EXECUTIVE SUMMARY - UNESCO World Heritage

13/15, ave. Franklin D. Roosevelt – 75008 Paris
Mr
Francesco BANDARIN
Director
World Heritage Center
UNESCO
Paris
Subject: World Heritage List, here: nomination World Natural Heritage
“Ancient Beech Forests of Germany” (N 1133 bis, Germany)
extension to “Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians” (N 1133)
File no.: 611.90 Pr 5.12/17
Paris, 25 th February 2011
Dear Mr Director,
ADDRESS
13/15, avenue Franklin D. Roosevelt
75008 Paris
TEL + 01.53.83.46.63
FAX + 01.53.83.46.67
Email: wolfgang.lahr@diplo.de
Extension no.: -664
In January 2010 Germany submitted the above nomination for a UNESCO World Natural
Heritage Property to the World Heritage Centre with support from the Slovak Republic and
Ukraine. Since then, Germany has conducted a range of interesting activities which are related
to the nomination and which I would like to outline in this letter.
The inscription of the “Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians” in the UNESCO World
Heritage List and the German extension nomination are decisive steps towards the goal of
protecting and preserving the European beech forest ecosystem, which is unique in the world.
In order to achieve this long-term goal and canvass ample support, Germany organised an
international meeting “Beech Forests – Joint Natural Heritage of Europe” in October 2010.
The meeting was held at the International Academy for Nature Conservation, which is part of
the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN), and brought together experts from 14
European countries. In the course of the workshop, participants discussed the current situation
of valuable ancient beech forests in the Balkans (Albania, Bulgaria, Greece), Belgium,
Italy, Romania, Southern Scandinavia, the Czech Republic and Germany, the protection
status of these forests and potential threats. The results of the meeting will be published as
BfN reports (BfN-Skripten) in March 2011. I would be happy to send you a copy after publication.
Germany has long been committed to the protection and preservation of European beech forests.
One project that stands out in this context is the “Map of natural vegetation in Europe”,
in which beech forests feature prominently in line with their particular significance. The map
was developed in a joint project by European botanists, coordinated by the Federal Agency