The Bay of Kotor has been included to the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage List because of outstanding universal value of its architecture, unique integration of its renaissance cities in the natural beauty of the gulf of Kotor, representing unique artistic and aesthetic achievement, a masterpiece of the creative genius.

Holy island________________________________Photo: Zoran A.N.

This unique environment is under the treat of reckless urban development. Russian company Metropol MosCity Group plans to develop on Island Sveti Marko in Tivat archipelago

-a Luxury hotel and Spa

-Erect artificial island with a marina for 140 yachts

-Build boutiques, shops and yacht-club

-Build 108 private villas

- development of new beeches and structures for nautical tourism

The Island of Sveti Marko represents the largest island in the Tivat archipelago and is crucial for the visual character of the bay. It also contains unstudied archeological location. Finally, this site represents a unique shallow part of the gulf and it is a natural spawning ground for many marine species.

Why sign the petition?

The reckless urban development in the bay of Kotor threatens to destroy this unique architectural and natural character of this World Heritage Monument. Currently there is no effective control and protection of this site and local institutions and local communities are helpless to oppose forceful urban development.

The plan also goes against the advice of the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), which expressed concern about accelerated urban development at this site. UNESCO specifically stated that “ill advised large scale hotel developments are destroying traditional scale, integrity and authenticity of this World Heritage site."

Report of the Joint UNESCO ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring Mission to The Natural and Culturo-Historical Region of Kotor, Montenegro, 18 to 21 February 2008 (UNESCO, ICOMOS)

Finally this development threatens to endanger marine life and disturbs the ecological balance in the bay.