The biggest issue among Russian sites was Western Caucasus
located in the southern part of the Russian Federation in the
Caucasus Mountains. Russia has filed a bid to host the 2014 Winter
Olympic Games in the city of Sochi not far from the WH property.
Some of the Olympic facilities and venues are to be built not only
in the close proximity to the WH site but directly in its buffer
zone that at the same time covers the lands of the Sochi National
Park.
Besides the Russian legislation, this construction of sporting
and recreational venues and corresponding infrastructure enters the
domain of international laws as this territory is subject to
protection by the International Convention for protection of the
World Natural and Cultural Heritage. At the WH session in
Christchurch Greenpeace, without being against the idea of Olympic
Games of 2014 in Russia, distributed information proving that
construction and operation of the above venues and infrastructure
will inevitably destroy habitats and migration routes of animals
living within the property and included into the global IUCN Red
List. This in turn will undermine the outstanding universal value
of the World Heritage site "Western Caucasus" that is based, in
accordance with the IUCN criteria of uniqueness, on the rich
biodiversity still remaining in this area.
Discussion of this site was cancelled due to pressure from the
Russian delegation. However, the information provided by Greenpeace
made the WH Committee return to Russian properties and look into
the state of conservation of Western Caucasus.
"The fact that Western Caucasus was returned for discussion
despite previous opposition from the state-party of Russia, clearly
demonstrates how burning the environmental issues of Winter Olympic
Games 2014 in Sochi really are", - said Andrey Petrov, World
Heritage Project Coordinator for Greenpeace. -"However, instead of
addressing those issues Russian authorities have launched a costly
advertising campaign that distorts the real situation and is aiming
to hide the potential damage to the unique natural complexes of the
Western Caucasus".
Addressing the World Heritage committee with a speech,
Greenpeace representatives expressed the deep concern of the
Russian and international public regarding the future of the World
Heritage site "Western Caucasus". Greenpeace is willing to provide
all relevant information to any stakeholders as far as construction
of Olympic facilities in the buffer zone of the World Heritage site
is concerned. Especially given the fact that the real situation
demonstrates that Winter Olympics 2014 are serving as cover for
allocating high conservation value lands to construction of
facilities like a SPA-resort or golf club, and it has nothing on
common with winter competitions. Besides it is clear already today
that the construction will start and continue even if the
international Olympic Committee decides to hold the 2014 Olympics
in a place other than Sochi.
"Now we are waiting the final decision of the World Heritage
Committee at the end of this week with hope that members will
recognise the seriousness of the situation", - said Roman
Vazhenkov, Head of the High Conservation Value Areas Department of
Greenpeace. - "We also hope that World Heritage Centre and IUCN
will be sending their monitoring mission to Western Caucasus soon
and this mission will certainly uncover the actual intentions of
the Russian side and the impacts on the unique territory will
become obvious".