A new report of UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay for 205 session of Executive Board to be held on 3-17 October 2018 in Paris notes a significant deterioration of the situation in the temporarily occupied Crimea. The UNESCO report covers the issues of educational and scientific drawdown on the peninsula, points to cultural degradation of Crimea and draws attention to pilferage of historic and cultural heritage of the occupied territory. A list of gross violations of Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars rights to education, to use a native language and freedom of media is presented in the document.

The report highlights the lack of access of Ukraine to the sights of cultural heritage, historic monuments, museums, biospheres, scientific centers in Crimea. A UNESCO report notes the illicit archeological excavations and export of cultural property from the occupied peninsula. Fears were expressed about the Ancient City of Tauric Chersonese and Khan’s Palace in Bakhchysarai due to so-called “restoration activity”. The report is based on information of UNESCO Secretariat, Institutional Partners, particularly the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, OSCE, non-governmental organizations and Ukraine.