Paris, 6 March 2022

Dear Madam Director-General,

I write to you as follow up to our appeal for UNESCO to operate its responsibility to protect cultural and religious heritage sites, endangered in the war against Ukraine.

I now return to you on behalf of our Centre’s outraged members and leadership, our Dean and Founder, Rabbi Marvin Hier, and our Associate Dean and Director for Global Social Action, Rabbi Abraham Cooper.

The Simon Wiesenthal Centre considers it inopportune to hold the 45th Session of the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO in Kazan, Russia, through the month of June 2022.

As an Associate Partner to UNESCO, we urge the transfer of the 45th Session to Paris headquarters in June.

Needless to say that, otherwise, sadly the Wiesenthal Centre would not be attending the 2022 Session of the World Heritage Committee.

Most respectfully,

Dr Shimon Samuels
Director for International Relations
Simon Wiesenthal Centre

cc: Rabbi Marvin Hier, Dean and Founder, Simon Wiesenthal Center
Rabbi Abraham Cooper, Associate Dean, Director for Global Social Action, Simon Wiesenthal Center
Rabbi Eric J. Greenberg, Director of United Nations Relations & Strategic Partnerships, Simon Wiesenthal Center