Donor’s meeting with representatives of embassies and

implementing organizations in Bosnia and Herzegovina

            Within the Campaign to preserve the endangered heritage, in Sarajevo, in the building of the Parliament of BaH, on 17 March 2005, a donor's meeting was held, organized by the Commission to Preserve National Monuments and the Embassy of the Kingdom of Norway.

            The meeting was attended by the members of the Commission and its associates, and 36 representatives of the embassies, international and local organizations, as follows: Snježana Derviškadić, USAID CCA, tourist department advisor; Elizabeta Delalić, THE US EMBASSY SARAJEVO, advisor; Edwina Sagitto, THE US EMBASSY SARAJEVO, cultural attaché; Lucienne Marmasse, EU RED, special advisor; Božo Vukosa, REDAH (Regional Development Agency of Herzegovina), director; Erik Pansard, THE EMBASSY OF FRANCE,       cooperation attaché; Radomir Bejatović, THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF BaH, chancellor; Ahmed Japer, THE EMBASSY OF PALESTINE, secretary general; Miroslav Mojžita, THE EMBASSY OF SLOVAKIA, ambassador; Majed Maarouf, THE EMBASSY OF PALESTINE, ambassador; Srećko Latal, THE WORLD BANK, Head of public relations department; Chassot Didier, THE EMBASSY OF SWITZERLAND; Haller Veronique, THE EMBASSY OF SWITZERLAND, attaché; Madeleine Sjestedt, THE CULTURAL HERITAGE WITHOUT BORDERS, secretary general; Anders Mollander, THE EMBASSY OF SWEDEN, ambassador; Marie Larsson, THE EMBASSY OF SWEDEN, secretary general; Hidajet Eris, THE EMBASSY OF TURKEY, chancellor; Davut Nuriler, TIKA-TURKEY, coordinator; Biljana Marković, THE MINISTRY FOR SPATIAL PLANNING, CIVIL ENGINEERING AND ECOLOGY OF THE RS, minister assistant; Jonathan Stewart, BRITISH COUNCIL, supervisor; Chris Rawlings, BRITISH COUNCIL, director; Aida Durić, THE MINISTRY OF CIVIL AFFAIRS, expert member of the minister cabinet; Una Zeger, OHR, political analyst; Dietrich Becker, OHR, SDHR Department (Senior Deputy High Representative); Zlatko Horvat, THE MINISTRY OF CIVIL AFFAIRS, secretary; Aldo Sicignano, ITALIAN COOPERATION OFFICE, director; Maria Esposito, ITALIAN COOPERATION OFFICE, associate; Vladimir Milin, USAID, Project Manager; John Seong, USAID, Head of the Economical Restructuring Department; Seid Turković, UNDP, coordinator; Hanefija Topuz, THE FEDERATION OF BaH MINISTRY OF CULTURE AND SPORTS, senior expert associate; Šaran Dženana, THE ESTABLISHMENT FOR PROTECTION OF MONUMENTS, expert associate; Svetlana Šiljegović, THE ESTABLISHMENT FOR PROTECTION OF HERITAGE OF THE RS, director; Mulija Tabak Abedpour, THE FEDERATION OF BaH MINISTRY OF SPATIAL PLANNING, expert associate.

The meeting was opened by the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Norway in BaH, Henrik Ofstad, the Ambassador Werner Wnendt, Deputy High Representative in BaH and Amra Hadžimuhamedović, the Chairperson of the Commission to Preserve National Monuments.

            The representatives of the Commission presented to the attendees a series of projects, which, thematically grouped, represent the following priorities of the Commission:

1. Institutional strengthening in the filed of protection of the cultural heritage:

i.         The library and the documentary centre of the Commission to Preserve National Monuments;

ii.       The Annual of the Commission to Preserve National Monuments;

iii.      Founding of the Digital archives of the cultural and historical heritage of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

2. Urgent activities on preservation of endangered cultural heritage (37 the most endangered monuments in Bosnia and Herzegovina) by raising the level of consciousness in the public, as well as the interest of the donors and the owners, by means of the Campaign: “Cultural memory – a vanishing treasure”. The Commission has a preliminary technical assessment and basic technical documentation for all the monuments from the List of the most endangered monuments.

i.         Support to the Campaign for endangered heritage;

ii.       The historical monument of the Mehmed-pasha Sokolović bridge in Višegrad;

iii.      The collection of icons of the Serbian orthodox church in Livno;

iv.      The old Jewish burial ground in Sarajevo;

v.        Blagaj, production of technical documentation for the historical centre of Blagaj;

vi.      Reconstruction of the Aladža mosque in Foča – phase I: protection of fragments, excavation, selection, surveying, recording and conservation of the fragments;

vii.     Protection of remains of the mosque and medresa of the Mehmed-pasha Kukavica’s in Foča;

viii.   Protection programme for the bridge in Plandište.

3. Integration of the cultural heritage into the development plans – with special emphasis to the development of the cultural tourism (the Commission has drawn up several project proposals)

i.         Plan of integration of the cultural, historical and natural heritage into the development plan of Stolac – the aspect of tourism;

ii.       Blidinje – presentation and development of the role of nature and tourist routes;

iii.      Implementation of decisions of the Commission – Information boards for the national monuments.