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Ministers' Deputies 7.1 5th
Session of the European Conference of Ministers responsible for Cultural
Heritage (Portoroz, Slovenia, 6-7 April 2001) Report of the Secretary
General Prepared
by the Directorate of Culture, Cultural and Natural Heritage
Introduction 1. The 5th
session of the European Conference of Ministers responsible for the Cultural
Heritage was held in Portorož (Slovenia) on 6 and 7 April 2001 at the
invitation of the Slovenian Minister for Culture. 2. Forty-one
States Parties to the European Cultural Convention attended the conference, of
which 23 were represented at ministerial level, the others being represented by
senior civil servants. 3. The overall
theme of the 5th Conference was “Cultural heritage and the
challenge of globalisation”. 4. The
Committee of Ministers was represented by its Vice-Chairman, Ambassador Pietro
Ercole AGO, Permanent Representative of Italy; the Parliamentary Assembly by Mr
Jacques LEGENDRE, Senator (France), Vice-Chair of the Sub-Committee on the
Architectural Heritage and Ms Elena POPTODOROVA, member of the Parliamentary
Assembly (Bulgaria); the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe
was represented by Mr Louis ROPPE, Councillor and former mayor of Hasselt
(Belgium) and Ms Helene LUND, member of the National Association of Local
Authorities of Denmark. 5. Canada and
Mexico had also sent a delegation, as too had UNESCO, ICOMOS and the Europa
Nostra Association. 6. The list of
the heads of delegation is set out in Appendix II. 7. The
conference began with an opening address by Mr Hans Christian KRÜGER, Deputy
Secretary General of the Council of Europe.
There followed contributions from Mr Pietro Ercole AGO and Mr Jacques
LEGENDRE. In line with the tradition of
ministerial conferences, the debates were chaired by Ms Andreja RIHTER, the
Minister for Culture of the host country, Slovenia, who by way of introduction
presented the aims of the conference. 8. The
conference programme comprised three specific themes which were discussed
during the working sessions on 6 April: - “Heritage and market dynamics” - “Heritage, dialogue and cohesion” - “Heritage, participation and partnership” 9. An informal meeting of ministers to look at topical issues was held on 7 April and provided the opportunity for a wide exchange of views, steered by the Chair towards the aims of the Council of Europe's programme, the priorities of the member states and the action to be envisaged for south-east Europe. Fifteen delegations contributed to the discussion on these matters. The head of the delegation of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia took the opportunity to express the satisfaction of his country's authorities at now being involved in the activities of the European Cultural Convention and stressed their intention to take an active part in cultural heritage-related activities. 10. The debates
made a broad connection between cultural heritage issues and the political
objectives of the Council of Europe aimed at promoting an area of peace and
democracy throughout the continent with due respect for cultural
diversity. Particular emphasis was
placed on the potential contribution of an understanding of heritage values to
a strengthening of the dialogue between cultural communities. With regard to awareness-raising, the Polish
delegation proposed (Appendix IV) drawing up a list of sites with a European
identity, reflecting symbolic and spiritual values. 11. During their
informal debate on 7 April, the Ministers referred to member states'
expectations of the Council of Europe in their own spheres of
responsibility. They wished to draw the
attention of the Committee of Ministers to a number of points: i. the Council of Europe was, at present,
the only intergovernmental organisation working at pan-European level involving
the public authorities responsible for the cultural heritage. Accordingly, it had an irreplaceable role to
play in drawing up standard-setting principles, monitoring the implementation
of conventions and in devising and disseminating good practices. The Council was a unique forum for exchanges
and innovation with regard to the challenges currently facing all member states. Cultural heritage, understood in the broad
sense, took on a new significance in the context of globalisation given that it
offered a sense of identity and means of differentiation in the face of the
risks of uniformity. At the same time,
cultural heritage was: - a major source of prominence and
impetus for areas in an economy in which knowledge and skills took precedence
over other traditional development factors; - a finite resource, a shared asset of
benefit to the community as a whole, which, like the natural heritage, must be
used in a sustainable way in the interests of everyone and future
generations. Policies adapted to the
realities of globalisation must be framed to prevent any danger to the conservation
of this resource; - an essential means of promoting peaceful inter-community relations, whether relations between countries or between communities of various origins living in the same country, particularly in the main urban centres of Europe. Mutual awareness and understanding of the various cultural traditions expressed through heritage would appear to be one way of preventing conflicts, strengthening the social bond and nurturing a sense of common belonging which should be based on a commitment to the “common heritage” of the values of the Council of Europe. A main priority concerned action targeted at young generations. ii. It was essential for the specialist
ministers to be more closely involved in the Council's activities firstly, for
example, by granting the committee responsible for the cultural heritage
steering committee status and, secondly, by breathing fresh life into the
ministerial conferences in this field.
The latter could meet in the future at more regular intervals and
address major topical issues or problems specific to the major regions of
Europe. The Council of Europe was able
to play a significant co-ordination role at international level and act as a
catalyst in an area where there was now a profusion of initiatives and where it
was essential to avoid duplication of effort. iii. The Council of Europe's role as a
forum, made all the more beneficial as a result of the pan-European
enlargement, should involve not only the governmental machinery but also NGOs,
civil society and the voluntary sector.
Particular emphasis was placed throughout the conference on the need to
ensure greater involvement by civil society, particularly in the new member
states. This role helped promote basic
democratic practices at grass-roots level and as such fitted in perfectly with
the Council's political agenda. 11. At the close of the conference, the Ministers adopted 2
resolutions and a declaration (Appendix I): - Resolution no. 1 on “the role of
cultural heritage and the challenge of globalisation”, refers to the specific
values associated with cultural assets and a number of ethical principles. It calls on the Council of Europe to
continue its activities in the field of cultural heritage and stresses the
importance of the sector's contribution to the development of citizenship and
democracy. - Resolution no. 2 on “the Council of
Europe's future activities in the cultural heritage sector (2002-2005)”,
highlights the development areas in the co-operation programme to be pursued by
the Council and places an emphasis on: . the importance of the Council's
standard-setting role with the drafting of reference texts and the formulation
of political guidelines to address the current challenges observed in member
states; it will be essential, for example, to define the responsibilities necessary
for identifying, maintaining and ensuring access to cultural assets, regardless
of the political context of the moment, in a spirit of reciprocity of rights
and obligations vis-à-vis all the heritages of Europe and by encouraging action
and trans-national co-operation to ensure their conservation; . acting as a “European heritage observatory”, collecting data on the implementation of heritage policies in member states and playing a role as a working instrument for the follow-up to the Council of Europe's conventions and recommendations. Using the “European Heritage Network” and Internet, this instrument should be exploited to frame and adapt heritage policies in the context of globalisation and the information society; . continuing technical co-operation
and carrying out on-the-spot action in response to specific requests from
countries for legislative or other assistance; . redefining training,
educational and awareness-raising initiatives to meet the challenges facing
European society, and in particular promoting mutual understanding and
tolerance, facilitating integration and cohesion, involving citizens more
closely in heritage-related activities and decisions. Conflict prevention, intercultural dialogue, and history teaching
are cross-sectoral themes to which the heritage sector should be making a major
contribution. - The “Declaration on the role of voluntary organisations in the field of cultural heritage” originated at a conference held in Oslo in September 2000 as part of the “Europe, a common heritage” campaign. This declaration spells out the role and responsibilities of voluntary organisations and public authorities and calls on the Council of Europe to create a favourable climate for the development of NGOs, by means of the HEREIN network, exchanges and twinnings. 12. At the close
of the conference it was agreed that the Slovenian Minister for Culture would
write to the Secretary General of the Council of Europe for transmission to the
Committee of Ministers a letter expressing the overall view emerging from the
Portorož debate on the future of European co-operation in the field of cultural
heritage (Appendix III). Appendix I Adopted texts
I. Resolution no.1 on the role of cultural
heritage and the challenge of globalisation I.
WELCOME the considerable progress made since the first
conference organised in Brussels in 1969, and the interest now being taken in
cultural heritage; II. EXPRESS our
satisfaction concerning the adoption of adequate measures on the national and
trans-national levels to protect our common European cultural heritage, and to
promote and pursue a common European policy in this field within the framework
of the Council of Europe; III.
ARE COMMITTED to taking co-ordinated action, in response to
the economic and political challenges of the new century; IV. DRAW THE
ATTENTION of all public authorities and economic decision-makers to the central
role of conserving and promoting cultural heritage in: - implementing the Council of Europe's
objectives of strengthening democracy, maintaining peace, bringing about social
progress and sustaining cultural diversity; - drawing up a pan-European development
model to address the challenge of globalisation. IV.
In this regard, WE STRESS the following principles: 1. Cultural heritage and
globalisation WE RECOGNISE that, in the context of globalisation, the
cultural heritage has special value that requires the development of policies
to maintain the common interest in this sector: WE UNDERLINE, therefore, the necessity to: a) ensure that in the information society,
everyone has reasonable access to knowledge, culture and cultural heritage; b) ensure that free access to cultural heritage is governed by an ethical approach towards its market strategy, including reinforcing international co-operation to monitor and combat illicit trafficking; c) raise awareness among communities of
the value of cultural heritage as an asset for their sustainable development
and quality of life; d) ensure that diversity of cultural
heritage at the local, regional and national levels - gives people
a primary sense of identity, - provides people with an
asset in global economic competition, - contributes to their prosperity
and strengthens the stability and
social cohesion that encourage investment. - enable local communities to discover
their identity and sense of belonging, through improved understanding of the
material, linguistic and spiritual values of cultural heritage, - protect and enhance the authenticity
and integrity of cultural heritage, - preserve
the craft trades and small and medium-sized enterprises which specialise in the
maintenance and restoration of the regional character of the heritage, - ensure a balance between training in
new technologies and the development and transmission of traditional skills,
thus facilitating the availability and use of traditional materials and
techniques, - work alongside respective professional
sectors in the growing use of heritage in cultural industries and tourism, and
assure quality of training and the adoption of a code of ethics to prevent
manipulation, - foster the international exchange of
experience and practitioners, based on an inter-disciplinary approach, which is
essential to spread heritage conservation skills evenly throughout Europe, - devise a sustainable development model that is both democratic and internationally just, to balance the irreplaceable contribution of the market and private investment, linked to the policies being developed within UNESCO and the Council of Europe. Recognising that - the diverse European landscape has a
cultural dimension, perceived by people, which forms their cultural
environment, and that - the preservation and fostering of
cultural diversity are constituent elements of the identity of communities and individuals, a) individuals and communities have a
fundamental right to self-defined identities, to know their history and
to shape their future through their heritage. They have a right to enjoy their
heritage; they equally have an obligation to respect the heritage of others and
to consider the common interest in all heritage; b) the values attached to the cultural environment in Europe - should be the basis of mutual
understanding and contribute to conflict prevention, - counterbalance the risks of
homogenisation inherent in globalisation, - set quality standards for improving
that environment, and - are a catalyst for creativity. c) WE CALL UPON
national, regional and local authorities to - promote the integrated conservation
of cultural heritage, that respects the diverse contribution of past and
present communities, their cultures and patterns of use, - develop heritage policies which
intrinsically benefit, preserve and enhance the identity
of individuals and communities and cultural diversity, - ensure the right of communities, their
members and non-governmental organisations to participate adequately in
consultation and decision‑making processes affecting the heritage, - encourage freedom of access to the heritage consistent with respect for privacy and cultural values, - take practical steps to raise
awareness of the importance of cultural diversity based on mutual
understanding, and upon national authorities in particular to - develop international and
trans-frontier co-operation and agreements between states, based on reciprocal
responsibility for preserving and enhancing the distinctive heritage of
relevant communities, - encourage trans-frontier contacts and
shared projects between related communities and individuals, - facilitate the involvement of non-governmental
organisations and experts, from
communities in these links, accordingly, WE AGREE that cultural heritage policies should aim to
preserve cultural diversity and encourage inter-cultural dialogue, and should
be focussed on initiatives in the field of education, awareness-raising and
life-long training, and WE REAFFIRM that understanding and explaining heritage
should be the basis of teaching history, and is of major value for training
future citizens in Europe. History teaching should not be limited to commenting
on national or local heritages, but also put forward its trans-national
character. 3. The contribution of heritage to
citizenship and democracy Recognising that the cultural environment, like the natural
environment, is an ideal area for citizen participation, we CALL UPON public
authorities to a) involve the public and communities,
alongside professionals, in identifying and protecting cultural heritage; b) establish the legal, financial and
professional framework necessary for concerted action by experts, owners,
investors, undertakings and civil society; c) develop the concept of shared responsibilities by incorporating the heritage dimension into economic, social and educational strategies, to facilitate sustainable management of the environment; d) since public funds are necessarily
limited, encourage, by appropriate measures and incentives: - the market to sponsor heritage and
invest in its less profitable aspects, - civil society to play an increasing
role in the enlarged field of heritage now perceived by people. WE EMPHASIZE that citizen participation is not only of value
from the cultural and heritage point of view, but also reflects the development
of practical citizenship, vital to achieving the Council of Europe's objective
of fostering democratic practices. 4. Enhancing the cultural environment and
the ethical role of the Council of Europe Recognising that all elements of the European cultural
environment embody both market and cultural values, we STRONGLY RECOMMEND our
governments and the Council of Europe to elaborate and promote: - ethical development strategies in the global market that
aim to promote prosperity, whilst recognising the essential public dimension to
sustaining cultural heritage, its authenticity and integrity; - policies to
achieve quality in contemporary architecture, appropriate to its context, which
is essential to create the heritage of tomorrow; - steps to
discourage reproductions of vanished buildings and structures, unless they are
proven to be compatible with the aim of preserving the integrity of cultural
heritage; - steps to
encourage regular maintenance of heritage; - spatial
development policies that recognise the values of the cultural environment,
including the contributions of all historical periods, and the full range of
cultural communities; - cultural
co-operation under the aegis of the Council of Europe, recognising its
indispensable role in identifying changes in society, formulating ethical
approaches and constructing inter-sectoral policies, to give practical effect
to the democratic principles that are the European common heritage. WISH to reinforce co-operation between the Council of Europe
and the European Union, UNESCO and ICCROM, and associate our member states in
the taking of decisions about co-operation; REQUEST the Council of Europe to develop the tools necessary to implement the foregoing principles; INVITE the Secretary-General to transmit the resolutions
adopted on the occasion of the 5th ministerial conference to the
competent bodies within the Council of Europe and other international
organisations, and inform them about actions to be taken in consequence. II. Resolution no. 2
on the Council of Europe's future activities in the cultural heritage field,
2002-2005 WE, The European Ministers responsible for the cultural
heritage: I. CONGRATULATE
the Council of Europe for its considerable contribution to an improvement in
heritage protection and promotion in member states; II. UNDERLINE
the importance of the Council's assistance
in framing heritage policies and revising legislation, and in building European
networks for technical and professional co-operation and development; III. in the
context of activities under the European Cultural Convention, the Granada
(1985) and Valetta (1992) Conventions, looking ahead to the application of the
European Landscape Convention (2000) within this, the European Year of
Languages, and bearing in mind all initiatives in the cultural heritage sector,
most recently the “Europe, a Common Heritage” Campaign: APPLAUD the establishment of the
European Heritage Network, and the continuing role of technical assistance
activities, which are of central importance to promoting the common cultural
heritage as one of the pillars of the European cultural co-operation in the
information age; AGREE that the Council of Europe
has a specific role to play in identifying, highlighting and promoting social
benefits of the cultural heritage, in the fields of community relations,
democratisation and social cohesion; POINT OUT that the preservation
and use of the cultural heritage, as an asset for development and a factor for
social cohesion, should contribute to the aims of the Stability Pact for South
East Europe concerning democratisation, sustainable development, co-operation
and security; REQUEST the Committee of
Ministers to ensure that a programme for the period 2002-2005 is prepared and
implemented encompassing the following activities: 1. Reference Texts Adjusting
methods of governance by developing reference texts in the field of cultural
heritage, including: a) extending the concept of heritage to encompass the cultural environment, and addressing the need to sustain its cultural values (including material, non-material and spiritual), as perceived by people; b) establishing a responsibility to
identify, sustain and allow appropriate access to cultural heritage regardless
of its current political context, in the context of reciprocal rights and responsibilities towards all cultural heritage
in Europe, encouraging trans-national action and co-operation in its
conservation; c) promoting ethical,
non-discriminatory policies for public access to information about the cultural
heritage, encouraging the use of electronic media, and contributing to the
development of adequate policies to combat the illicit traffic in cultural
assets that may be encouraged by this increased accessibility of information; d) devising a strategy and implementing a
programme for the progressive updating and strengthening of the earlier
Conventions and Recommendations and other standard texts, and for ensuring
their effective dissemination; e) establishing principles for the reconstruction of damaged or
destroyed cultural monuments and for fostering regular maintenance of cultural
heritage; f) in the framework of the European Landscape Convention,
developing core data standards for documenting cultural landscapes. 2. The European Heritage Network (HEREIN) Permanently establishing the
European Heritage Network in the Council of Europe, through a structure to be
defined in consultation with member states, and with continued support from a
range of partners including the European Foundation for Heritage Skills (FEMP),
which could be formally placed under the auspices of the Council of Europe.
Specifically, the Network should: a) provide a source of authentic core data
and experience in the management of the cultural heritage in Europe, available
to administrations and the public alike; b) act as an 'Observatory' to analyse and
forecast the benefits of the cultural heritage to a rapidly changing society; c) facilitate the monitoring of the
development of heritage policies, and of compliance with the Conventions; d) maintain and
develop heritage co-operation networks, and facilitate trans-national
co-operation, particularly in the field of archaeology and that of the combating of illicit trafficking in
cultural heritage; e) provide a cultural heritage portal, to effectively disseminate information in the electronic age, facilitate the development of interactive professional forums and data networks, and encourage people, especially the young, to engage with the authentic heritage; f) monitor technological
developments in order to facilitate the evolution of an information society
respectful of cultural and linguistic diversity in Europe, through - promoting joint consideration of the
legal questions connected with the use of digital images of the heritage, - the definition of methodological
tools making possible the interoperability of scientific databases and the
creation of specific multimedia products. 3. Technical co-operation
and fieldwork On the basis of the experience acquired through the Council
of Europe's Technical Co-operation and Consultancy Programme, and from a
trans-sectoral perspective including the built environment, the landscape, and
the archaeological heritage underlying both, future activities should: a) meet
states' specific requests for co-operation and assistance; b) promote the use of common criteria for
the preparation and updating of documentation; c) wherever necessary, assist in reforming
management and planning techniques and the administrative and legal framework; d) through practical action on the ground,
promote the Council of Europe's principles and ethical values laid down in the
reference texts, thereby encouraging feedback and an input to discussions at
Council of Europe level. 4. Teaching, training and
awareness-raising Drawing on its accumulated experience and established tools,
future activities by the Council of Europe should: a) highlight the diversity of Europe's
common material and non-material heritage, encouraging a transnational
understanding of history and of Europe's current situation and future
trends, and encouraging education for
democratic citizenship; b) use European Heritage Days to these
ends, particularly by developing transfrontier activities and the specific
involvement of young people; c) lead to an initiative on ethics and
techniques of communication, aimed at various types of heritage professionals
working with the public; d) promote, particularly to young people, the continuing relevance of traditional skills and common standards and recognition of heritage-related qualifications at the European level, facilitating the free movement, exchange and transfer of traditional and professional skills. WE, the European Ministers, REQUEST that an implementation programme be drawn up and
circulated promptly, RESOLVE to consider the support that we can offer to these
activities and to secure the broadest participation possible. III. Declaration on
the role of voluntary organisations in the field of cultural heritage Introduction The Ministers responsible for the cultural heritage decided at their 4th European Conference in Helsinki in 1996 to look into the situation of voluntary organisations dedicated to cultural heritage protection. The Cultural Heritage Committee of the Council of Europe followed this up, and included such an activity in its working programme. This led to the First European Conference on Voluntary Organisations in the field of Cultural Heritage, which was hosted by the Council of Europe, the Norwegian Ministry of Environment, the Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage and Fortidsminneforeningen, the latter being probably the oldest association of its kind still active, having been founded in 1844. The Conference gathered 170 participants from 34 countries, and was considered by many as a great promotion of voluntary work concerning our heritage. However, the true results can only be measured by how the ideas of this conference are followed up in the member countries of the Council of Europe. The participants had extensive discussions, which resulted in a general agreement on some basic principles for the voluntary sector in modern democratic societies. There was also a proposal to put these principles into a formal document. In the perspective of the forthcoming 5th European Conference of Ministers responsible for the cultural heritage, in Slovenia in April 2001, this has been given the form of a Ministers` declaration. The principles formulated in the following draft are all based on the general principles for respecting human rights, the rule of law and pluralist democracy that all member States of the Council of Europe already have committed themselves to through their membership of the Council. Draft declaration on the role of voluntary
organisations in the field of Cultural Heritage. Meeting in Portorož (Slovenia) on 6-7 April 2001 for their 5th
European Conference, the Ministers responsible for the Cultural Heritage of the
States party to the European Cultural Convention, - referring to Article 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights, granting
everybody the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and to freedom of
association with others, - taking into account also Article 10 of
the same Convention concerning everyone's right to freedom of expression, - referring to Article 14 of the
Convention for the protection of the Architectural Heritage of Europe, - reiterating the statement made by the
Ministers responsible for the cultural heritage at their 4th European Conference in Helsinki in 1996 that
“the role of voluntary organisations should be more effectively promoted, used
and encouraged by taking into account the major contributions made by voluntary
initiatives in building a democratic society”, - pointing to the fact that the year
2001 has been proclaimed the International Year of Volunteers by the United
Nations, - referring to the UNECE Convention on access to information, public
participation in decision-making and access to justice in environmental
matters, - referring to Recommendation 1496
(2001) adopted by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on 24
January 2001 on Improving the status and role of volunteers, - underlining the important conclusions
made by the First European Conference on voluntary organisations in the field
of cultural heritage held in Oslo on 21-24 September
2000, - at the same time acknowledging that the main responsibility for the protection of the cultural heritage remains with governmental authorities, ADOPT THE FOLLOWING
DECLARATION ON THE ROLE OF VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS IN THE FIELD OF CULTURAL
HERITAGE: WE, the European Ministers responsible for the Cultural
Heritage, AGREE that the general principles valid for all voluntary
organisations are also valid for those working in the cultural heritage field; REQUEST public authorities in our member states to base
their action regarding voluntary work upon the following principles; 1. The existence of voluntary
organisations is important to building and consolidating societies based on
pluralistic political democracy. 2. Voluntary organisations run according
to democratic principles are essential in educating people in true democracy. 3. The right to establish voluntary
organisations is an integral part of human rights and should be encouraged by
all governments. 4. Voluntary organisations should be
granted full freedom of speech, whilst respecting the normal limitations
necessary in a democratic society. 5. Voluntary organisations should have access to the
information necessary to facilitate their role of monitoring and constructive
criticism of the heritage protection policies of public authorities. 6. Voluntary organisations should be given
an appropriate opportunity to participate in decision-making processes, for
instance in spatial planning and the selection of monuments and sites for
protection. 7. Voluntary organisations should be
encouraged to supplement governmental and other public work, taking on
responsibilities that do not normally or naturally fall within the
responsibilities of such agencies. 8. Governments should encourage voluntary
organisations to take an active part in preventing conflicts by respecting
cultural diversity and encouraging the protection of the culture of others. 9. The establishment and work of voluntary
organisations should not in any way be hindered by bureaucratic mismanagement. 10. So far as possible, public authorities should implement financial measures to encourage and assist the development of voluntary organisations. 11. Financial measures should be available without limiting
the ability of voluntary organisations to fulfil their role as constructive
critics of government policies. 12. Financial measures should be
transparent and easily accessible in order to achieve democratic accountability
in the distribution of available resources. 13. Voluntary organisations are essential for
disseminating knowledge to the public at large in the framework of their
mission. 14. Co-operation between cultural heritage
and other organisations should be encouraged, in order to secure a trans-sectoral and coherent policy for the conservation of the environment as a
whole. 15. Voluntary organisations should establish
their credibility through their achievements, standards and ability to take
responsibility. 16. Voluntary organisations should respect
legislation in their field, but should be encouraged to propose improvements if
need be. 17. Voluntary organisations should have
access to training in order to enhance their competence as active participants
in society's protection of the cultural heritage. WE, the Ministers responsible for the cultural heritage URGE the Council of Europe to: - set up a twinning system where
associations are made between new voluntary cultural heritage organisations and
well established ones; - secure a regular contact forum in the
form of European conferences for voluntary organisations in the cultural
heritage field by utilising existing structures, when possible; - develop the European heritage network (HEREIN) as a portal to an electronic forum where voluntary organisations can communicate and liaise.
Appendix
II List
of participants I. List of Ministers and Heads of Delegation Albania/Albanie M. Gezim HOXHA, Directeur de la Direction du Patrimoine Culturel, Ministère
de la Culture Andorra/Andorre Mme Imma TOR FAUS, Ambassadeur de l'Andorre auprès du Conseil de l'Europe Austria/Autriche Mr Franz NEUWIRTH, Director at the Department of protection of monuments Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Culture Azerbaijan/Azerbaidjan Mr Elchin EFENDIYEV, Vice Prime Minister of the Government Belgium/Belgique M. Robert
SPROKKEL, Conseiller pour le patrimoine, Cabinet de Monsieur Michel Daerden,
Vice-Président du gouvernement wallon Bosnia and Herzegovina/Bosnie-Herzegovine Mr Mitar NOVAKOVIC, Minister of Science and Culture of the Republic
Srpska, Banja Luka Croatia/Croatie M. Antun VUJIC, Ministre de la Culture Cyprus/Chypre Mr Christodoulos CHRISTODOULOU, Minister of Interior Czech Republic/République tchèque Mr Zdenek NOVAK, Deputy Minister responsible for Cultrual Heritage Denmark/Danemark Mr Ole CHRISTIANSEN, Head of delegation Estonia/Estonie Ms Signe
KIVI, Minister of Culture Finland/Finlande Mr Pekka
KANGAS, Director General, Head of Department, Ministry of the Environment France/France M. Michel DUFFOUR, Secrétaire d'Etat au patrimoine et à la décentralisation
culturelle,
Ministère de la Culture et de la Communication Germany/Allemagne M. Gerd
HARMS, kultusminister des Landes Sachsen-Anhalt Greece/Grèce Mr
Charalambos CHRISTOPOULOS, Ambassdor, Embassy of Greece, Ljubljana Holy
See/Saint Siège H.E.
Archbishop Francesco MARCHISANO, President of the Pontifical Commission for the
Cultural Heritage of the Church Hungary/Hongrie Mr István
ECSEDY, Deputy State Secretary, Ministry of Cultural Heritage Iceland/Islande Mr Björn
BJARNASON, Minister of Education, Science and Culture Italy/Italie Mr Norberto
CAPPELLO, Ambassador of Italy in Ljubljana, Slovenia Latvia/Lettonie Mr Aivars
GAILIS, State Secretary, Ministry of Culture Lithuania/Lituanie Ms Ina MARCIULIONYTE, Vice-Minister of Culture Luxembourg M. Georges CALTEUX, Directeur du Service des Sites et Monuments Nationaux Malta/Malte Mr Anthony
PACE, Director, Department of Museums Monaco M. Rainier ROCCHI, Directeur des Affaires Culturelles Netherlands/Pays-Bas Mr Willem
J.H. WILLEMS, Director, Ministry of Culture Norway/Norvège Mr Jo Stein
MOEN, Political Adviser, Ministry of Environment Poland/Pologne Mr
Stanislaw ZUROWSKI, Secretary of State for Cultural Affairs Portugal Mr Joăo
Eduardo Nascimento BAPTISTA, Secrétaire d'Etat de la Culture Romania/Roumanie Mr Ioan OPRIS,
Secrétaire d'Etat chargé du patrimoine, Ministère de la Culture et des Cultes Russian
Federation/Fédération de Russie Ms Natalia DEMENTIEVA, First Deputy Minister of Culture San Marino/Saint Marin Mme Marina FRESCHI, Secrétaire Particulière du Ministre Slovak
Republic/Republique Slovaque Mr Milan
KŇAŽKO, Ministre de la Culture Slovenia/Slovénie Ms Andreja RIHTER, Minister of Culture Spain/Espagne M. Guillermo
KIRKPATRICK, Ambassadeur de l'Espagne auprès du Conseil de l'Europe Sweden/Suède Ms Marita ULVSKOG, Ministre de la Culture Switzerland/Suisse Mr David STREIFF, Directeur, Office fédéral de la Culture The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia/L'Ex-république
yougoslave de Macédoine Mme Gaka SAMOILOVSKA CVETANOVA, Ministre de la Culture Turkey/Turquie M. Fikret UCCAN, Sous-Secrétaire d'Etat, Ministère de la
Culture Ukraine Mr Bohdan
STUPKA, Ministre, Ministère de la Culture et des Arts United Kingdom/Royaume-Uni Mr Alan HOWARTH, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State and Minister of Arts Federal Republic of Yugoslavia/République fédérale de
Yougoslavie Ms Aleksandra JOKSIMOVIC, Assistant to the Minister II. OTHER PARTICIPANTS/AUTRES PARTICIPANTS Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe/Comité
des Ministres du Conseil de l'Europe M. Pietro AGO, Ambassadeur, Représentant Permanent de l'Italie auprès du Conseil de l'Europe, Président du Comité des Délégués des Ministres Parliamentary
Assembly of the Council of Europe / Assemblée Parlementaire du Conseil de
l'Europe M. Jacques
LEGENDRE, Sénateur (France), Vice-Président de la Sous-Commission du patrimoine
culturel Mme Elena
POPTODOROVA, Députée (Bulgarie) Congress of
Local and Regional Authorities of Europe (CLRAE)/Congrès des Pouvoirs Locaux et
Régionaux de l'Europe Mr Louis ROPPE, Councillor and former mayor of the city of Hasselt,
Belgium Ms Hélène LUND, National Association of Local Authorities in Denmark Development
Bank of the Council of Europe/Banque de développement du Conseil de l'Europe
(CEB) M. Marcin
RYBICKI, Ambassadeur de Pologne auprès du Conseil de l'Europe, Membre du
Conseil de Direction Observer
states to the Council of Europe /Pays observateurs auprès du Conseil de
l'Europe Mexico/Mexique Mr Sergio Raul
ARROYO, Director General, instituto Nacional de Antropologia e Historia Canada Mme Sarmite
BULTE, Députée, Secrétaire parlementaire du Ministre du patrimoine International
Organisations/Organisations internationales UNESCO Mr Damir
DIJAKOVIC, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation,
Venice ICOMOS Mr Michael PETZET, Président EUROPA NOSTRA Mr John SELL, Council Member SECRETARIAT GENERAL OF THE COUNCIL OF
EUROPE/SECRETARIAT GENERAL DU CONSEIL DE L'EUROPE M. Hans Christian KRÜGER, Deputy Secretary General/Secrétaire Général
Adjoint M. Raymond WEBER, Director of Culture and Cultural and Natural Heritage/Directeur de la Culture et du patrimoine Culturel et Naturel
Appendix
III Letter
from Ms Andreja RIHTER, Slovenian Minister for Culture, to the Secretary
General of the Council of Europe
REPUBLIC OF SLOVENIA
Minister of Culture Ljubljana, 17 April 2001 Dear Mr Krüger, At the V. Conference of Ministers Responsible for the
Cultural Heritage of the State Members of the Council of Europe, held on 7
April 2001 in Portorož, ministers and heads of delegations touched on a number
of issues in informal discussion, concerning the future activities of the
Council of Europe in the area of cultural heritage. Since you had to leave the conference before this meeting
took place, the ministers and heads of delegations agreed to my proposal that I
inform you in writing of the most important common positions. The first finding supported by participants in the
discussion was that the Council of Europe was the only international
governmental organisation in Europe dealing with the cultural heritage issues.
They estimated that the contribution made by the Council of Europe in the area
of setting up common standards, monitoring the implementation of conventions,
participating in, introducing and supporting good practices was extremely
important for both member states and the international community. They agreed that achievements in this area needed to be
analysed in more detail and that programmes of activities and priorities in the
period to come had to be based on the needs of the member states and the
Council of Europe. Priority should be given chiefly to the development of transversal
programmes and programmes adding value to the activities while avoiding
duplication. The participants therefore stressed in particular the importance of direct links between bodies of the Council of Europe and specialised ministries and, in this respect, the specific importance and value of specialised committees. The participants praised especially the achievements of the Cultural Heritage Committee and advocated that its status be modified to a steering committee directly linked to the Committee of Ministers. A positive assessment was, moreover, given to ministerial
conferences as a specific form of verifying results and directing activities in
the cultural heritage area. However, the participants expressed a wish for the
conferences to be more focused as to their topics and thus contribute to the
resolution of
individual problems. They should therefore take place more often, at least once
every two years. The participants also supported regional meetings in
principle, but warned that they should not lead to fragmentation. The participants supported the activity of the Council of
Europe as a forum for cooperation among countries, governments, regional
associations, local communities and non-governmental organisations, and, as a
basic goal of operations in the cultural heritage area, set the inclusion of
the issue of cultural cooperation and the cultural heritage in the European
political agenda. Would you be so kind, Mr Krüger, as to forward
this letter, in accordance with the wish of the ministers and heads of
delegations of the V. Conference of Ministers Responsible for the Cultural
Heritage, to the Secretary-General of the Council of Europe, Mr Schwimmer, and
to the Committee of Ministers. Yours sincerely, Andreja Rihter Minister Mr
Hans Christian Krüger Appendix IV Mr Stanislaw Zurowski Warsaw, April 4, 2001 PROPOSAL TO CREATE A LIST OF EUROPEAN IDENTITY SITES This initiative is by no means an attempt to create an
European counterpart to UNESCO's World Cultural and Natural Heritage List. On
the contrary, it adopts as its motto Criterion VI of the UNESCO list which is
regarded in its regulations only as something additional and supplementary. (Criterion VI: a monument or historical site constituting an
example of direct or material ties with events, living traditions, ideas or
beliefs, as well as works of art or literature of exceptionally universal
value). The principal criteria of the proposed list should be the symbolic
and spiritual value of a site for: - any given member-country of the Council of Europe, - Europe as a whole, - a
combination of the above Examples: The Centre in Krzyzowa, Poland – a place of symbolic
importance to Germany's 20 July movement which symbolises both resistance to
Nazism as well as Polish-German reconciliation of 1989. The Acropolis in Athens, Greece – a symbol of Greek culture
and democracy. Stratford on Avon, England – the town of Shakespeare, a
symbol of European and English culture. The criteria applied by the World Heritage List, such as the shape a monument is in and its immobility (no movables such as art. Collections or valuable archives qualify for the List), etc. would be of some importance but would not be the decisive factor. Justification Amid Europe's process of unification, it is essential for
individual countries to preserve their identity and uniqueness as well as to
distinguish themselves with their own identifying features. Each country's list
of sites would allow other countries to present what distinguishes and
identifies that country. On the other hand, the European-wide list, comprising sites
proposed by individual countries and jointly accepted as essential to Europe,
would convey a picture of Europe through its distinguishing characteristics.
The list should include numerous historical complexes, towns, buildings and
sites as well as collections and monuments whose significance to Europe is
indisputable, although they may never be included on the World Heritage List. Poland is prepared to undertake work under preparation of the principles of such a list and to take part in its subsequence development. Appendix V Friday 6 April 10.00 Official opening of the Conference Statements by: Mr Hans Christian KRÜGER, Deputy
Secretary General of the Council of Europe Mr Pietro Ercole AGO, Ambassador Deputy
Chair of the Committee of Ministers Mr Jacques LEGENDRE Representative
of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly 10.30 Presentation of the overall theme: “Cultural heritage and the
challenge of globalisation” by Mrs Andreja RIHTER Minister
of Culture of Slovenia 11.30 1st theme “Heritage and market dynamics” Debate 15.00 2nd theme “Heritage, dialogue and cohesion” Debate 16.30 3rd theme “Heritage, participation and
partnership” Debate Saturday, 7 April 9.30 Ministers' informal meeting 11.00 Closing session 12.00 Press conference |
