In step with Roșia Montană.
Towards UNESCO.

Procedural steps for UNESCO World Heritage inscription

→ January 2011. The National Commission of Historical Monuments recommends the inscription

Based on art. 33 (1) l) of Law 422/2001, the procedure for inscribing Rosia Montana in the UNESCO World Heritage was launched: The National Commission of Historical Monuments (CNMI), during its session on January 26th 2011, through the votes of 18 members, issued a recommendation for the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage (MCPN) to inscribe the items and areas in Rosia Montana that are protected through Romanian legislation (The List of Historical Monuments, L 5/2000) on the UNESCO Tentative List of Romania.

→ February 2016. The proposal for the inclusion of Rosia Montana on the Tentative List of Romania*

→ October 2016. The World Heritage Committee adopts the Tentative List proposals of the State Parties

During the 40th work session of the World Heritage Committee, the plenum adopted document WHC/16/40.COM/8A, which comprises the proposals of the member states for sites to be included on the UNESCO Tentative List*. Among these, Romania’s proposal for the inclusion of Rosia Montana on the UNESCO Tentative List was adopted.

→ December 2016. The nomination file was submitted to the Delegation of Romania to UNESCO*

The scientific part of the nomination file, prepared by the Ministry of Culture, has been finalized. The file has been submitted to the Delegation of Romania to UNESCO*

After finalizing the file submission to UNESCO, the evaluation procedure will last approximately one year and a half.

Previous steps for the launch of the UNESCO World Heritage inscription procedure

→ 2002-2011

The inscription of Rosia Montana in UNESCO World Heritage has been publicly requested, starting with 2002, by several scientific and professional organizations, both national and international (ICOMOS, OAR, UAR etc.).

ICOMOS
ICOMOS - International Council for Monuments and Sites (statutory advisory body of UNESCO, with an active role in the World Heritage Committee)

→ 2002 The ICOMOS 13th General Assembly and International Symposium
The remains of the largest Roman gold mine in the world lie in Rosia Montana in Romania. This site is in danger of being totally destroyed by a modern private mining project. Already international donors have decided not to contribute to this project because of the serious threats it puts on the natural and cultural heritage of the region.
ICOMOS strongly urges all interested parties in this project, as well as UNESCO and the international community involved in Romania, to do all they can to prevent the destruction of this important archaeological site. It also calls on the national decision makers to ensure that the international, regional and national protection laws, regulations and resolutions are applied to the site and to other proposals, such as Dracula Park, adversely affecting the cultural heritage of Romania.

→ 2003 The Resolution of the 14th ICOMOS Extraordinary General Assembly, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, October 2003
Concerning the Alburnus Maior site in Rosia Montana, Romania
Taking into regard Resolution 20 of the 13th General Assembly and
Taking into consideration some recent information about the site and current state of threat, the ICOMOS General Assembly
  • Reiterates the previous expressed concern regarding mining occurring mining operations that have brought and threaten to continue the destruction of the Alburnus Maior archaeological site in Rosia Montana, Romania, and its surroundings;
  • Call upon the urgent intervention of National Authorities and international community to ensure the adequate protection of the site;
  • Call for further evaluation of the significance of that site and its archaeological heritage in the context of the cultural heritage of Europe and the world, and
  • Expresses once again its determination to collaborate with the Romanian authorities and other organizations in order to accomplish these.

→ 2005 Resolution no. 8 of the ICOMOS 15th General Assembly, Xi’an, China, Octomber 2005
Regarding the site of Alburnus Maior in Rosia Montana, Romania, as a potential World Heritage Site, with reference to the Resolution 20 of the 13th General Assembly of ICOMOS held in Madrid, Spain; to the Resolution of the 14th Extraordinary General Assembly, held in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe; to the resolution of the ICOMOS Conference, held in Pecs, Hungary, 22-27 May 2004, and with reference to the ICAHM Statement on the mining concept at Rosia Montana in Lyon, France, 9 September 2004. Taking into consideration some recent information about the site and its permanent state of threat, The 15th General Assembly of ICOMOS, meeting in Xi’an, China in October 2005 resolves to:
  • Reiterate its deepest concern about the on-going mining operation that has lead to and threatens to continue the destruction of the archaeological site of Alburnus Maior in Rosia Montana, Romania, and its surroundings;
  • Call upon the urgent intervention of the National Authorities and the international community to ensure the appropriate protection of the site;
  • Call for further evaluation of the significance of that site and its archaeological heritage in the context of the cultural heritage of Europe and the world, and
  • Expresses once again its determination to collaborate with the Romanian authorities and other organizations in order to accomplish these.

→ 2008 Resolution no. 4 of the ICOMOS 16th General Assembly, Québec, Canada, October 2008
OAR, UAR, UIA, CEA, RUR, ARA
OAR - Ordinul Arhitecţilor din România (The Romanian Chamber of Architects)
UAR - Uniunea Arhitecţilor din România (The Romanian Union of Architects)
UIA - Union Internationale des Architectes
CEA - Conseil Européen des Architectes
RUR - Registrul Urbaniștilor din România (The Romanian Register of Urban Planners)
ARA - Asociaţia „Arhitectură. Restaurare. Arheologie” (The Association “Architecture. Restoration. Archaeology”)

2007
2008
2009
2010