The Ministry for National Heritage said on Friday that Valletta’s status as a UNESCO World Heritage site is not at risk, responding to media reports which were subsequently reproduced on foreign news sites claiming that the capital city’s title is under threat.
The Ministry also denied allegations that the Maltese government has failed to carry out the necessary work to preserve this prestigious title.
“During this legislature, the government appointed a group of experts, including a ‘site manager’ as requested by the Convention, to carry out the work required to draft a ‘management plan,’ as well as other technical reports requested by UNESCO,” a statement read.
It said that this work, which involved numerous consultation meetings, on-site research, and literature related to the field, is now in the approval stage by national structures before it is submitted to UNESCO.
“It should be noted that the need for these reports is not unique to Valletta but applies to every site recognized as UNESCO World Heritage. Furthermore, during this year, UNESCO has received a “state of conservation report” and the “periodic reporting” requested, both of which were adopted by the international organization,” it said.
It is not true that Valletta was, or is, being considered to be delisted as a World Heritage site during the meeting of the World Heritage Committee in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, or at any other time, the Ministry said.
On the contrary, UNESCO has recognized, among other things, the work carried out on the conservation and restoration of buildings in Valletta over the past years, as well as the technical studies and work done, it said.
The recommendations of the World Heritage Committee are public and can be viewed at https://whc.unesco.org/archive/2023/whc23-45com-7B.Add2-en.pdf and https://whc.unesco.org/en/sessions/45COM/documents.
“The Maltese government maintains open and strong relations with UNESCO and is always willing to carry out any studies, plans, and documentation that are requested to further strengthen the heritage of our capital city,” the Ministry said.
It added that government takes pride in the status of Valletta and will continue to work to increase awareness and the appreciation of Valletta, as well as to safeguard and enrich the interests of the Maltese population, the community in Valletta in particular.