Blumenthal, Deputy Dean of the European Investment Bank Institute; Vassiliki Anastassiadou, Minister of Transport, Communications and Works of the Republic of Cyprus, and Elizabeth Spehar, Special Representative of UN Secretary General and Chief of Mission of UNFICYP.