Ministers’ Deputies / Rapporteur Groups

GR-EDS
Rapporteur Group for Democratic Stability

GR-EDS(2004)23 (restricted) 5 August 2004

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State of progress of the “Emergency action for Kosovo”

in the field of cultural heritage

For consideration at the GR-EDS meeting on 13 September 2004

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As a direct and effective contribution to streamline the international community’s efforts to preserve cultural heritage of Kosovo after the March 2004 acts of violence, the Secretariat (DGIV) proposed an “emergency action for Kosovo”. This action, which concerns the 35 religious monuments and sites severely damaged in March, is being carried out both within and in addition to the “Regional Programme for Cultural and Natural Heritage in South East Europe” as it is being implemented in Kosovo since 2002.

The initiative taken by Mr Walter Schwimmer of addressing, on 7 April 2004, an invitation to Prof. Romano Prodi, President of the European Commission, Mr Koichiro Matsuura, Director-General of UNESCO and Mr Harri Holkeri, Special Representative of the Secretary General of the United Nations in Kosovo to co-ordinate co-operation projects on heritage in Kosovo, constitutes an important element in this action.

 

On 17 June 2004, Prof. Romano Prodi and Mr Charles Brayshaw, Acting Special Representative of the UN Secretary General, responded positively to this initiative.  During a co-ordination meeting between partners held in Brussels on 5 July 2004, it was decided to create an “International Independent Commission for the Cultural Heritage in Kosovo” (IICCHK).

In that perspective and following the Committee of Ministers’ decision in May 2004 , upon the proposal of the GR-EDS, to allocate 96,950 € for the “emergency action for Kosovo”, several concrete actions have been carried out:

1.            The « Priority Intervention List » for Integrated Rehabilitation Projects prepared as part of the Joint Programme CoE/EC (Regional Programme for Cultural and Natural Heritage in South East Europe) was published in May 2004.  The most important Serb Orthodox monuments damaged in March 2004 were included in the list with the agreement of the Serb Orthodox Church.  All these monuments will be subject to pre-feasibility and feasibility studies during the operational phase of the Joint Programme (2004-2006) with a view to rehabilitating them.

2.            Three joint CoE/EC technical assessment missions took place in Kosovo on 10-16 May,
22-26 June and 27-31 July 2004.  These missions were carried out with four international experts appointed by the CoE/EC; four Kosovo PISG affiliated experts; four Belgrade affiliated experts; and the participation of representatives of the Serbian Orthodox Church. 

3.            As a result of these missions one Preliminary Technical Assessment Report (doc. AT04 171rev.) and two Technical Assessment Reports were published. They proposed an action plan including cost estimates and detailed information to proceed with immediate intervention on 35 sites.  The cost of these works estimated at 3.7 million € will be covered by the Assembly of Kosovo. 

4.            An “Implementing Committee” was set up by the Council of Europe and the European Commission at the request of UNMIK.  It will be responsible for overseeing implementation of the immediate intervention recommended by the joint expert assessment missions  The supervision of this “Implementing Committee” has been entrusted to the Council of Europe.

Considering the significant progress attained so far and within the general objectives defined for the “emergency action in Kosovo”, the Secretariat (DGIV) will focus its priority on repair/restoration by the “Implementing Committee”.  Funds attributed by the Committee of Ministers for cultural heritage in Kosovo in 2004 will be reattributed accordingly.