UNESCO Withdrawal Not Expected to Affect Missions' World Heritage Status

The City of San Antonio and the Archdiocese agree that the status of the Spanish Colonial Missions as United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization designated World Heritage Sites is not expected to be affected by the decision of the Trump administration to withdraw the U.S. from UNESCO, News Radio 1200 WOAI reports.

"All of the members of our committee who worked so hard on the designation are concerned that the United States is pulling out, we don't want them to," said Fr. David Garcia, who is the Archdiocesan Director of the Missions, which are still working Catholic parishes.

Garcia said the U.S. hadn't been paying its dues to UNESCO since 2015, but the decision was made to enroll the Missions as World Heritage Sites anyway, so he doesn't think this is much more of an issue.

"We were told that this might affect our nomination, the fact that the United States wasn't paying dues and hadn't for a number of years," he said.  "But it didn't effect our nomination."

Mayor Ron Nirenberg says the Missions 'continue to be a world class heritage site' and their importance locally and internationally is unquestioned.

There is not believed to by any procedure that exists to remove World Heritage Designation from a site which has been enrolled under UNESCO.

Local tourism officials say San Antonio has received a major increase in global tourism since the World Heritage designation in the summer of 2015, and that has helped boost the city's critical travel and tourism sector to new records.

The Missions are the only World Heritage Site in Texas and one of only 22 in the United States.

Councilwoman Rebecca Viagran, who represents the area that includes the Missions, says the World Heritage designation has also boosted the southeast side's economy, leading to, for example, the redevelopment of the historic Hot Wells Resort, prompting the building of new parks and road improvements, and increasing construction of everything from hotels to new homes and apartments in the district.

The Trump Administration said its decision was largely due to 'perceived anti Israeli bias' by UNESCO, which has recognized the Palestinian state as an observer and has taken other steps designed to isolate Israel.

IMAGE; NATIONAL PARK SERVICE


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