US embassy cable - 05QUITO853

UNCLAS QUITO 000853 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID, ECON, EFIS, ETRD, PGOV, PREL, EC, SEVN 
SUBJECT: UNESCO REPRESENTATIVE RECOMMENDS A TECHNICAL 
EVALUATION OF GALAPAGOS 
 
 
1.  Summary. The Director of UNESCO,s World Heritage Center, 
Francesco Bandarin, visited Ecuador to evaluate a new 
potential world heritage site (The Incan Andean Road) and 
assess the Galapagos World Heritage Site (WHS), in light of 
faltering conservation efforts under the Gutierrez 
administration.  At a roundtable discussion with donors and 
other players, he stated that he would recommend to the World 
Heritage Committee (WHC) that a technical evaluation of the 
Galapagos be performed.  This could lead to Galapagos being 
listed as an endangered heritage site.  Ecuador sought to 
play down the visit, claiming that Bandarin came per 
invitation of the GOE.  Bandarin, however, made it clear that 
there is real international concern about the state of 
conservation in the Galapagos.  His trip garnered good press 
coverage (despite the ongoing political crisis) and delivered 
a strong and direct message to the GOE.  End Summary. 
 
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UNESCO Comes To Town 
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2.  Francesco Bandarin, Director of UNESCO,s World Heritage 
Center and Chair of its Scientific Committee, spent nearly a 
week in Ecuador to evaluate adding the Incan Andean Road to 
the list of World Heritage Sites and to assess the Galapagos 
(the first ever WHS) in light of faltering conservation 
efforts over the last few years.  He spent most of his time, 
however, addressing the Galapagos issue and discussed it with 
President Gutierrez, the Ambassador, the donor community, and 
many stakeholders in the Galapagos. 
 
3.  The donor community and the Ambassador presented a 
unified and consistent message to Bandarin, the one we have 
been presenting the last several months, stressing the three 
main problems in the Galapagos - park stability, alternatives 
for fishermen, and illegal immigration.  The donors also 
provided concrete recommendations for addressing them, 
including formalizing the independent process for picking GNP 
Directors.  Bandarin, in turn, carried the message (along 
with the recommendations) to his Ecuadorian interlocutors. 
 
4.  Bandarin,s concern for the Galapagos was very clear from 
the beginning.  Before even visiting the islands, and during 
his meeting with the donor community, he announced that he 
would recommend a technical audit of the Galapagos at the 
next World Heritage Committee meeting in Durban, South Africa 
in July. 
 
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Good Press Coverage 
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5.  Despite a serious political crisis, Bandarin,s visit 
received ample press coverage that focused on conservation. 
The GOE sought to downplay Bandarin,s visit, saying it had 
invited him.  But Bandarin, for his part, made it clear from 
the beginning that this trip was mostly to assess Galapagos 
for the WHC.  (Note: At its 28th Committee meeting in China 
last summer, the WHC requested that Ecuador submit a report 
and plan for how it will conserve the Galapagos by February 
1, 2005.  Ecuador never did and this, we believe, spawned 
Bandarin,s visit. End Note) 
 
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Comment 
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6.  We are pleased with Bandarin,s visit.  He carried the 
international community,s concern and our consistent message 
one more time to the GOE.  He advocated our recommendations 
and pressed President Gutierrez for immediate action.  We 
support his decision to recommend a technical assessment to 
the WHC, as this (and its implicit threat of listing 
Galapagos as an endangered WHS) will help focus the national 
and international community on the Galapagos pro