First annual meeting of category 2 centres active in the field of Intangible cultural heritage Sozopol, Bulgaria 24-26 July 2013 Regional Centre for the.

First annual meeting of category 2 centres active in the field of Intangible cultural heritage

Sozopol, Bulgaria24-26 July 2013

Regional Centre for the

Safeguarding of the

Intangible Cultural Heritage in South-

Eastern Europe under the

auspices of UNESCO

ESTABLISHMENT ESTABLISHMENT of theof the

Regional Centre for the Safeguarding of the Regional Centre for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in South-Eastern Intangible Cultural Heritage in South-Eastern

Europe under the auspices of UNESCOEurope under the auspices of UNESCO

The Regional Centre in Sofia was inaugurated in 2008.

It is a non-profit organization, a Bulgarian legal entity which carries out coordination functions for the South-Eastern European countries to promote the implementation of the Convention 2003 and successful implementation of program initiatives of UNESCO concerning to the intangible cultural heritage.

Bulgarian GovernmentBulgarian Government provides the necessary funds for the running costs of the Centre;

Specific article in the Bulgarian Cultural Heritage Act;

Cofounders: Ministry of Culture of Bulgaria, Ministry of Foreign Affaires of Bulgaria and Bulgarian Academy of Sciences;

Ministry of Culture

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

On 2009, with Resolution adopted on the 35th session of UNESCO General Conference, the Regional Centre is recognised as a regional centre (category 2) under the auspices of UNESCO.

The Regional centre was established on the basis of an agreement between

UNESCO and the Government of Republic of Bulgaria, signed in 25 October 2010 in Paris by UNESCO

Director-General, Irina Bokova and the former Culture Minister Vezhdi

Rashidov .

On March 16, 2011 Bulgarian Parliament adopted the Law on

ratification of the Agreement between the Government of Republic of

Bulgaria and UNESCO.

Official openingOfficial opening

On 20 February 2012On 20 February 2012 UNESCO Director-General, Irina Bokova, together with the former Foreign Minister, Nikolay Mladenov, Culture Minister, Vezhdi Rashidov and the former President of Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, officially inaugurated a Regional Centre for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage in South-Eastern Europe under the auspices of UNESCO.

GOVERNING BODIESGOVERNING BODIES of theof the

Regional Centre for the Safeguarding of Regional Centre for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage in South-Eastern Intangible Cultural Heritage in South-Eastern

Europe under the Auspices of UNESCO Europe under the Auspices of UNESCO

General AssemblyGeneral Assembly

The Centre is guided and overseen by a General Assembly whose personal composition is renewed every four years including as regular members:

two representatives of the Government of the Republic of Bulgaria (Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Foreign Affairs) or their appointed representatives;

a representative of the Director-General of UNESCO; a representative of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences;a representative of the Bulgarian National Commission for

UNESCO;a representative of each of the member-states up to two representatives of any other intergovernmental

organizations or international non-governmental organizations, to which membership could be granted by a decision of the General Assembly;

The Executive BoardExecutive Board is the managing body of the Centre, composed of minimum 3 (three) members elected by the General Assembly for 4 (four) years’ term of office. The founding entities of the Centre shall be permanent members of the Executive Board

STRUCTURE STRUCTURE of of

the Regional Centre for the Safeguarding of the the Regional Centre for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in South-Eastern Intangible Cultural Heritage in South-Eastern

Europe under the auspices of UNESCO Europe under the auspices of UNESCO

Executive director

Expert staff

Technical staff

MISSIONMISSION

to promote the cooperation in the field of intangible cultural heritage on national, regional and international level;

to carry out initiatives for safeguarding and popularization of the intangible cultural heritage of the countries in South-Eastern Europe.

OBJECTIVES OBJECTIVES

Promote the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage and contribute to its implementation in the South-Eastern European sub-region;

Increase the participation of separate communities, groups and individuals in safeguarding intangible heritage in the South-Eastern European countries;

Enhance the capacity of the member-states in UNESCO from South-Eastern Europe in safeguarding the intangible cultural heritage;

Coordinate, exchange and disseminate information regarding the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage in the sub-region;

Foster regional and international cooperation for safeguarding intangible cultural heritage;

Support the efforts for safeguarding of the elements of intangible cultural heritage from the region that are included in the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage and the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding;

Support and assist the countries from the region in the processes of identifying and inventorying the intangible cultural heritage and in developing systems at the national level for recognizing the intangible heritage present in their territories;

Cooperate with the institutions engaged in studying and safeguarding the intangible cultural heritage on a local, national and regional level as well as for establishment of relations between them;

Support and participate in activities for training of specialists in the field of intangible cultural heritage;

Make efforts for strengthening the cooperation with UNESCO and the respective related institutions in other countries and regions.

SPECIFIC FUNCTIONS SPECIFIC FUNCTIONS

The Centre’s activities and programmes shall be carried out in conformity with the 2003 Convention and, in particular, its purposes and objectives and definitions (Article 1 and 2);

Instigate and coordinate research into practices of safeguarding ICH elements present in the South-Eastern European countries as refer to in Article 11, 12, 13 and 14 of the 2003 Convention;

Organize training courses on the following subjects;Enhance international, regional and subregional cooperation

through networking with institutions active in the domain of ICH, notably those established under the auspices of UNESCO (category 2), in order to coordinate activities, exchange information and knowledge concerning the safeguarding of ICH, and promote good practices.

PROGRAMMES PROGRAMMES

Long-term programme of the Regional CentreLong-term programme of the Regional Centre

Identification and documentation of intangible cultural heritage elements;Safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage;Transmission and Dissemination of intangible cultural elements;International Cooperation;Creation of expert networks;Actions promoting the work of the Centre;

All the programmes of the Regional Centre are All the programmes of the Regional Centre are carried out in carried out in conformity with the programmes of UNESCO.conformity with the programmes of UNESCO.

MEMBER STATES MEMBER STATES OF THEOF THE

REGIONAL CENTRE REGIONAL CENTRE

[AL] AlbaniaAlbania

[AM] ArmeniaArmenia

[BA] BosniBosnia and Herzegovina a and Herzegovina

[BG] BulgariaBulgaria

Members of the Regional CentreMembers of the Regional Centre::

[HR] CroatiaCroatia

[ME] MontenegroMontenegro

[MK] MacedoniaMacedonia

[RO] RomaniaRomania

[RS] SerbiaSerbia

[TR] TurkeyTurkey

Forthcoming Member States Forthcoming Member States ::

[CY]CyprusCyprus

[GR]GreeceGreece

[MD]MoldovaMoldova

[SL]SloveniaSlovenia

Elements of the South-Eastern European countries inscribed on the Elements of the South-Eastern European countries inscribed on the UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of HumanityHumanity

UntilUntil 2012 – 32 2012 – 32 inscriptions from the region inscriptions from the region:2929 elements elements on the UNESCO’s Representative List of the

Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity ;

1 1 element element inscribed on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding (Croatia);

22 multinational inscriptions multinational inscriptions (with countries beyond the region);

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENTSUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

The objective of all the activities of the Regional Centre is to achieve sustainable development through the promotion of lifelong learning, the sharing of best practices and models, the exchange of information between the countries from South-Eastern Europe;

The ongoing series of international workshops and conferences aiming to promote and implement the Convention 2003 in the South- Eastern European countries justify the sustainability in its activities.

Integration of the Organization’s medium-term strategy (37 C/4) and programme and budget for the coming quadrennium (37 C/5) into the medium-term and short-term planning of the respective centres, enabling them to continue to contribute effectively to UNESCO’s work.

ACTIVITIESACTIVITIES

The Regional Centre is working on:

1.Networking

2.Capacity building

3.Raise awareness

From its beginning until now…From its beginning until now…

1.1. NetworkingNetworking

Launch of Website and Forum of the Regional Centre;

First Meeting of Regional Centres for Cultural Heritage in South-Eastern Europe: Cooperation, Partnerships, Funding – Zadar ,Croatia (2012 ,March 23);

Eighth Ministerial Conference on Cultural Heritage in South-East Europe Intangible Cultural Heritage and Sustainable Development (2012 , October, 24-25 );

Seventh session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage (2012 , December, 3-7);

Annual Session of the General Assembly of the Regional Centre (2013, March 5);

Seventh Annual Regional Meeting of Experts on Intangible Cultural Heritage in South East Europe (2013, May 27-28);

88THTH Ministerial Conference on Cultural Heritage in South-East Europe Ministerial Conference on Cultural Heritage in South-East Europe Intangible Cultural Heritage and Sustainable DevelopmentIntangible Cultural Heritage and Sustainable Development

(2012, October 24-25)(2012, October 24-25)

Seventh Annual Regional Meeting of Experts on Intangible Cultural Seventh Annual Regional Meeting of Experts on Intangible Cultural Heritage in South East Europe "New strategies for sustainable Heritage in South East Europe "New strategies for sustainable development, tourism and partnerships“development, tourism and partnerships“ (2013, May, 27-28) (2013, May, 27-28)

SSupportupporteded by by UNESCO Regional Bureau for Culture and Science in UNESCO Regional Bureau for Culture and Science in Europe, VeniceEurope, Venice ( (ItalyItaly))

1010 countries countries

3030 experts experts

2. Capacity building2. Capacity building

Training seminar Training seminar : “The Role of Youth in Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage: Implementing the 2003 UNESCO Convention in South-East European States ” (2012, September, 24-25);

TTraining raining seminarseminar of experts from Southwest Bulgaria on "Implementation of the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (2003) at national level“ (June, 24-25 2013 )

Training seminar “The Role of Youth in Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage: Implementing the 2003 UNESCO Convention in South-East European States ” (2012, September, 24-25)

Two-day workshop10 countries30 participants

Training seminar of experts from Southwest Bulgaria on "Implementation of the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (2003) at national level“ (2013, June 24-25)

Two-day workshop3 Bulgarian regions 23 experts

3. Raise awarenessRaise awareness

Album ““Masterpieces of Intangible Cultural Heritage in South-Masterpieces of Intangible Cultural Heritage in South-East EuropeEast Europe””;

Premiere of the film "Dervishes - mystic of the East" "Dervishes - mystic of the East" ;

Photo exhibition "Guard of Traditions " "Guard of Traditions " ;

Bistrica babi at UNESCO Headquarters;

„„Balkan Cuisine”;Balkan Cuisine”;

Film ““Carpets of ChiprovtziCarpets of Chiprovtzi””

Bistritsa Babi at UNESCO Bistritsa Babi at UNESCO ((March, 18 March, 18 2013 )2013 )

Participation in a international concert at UNESCO Headquarters;

In collaboration with Sofia Municipality;

Traditional Balkan meals demonstration Traditional Balkan meals demonstration „„Balkan Cuisine” Balkan Cuisine”

2013 May, 25-265 countries from the Balkan regionin partnership with “Edita Group”

The way forward: regional The way forward: regional cooperation and future initiativescooperation and future initiatives

Establishment of an on-line platform for ICH;

Capacity-building workshops in the region;

Educational, awareness-raising and information activities aimed at young people;

Formal and informal education;

Transnational cooperation and common work on multinational/transnational nomination files;

Publications/ papers on ICH ;

Regional film production on ICH and crafts;

The way forward is the establishment of an effective network with The way forward is the establishment of an effective network with the category 2 centres in the field of ICH.the category 2 centres in the field of ICH.

Network ICH

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTIONTHANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!!

webpage: www.unesco-centerbg.orgfacebook: Unesco Centre Sofia