Ohrid Region Retains UNESCO World Heritage Status, Gets Five‑Year Extension to Implement Protections

The UNESCO World Heritage Committee, meeting in Busan, South Korea, voted not to place the Lake Ohrid region on the List of World Heritage in Danger. Sixteen of the 21 member states supported the decision, which keeps the trans‑border site – shared by North Macedonia and Albania – on the World Heritage list but grants the two governments an additional five‑year period to carry out the Committee’s recommendations.

UNESCO reiterated its long‑standing concerns about uncontrolled urban expansion, illegal construction and insufficient protection of the lake’s unique natural and cultural values. The organization warned that continued pressure from tourism and infrastructure projects threatens the region’s Outstanding Universal Value.

North Macedonian officials hailed the outcome as a diplomatic success. Foreign Minister Timcho Mucunski said the result reflects coordinated state action and will be followed by intensified implementation of the Management Plan and Strategic Rehabilitation Plan, tighter urban‑planning controls, and stronger institutional coordination. Ohrid mayor Kiril Pecakov described the five‑year extension as an opportunity to intensify protection measures.

Both countries have pledged to improve urban planning, eliminate illegal buildings, protect the lake ecosystem, and complete a trans‑boundary Strategic Environmental Impact Assessment. The deadline is framed as the last warning; failure to meet the commitments could lead to future consideration of the danger listing.