Meeting with the State Commission for Cooperation between Bosnia and Herzegovina and UNESCO         

A meeting was held on 28 August 2003, attended by members of the State Commission for Cooperation with UNESCO: Sead Avdić, chair, Metka Hozo-Krajger, Ferhat Mulabegović, Dubravko Lovrenović and Zdravko Grebo, and members of the Commission to Preserve National Monuments: Amra Hadžimuhamedović, chair, Ljiljana Ševo and Dubravko Lovrenović.

The following resolutions were adopted at the meeting:     

            1. The procedure for submitting cultural and historical heritage properties of Bosnia and Herzegovina for inclusion on the World Heritage List was agreed:

·         only properties designed as National Monuments by the Commission to Preserve National Monuments may be submitted

·         the Commission to Preserve National Monuments shall decide which properties shall be submitted for inclusion on the World Heritage List and shall forward its proposals to the State Commission for  Cooperaqtion with UNESCO

·         the State Commission for Cooperation with UNESCO shall draft the application and forward it to UNESCO.

            2.  By the end of 2003 the Commission to Preserve National Monuments will draft a proposal for three national monuments of Bosnia and Herzegovina to be submitted for inclusion on the World Heritage List and shall forward the proposal to the State Commission for Cooperation with UNESCO.  The State Commission shall request funds from UNESCO for drafting an application in compliance with UNESCO regulations.

            3.  The Commission appeals to everyone to ensure that newly erected buildings do not represent a danger or detriment to historic centres and cultural properties, so as to preserve the cultural and historical heritage of Bosnia and Herzegovina from further ravages in the post-war period.

            4.   As part of the campaign for the urgent protection of the Višegrad bridge being conducted by the Commission to Preserve National Monuments, the State Commission for Cooperation with UNESCO will submit an appeal to UNESCO and forward details of the threatened status of the monument, given that the Bridge is one of the structures built by mimar Sinan whom UNESCO has proclaimed a great builder of the world.  The State Commission for Cooperation with UNESCO will also determine the status of the monument, bearing in mind that it is not on the World Heritage List although it is one of the works of a great builder of the world.

5.  To prepare for attendance at the UNESCO General Assembly, which will be attended by representatives of all the countries that are signatories to the International Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, to be held in Paris on 14 and 15 October 2003, Ljiljana Ševo, member of the Commission to Preserve National Monuments, and Ivica Mišić, member of the State Commission for Cooperation with UNESCO, are charged with working with representatives of the BiH Foreign Ministry to draw up a common agenda for the attendance of the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina at the General Assembly.  Following adoption, this draft will be submitted to the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which has jurisdiction over the signature of international conventions, and to the Council of Ministers of BiH for confirmation.

            6.   The Commission will draft a joint project proposal for education in matters relating to the preservation of the cultural and historical heritage (conservation and restoration, history of art, etc.).  The project should cover three levels of education: post-graduate studies, specialist training, and professional training for people employed in areas relevant to the preservation of monuments.

Representatives of  both Commissions will work together to draft a project proposal which, once agreed, will be forwarded to UNESCO.

            7. The Commissions decided that it was important to launch an initiative for the systematic resolution of the status and funding of the cultural institutions of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (the National Museum of BiH, the Art Gallery of BiH, the Film Library of BiH, the Archives of BiH etc.) and to set in motion the enactment of a Law on the Institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina to regulate the status of these institutions. To this end, the chairs of both Commissions will set up meetings with representatives of the Entity governments, the ministries responsible for culture in both Entities, and the BiH Ministry of Civil Affairs.

Following the meeting a press conference was held at which the resolutions and conclusions of the meeting were presented.