UNESCO reaffirms Jordan as custodian of Jerusalem’s Muslim, Christian sites.

UNESCO reaffirms Jordan as custodian of Jerusalem’s Muslim, Christian sites.(AN).The UNESCO World Heritage Committee, the UN agency’s highest executive body, on Sunday adopted the Jordanian decision regarding Jerusalem and its walls and the decision on the Bab Al Magharbeh pathway. According to a statement by the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, in the decision, issued after a meeting in St. Petersburg, Russia, UNESCO “expressed its deep concern over the continuing Israeli excavations in and around the Old City and its walls”. “UNESCO also expressed deep concern regarding Israel not providing the World Heritage Centre with information about these excavations.” “UNESCO also asked Israel to immediately desist from these acts and excavations,” the statement said. “The World Heritage Centre [WHC] asked that in its annual reports, the UNESCO WHC should highlight all the obstacles that Israel places in regard.” According to the statement, the Jordanian decision succeeded in expanding and enhancing the mechanism through which UNESCO can monitor the situation to “include the entirety of the Old City and its walls”. These mechanisms, which were stipulated in previous decisions, were formerly restricted to the Bab Al Magharbeh pathway, which leads into Al Aqsa Mosque. Bab Al Magharbeh Bridge is the largest entrance for non-Muslim visitors into Al Aqsa Mosque complex. “The decision also expressed UNESCO’s regret that Israel refuses to cooperate with WHC and abide by UNESCO’s decisions,” urging Israel “as the occupying force” to facilitate the execution of the WHC decisions, which demand that a joint mission from the WHC and UNESCO’s technical advisory bodies be sent to monitor and inspect the Israeli excavations in and around the Old City and its walls. The Jordanian decision adopted by UNESCO also addressed some of the basic concerns regarding the Bab Al Magharbeh pathway, which is adjacent to Al Haram Al Sharif, known to Jews as the Temple Mount, and leads into it. The organisation expressed its regret that Israel submitted its unilateral plan and design for the bridge before the WHC meetings. The UN body welcomed Jordan’s plans and designs, which were submitted to UNESCO, to reconstruct and maintain the pathway, the statement said. “UNESCO also emphasised the fact that Jordan is the legitimate authority in charge of maintaining and protecting the site, and that the Kingdom is the custodian of the Muslim and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem,” according to the statement. The decision also reaffirmed the need for UNESCO to coordinate the next moves on renovating Bab Al Magharbeh Bridge.Under the decision, Israel should not undertake any unilateral actions at the site and alter it in any way, while Jordan must pre-approve any work, action or reconstruction work related to Bab Al Magharbeh pathway, which partially collapsed in 2004 as a result of Israeli action at the site.Read the full story here.