The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) and the International Council on Monuments and Sites (Icomos) approved the proposal submitted by the Dominican Republic on the buffer zone for the Colonial City of Santo Domingo, during the 46th session of the World Heritage Committee, which took place in New Delhi, India.
The zone was approved during the session being held from July 21 to 31 and its purpose is to protect the cultural, historical and architectural values of the property by controlling urban and architectural growth, as well as land use.
Architect Juan Mubarak, national director of Monumental Heritage, represented the country in this ordinary meeting, convened by the World Heritage Committee to examine the requests of the member countries.
This approval is a great achievement for the Dominican Republic and for the management of MINC, headed by Minister Milagros German.
In this sense, the Minister of Culture emphasized that the approval of this proposal consolidates the program of institutional initiatives undertaken during her administration, with the purpose of guaranteeing the safeguarding and protection of the area of the country with the greatest historical, touristic and cultural value, being the first permanent European settlement in the Americas.
For his part, Mubarak emphasized that the proposed buffer zone is conceived as an intermediate control area between the declared property and the rest of the city, the purpose of which is to provide additional protection to the historic center.
The official added that the zone complied with all the technical requirements described in the operational guidelines for the application of the Convention and its delimitation is based on a study of the environment of the Colonial City, considering potential future developments, in order to foresee restrictions on use and development.
The Dominican Republic, a signatory to the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage since 1985, maintains its commitment to conserve and protect the Colonial City of Santo Domingo through the National Directorate of Monumental Heritage, the competent authority for the implementation of the convention in the country, and in collaboration with the City Council of the National District.
Buffer zone
The delimitation of this area involves the National District and the municipality of Santo Domingo East:
The perimeter of the buffer zone of the National District (Ordinance 03-2011) begins at the intersection of George Washington Avenue with Paseo Presidente Vicini Burgos, continuing to Independencia Avenue and Doctor Delgado and Moises Garcia Streets.
It continues from the intersection of Manuel María Castillo Street and 30 de Marzo Street to Mexico Avenue. The route extends to Emilio Prud’Homme Street, continuing along Libertador Street and the southern border of the properties located on Mexico Avenue up to José Reyes Street, including Confucius Square.
It also includes part of Duarte Street, the north gate of Chinatown, José Martí Street and the Zodíaco Chino Square.
On the other hand, the perimeter of the buffer zone located in Santo Domingo East (Ordinance 02-2015) includes the Calero, Los Molinos and Villa Duarte neighborhoods, being limited to the north by the Ramón Matías Mella Bridge and 25 de Febrero Avenue; to the south, the starting point of the southern shoreline of España Avenue; to the east, España Avenue; and to the west, the Ozama River and Punta Torrecilla.
Source:presidencia.gob.do
