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It is with great pleasure that I am here today in Pissouri on the occasion of the European Natura2000 Day. I am very touched and honoured by the invitation you have extended to me to receive this award from your Community.
My contact with the Pissouri Community began long before I took up my duties as Commissioner for the Environment, and I got to know the area both through studies and through my tours of the wider region.
The proposal from the Community Council in the past, and since my appointment by the President of the Republic as Commissioner for the Environment, has been to work together to promote international recognition of the area for its significant reserve of culture, natural environment and impressive geomorphology.
The unparalleled beauty of Cape Aspros' landscape, its biodiversity, the history and mythology that accompany it are important components to be able to promote its inscription as a natural and cultural heritage site on the UNESCO World Heritage List, in the framework of the World Heritage Convention.
The Republic of Cyprus ratified the World Heritage Convention in 1975 and committed itself together with other states to the protection of World Heritage Sites. Cyprus was one of the first countries to inscribe sites on the World Heritage List. The first inscription of Cyprus' monuments on the World Heritage List took place in 1980 and so far three inscriptions have been included: Paphos, Byzantine and Post-Byzantine churches of Troodos and Choirokoitia.
In parallel, a list of candidate monuments has been established and submitted on behalf of the Department of Antiquities.
For a site to be included in this list, it must be a case of outstanding universal value and meet at least one of the 10 criteria set by the International Convention on World Heritage.
These 10 criteria include cultural, archaeological, geological and biological elements. The process is time-consuming and complex and requires coordination between State agencies, local authorities and specialised experts. The State then submits the nomination file to UNESCO for evaluation by ICOMOS, IUCN and ICCROM. Once the evaluation is done, the final decision is taken by the UNESCO Heritage Committee, which meets every year.
The fact that Cape White is both a Special Protection Area (SPA) due to the presence of the black whale, sea crow, zander, sculpin and woodpecker, and a Special Conservation Zone (SCZ) due to the presence of 7 habitat types (with about 85% of the area extending to the sea, dominated by the reef habitat) and other important species of flora and fauna, highlight the high ecological value of the area.
And the impressive geological formations that extend from the Bay of Pissouri westwards to Petra Romiou have enormous geological and archaeological value, which has relatively recently been revealed and concerns the site of 'Pezounarkon', since there are indications of a small settlement at the site. The limestone blocks of the Petra Romiou Formation 200 million years ago were coral reefs. In them one can find fossilized corals, but also algae, trematophore, etc.
Considering the complexity of the process and the strict criteria that accompany it - always giving priority to the need for this effort to be successful - I propose that this effort be undertaken jointly with the Community of Dolls. The aim of this proposal is to include the whole of the area of interest, which is located within the two communities of Pissouri and Kouklia, in the UNESCO World Heritage List and, at the same time, to link it with Palaia and the myth of the birth of the goddess Aphrodite.
I believe that this proposal increases the chances of success for the inclusion of the wider area of Cape White - Petra to Romio as a UNESCO natural and cultural heritage site, thus making it the second mixed heritage site in Cyprus, after the southern part of the Mathiatis mine (2002) which is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List of Candidate Sites since 2002.
The Office of the Commissioner for the Environment supports the Pissouri Community Council and we will promote this effort to the best of our ability.
Thank you again for the honour of this award and I wish you every success in achieving your goals.
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Views & opinions expressed are those of the author and/or PIO
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