The head of the new UNESCO office in Prague will be Knežín

Prague - The head of the new office for UNESCO World Heritage sites, established by the Prague City Hall in May, will likely be the current director of the city's heritage protectors, Jan Kněžínek. Kněžínek was recommended for this position by a commission, but he still needs to be appointed by the city hall director. Eva Kubátová from the city hall's press department wrote this today without further details. Kněžínek, who is considered an influential city hall official, has been criticized in the past for some decisions in the field of heritage protection.
     The Organization for Education, Science and Culture (UNESCO) is one of many UN agencies. Among other things, it selects unique cultural and natural heritage sites from around the world to include on a prestigious list of such sites. The Prague heritage reserve has been on this list since 1992. The new special office was established on May 1 at the initiative of Prague, managed and financed by the city hall, which also decides who will lead it. The office announced a selection process for the head of this office. "The selection committee recommended Mr. (Jan) Kněžínek as the most suitable candidate for this position," stated Kubátová.
     "The establishment of the new department arises from the necessity to ensure compliance with obligations resulting from the fact that the historic center of Prague is listed as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site,” the city hall previously stated.
     Kněžínek, who is already of retirement age, is considered an influential city hall official. In his role, he made decisions regarding important buildings and the demolition of heritage sites. His department provides binding opinions on whether proposed development projects affect the Prague heritage reserve. In the past, he has been criticized for some decisions, often deciding contrary to the recommendations of the National Heritage Institute. Kněžínek has repeatedly defended himself against the criticism.