Reply to Recommendation 1239 (1994) on the cultural situation in the former Yugoslavia

29 June 1994

Doc. 7114

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMITTEE OF MINISTERS

Reply to Recommendation 1239 (1994)

on the cultural situation in the former Yugoslavia

(adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 23 June 1994

at the 515th meeting of the Ministers' Deputies)

1. The Committee of Ministers shares the view of the Parliamentary Assembly on the cultural situation in the former Yugoslavia to reiterate that the conflict, particularly in Bosnia-Herzegovina, represents the negation of the Council of Europe's fundamental values and principles, especially the respect for the human rights and dignity of each individual.

This situation also runs counter to the Organisation's major policy orientations as defined at the first Summit of Heads of State and Government (Vienna, 8-9 October 1993), namely the protection of national minorities, the fight against all forms of intolerance and the protection of the common cultural heritage enriched by its diversity.

The Committee of Ministers also recalls the importance it attaches to the development of intercultural co-existence and the establishment of a climate of confidence between the various communities, as unavoidable means to the creation of a genuine area of democratic security in Europe.

As it has already indicated in its reply to written question No 354 of Mrs L. Fischer, the Committee of Ministers gives its political and moral support for those who are engaged in the defence of independence of the media and in the distribution of objective and impartial information coming from a plurality of sources in a spirit favourable to the search for a lasting solution to the conflict.

2. The Committee of Ministers stresses the importance of the cultural dimension of the situation in the former Yugoslavia, with which it has already concerned itself in the context of the Programme of Activities (see below). It considers it essential to go beyond declarations of good intentions in these matters, and to implement practical projects.

3. The Committee of Ministers recalls that at the 490th meeting (March 1993, item 3) of their Deputies, the latter welcomed, with considerable interest, the desire expressed by the authorities of Bosnia-Herzegovina to resume co-operation links with the Council of Europe in the fields of education and culture. They considered that the fundamental principles of the Council of Europe's action in these two fields were tolerance and multi-cultural dialogue. For this reason they decided to invite a delegation of experts from Bosnia-Herzegovina to Strasbourg to examine with the Secretariat the possibilities of taking part in meetings and programmes in the context of the European Cultural Convention. Unfortunately, this meeting could not be held on account of the worsening conflict.

4. The Committee of Ministers would also like to draw attention to the fact that Croatia acceded to the European Cultural Convention on 27 January 1993.

5. Below are the activities implemented in the Council of Europe's Programme of Activities in the fields mentioned in Parliamentary Assembly Recommendation 1239 (1994) or which include dimensions likely to contribute to the search for solutions to the cultural situation in the former Yugoslavia.

Cultural diversity and the intercultural dimension

6. Generally speaking, the programme of "confidence-building measures in the field of minorities", set up following the Vienna Summit, is a framework which lends itself more particularly to activities promoting mutual understanding in multi-ethnic regions.

7. The multi-disciplinary programme of the Council for Cultural Co-operation (CDCC) on "democracy, human rights, minorities: educational and cultural aspects" includes several activities that could contribute to promoting inter-cultural co-existence in the former Yugoslavia. The results of these activities should be made available to all interested partners in the former Yugoslavia.

8. The crisis in the former Yugoslavia and, particularly, the wilful destruction of monuments as representations of the identity of target groups have prompted the Cultural Heritage Committee to give a new orientation to its "heritage conservation policies" programme by adding a "heritage and society" dimension and to examine in depth the links between heritage, history/memory and identity.

In this context, from 19 to 21 September 1994, in Vienna, Bratislava, and Budapest, the Cultural Heritage Committee is organising European round tables entitled "Heritages for Europe" which will examine the concept of heritage, in particular through the diversity of the heritages and the complexity of conceptions in this field. They will also raise the question of the development of human rights through the emergence of a right to heritage, history, or indeed memory.

The conclusions of the programme in general and of the round tables in particular could be taken into consideration at the 4th European Conference of Ministers responsible for the cultural heritage, planned for 1996 in Helsinki (Finland).

9. The Parliamentary Assembly Recommendation referred in paragraph 31 to the Sarajevo Winter Festival. As the programme of the youth campaign organised as part of the Plan of Action against racism, xenophobia, anti-semitism and intolerance includes the organisation of an inter-cultural festival, it is proposed that the Sarajevo Winter Festival be asked to take charge of this aspect of the youth campaign.

The Cultural Heritage

10. The Cultural Heritage Committee follows closely the situation of the cultural heritage in the territory of the former Yugoslavia, and has adopted a plan of action for emergency interventions. Under this plan, country-specific action programmes are developed, based on a synergy between technical co-operation and consultation missions, training activities and professional exchanges, for countries which have acceded to the European Cultural Convention.

Action programmes are currently being implemented in Croatia and Slovenia, which are members of the European Cultural Convention. Specific actions in Bosnia-Herzegovina and "The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia" are under consideration (paragraph 16); implementation of such actions will be possible after their accession to the European Cultural Convention, or when appropriate sources of funding become available.

The setting up of a Cultural Heritage Fund is under consideration, in order to finance feasibility studies on the economic viability of projects arising from technical co-operation and consultation missions.

11. The following activities have been carried out or are currently under way:

i. Technical Co-operation and Consultations

Technical assessment of conservation projects has been carried out or is under way in Croatia (assistance on damage assessment has been provided as regards damage to the dome of the cathedral of Sibenik and the palace of the dukes in Zadar). Furthermore, plans for reconstruction are being worked out in Croatia, in collaboration with the responsible authorities, private initiative and other international organisations, for war-damaged areas (Osijek, Zadar, Sibenik).

European experts on restoration work participate in the planning and organisation of restoration work in Croatia (Osijek) (paragraph 15).

Regional planning issues are considered under the Technical Co-operation and Consultation programme when requested by the local authorities. It is envisaged to implement plans of action in Bosnia-Herzegovina and in "The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia" when the necessary resources become available.

A joint plan of action (UNESCO, Council of Europe, other interested bodies) is currently being elaborated for the reconstruction of the National and University Library of Bosnia-Herzegovina (paragraph 18), and for the reconstitution of the collections of the library.

ii. Technical Workshops

Workshops on legislation, funding and management of heritage conservation have been held in Zagreb (Croatia).

iii. Professional Exchange Programmes

Information and training seminars are held with the collaboration of national administrations or agencies active in the field of conservation of the built heritage, as follow up to the Technical Workshops.

iv. Protection of the Movable Heritage

At an intergovernmental meeting held in Prague (9-11 November 1993) a proposal was made for the establishment of urgent intervention measures to protect the movable heritage in the territories of former Yugoslavia and in other countries of Central and Eastern Europe.

Studies are being carried out to identify the means and resources for the implementation of such measures; the development of an instrument of information exchanges, in consultation with other international bodies, concerning movable heritage policies, and in particular on preventing the illicit traffic in cultural objects, is also being considered (paragraph 13).

Urgent intervention measures to protect the movable works of art in the territories of former Yugoslavia are being considered (paragraph 17). These measures rely on the co-operation of receiving countries, as well as on the joint efforts of other international organisations (UNESCO, INTERPOL).

Independent media

12. The Committee of Ministers draws the attention of the Parliamentary Assembly to the fact that their Deputies approved, at their 496th meeting (June 1993, item 3), a package of measures for sustaining independent media in former Yugoslavia. These measures were targeted at: i) support for the Co-ordinating Centre for Independent Media, set up by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the International Federation of Newspaper Publishers (FIEJ), with the support of UNESCO; and ii) support for training initiatives to be implemented in collaboration with professional bodies such as IFJ, FIEJ and the European Federation of Community Radios (FERL).

13. The level of support has recently been intensified. At their 509th meeting (March 1994), the Ministers' Deputies approved a new series of proposals for the implementation of measures for independent media in former Yugoslavia. Financial support for the Co-ordinating Centre and its activities has been stepped up significantly. A number of workshops on the ethics of journalism will be organised, and a series of traineeships and further training of journalists of the Alternative Information Network (AIM) have been sponsored under the package. The Committee of Ministers draws the attention of the Parliamentary Assembly to the fact that the package of measures for independent media in former Yugoslavia is based largely on voluntary contributions provided by the governments of member States. Any further support for practical projects, such as the AIM network and the Co-ordinating Centre (paragraph 21), will thus be contingent on additional contributions. The Committee of Ministers expresses the hope that governments will contribute to the implementation of the package.

14. As regards the invitation to the Commission of the European Communities to extend the Phare-Democracy Programme beyond support for the independent media in Slovenia (paragraph 22), the Committee of Ministers would like to draw the Assembly's attention to the fact that this matter has been and will continue to be raised at meetings of the informal co-ordination group, which brings together representatives of the Council of Europe, UNESCO, IFJ, FIEJ, the European Commission and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). The Assembly might note that the European Commission may be in a position to support independent media in former Yugoslavia on the basis of a special budget line on measures to help democracy and support the peace process for the Republics formerly part of Yugoslavia.

15. The Committee of Ministers agrees with the Assembly's conclusions in paragraph 20 on the urgent need to provide material assistance for independent television, radio and the printed press with a view to supporting and promoting freedom of expression in these republics. The Committee of Ministers notes that the limited resources available for sustaining independent media, particularly in Serbia-Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia and "The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia", makes it crucial to co-ordinate the efforts of the various European and international agencies and professional associations involved. The Co-ordinating Centre has been set up, inter alia, for this purpose. The informal co-ordination meetings involving the aforementioned agencies and associations are, for their part, designed to readjust and refocus actions in the light of the evolving needs identified by the Centre.

16. In this respect, the Committee of Ministers would draw the attention of the Assembly to the problems of ensuring that material and equipment effectively reach their proper destination, particularly in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia-Montenegro. The Committee of Ministers will instruct the Secretary General to take this matter up with the relevant agencies of the United Nations, as well as the other matters raised in paragraphs 20-23 of the Recommendation.

Education

17. Since 1993, specific action has been taken in the field of education, concerning in particular displaced and refugee students from Bosnia-Herzegovina (paragraph 30). This action has consisted of:

i.       two meetings in 1993: Zagreb, 20 and 21 June 1993, at the instigation of the Parliament of Croatian students, the World University Service (WUS) and the European Students Information Bureau (ESIB): Graz, 24 and 25 November 1993, at the instigation of the Austrian Committee of the WUS and the ESIB;

ii.       two circular letters sent in August 1993 requesting support in helping refugee and displaced students from former Yugoslavia, one to the Ministers of Education from the Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe, the other to members of the Standing Conference on University Problems from the Deputy Director for Education, Culture and Sport;

iii.       the gathering of information on the situation of displaced and refugee students and offers of assistance (such as grants) received in response to the two above-mentioned letters;

iv.       the opening by the CDCC, at its 62nd session (Strasbourg, 25-27 January 1994), of a special account within the Cultural Fund, for a European solidarity fund for Bosnian students;

v. the adoption, at the 18th Session of the Standing Conference of European Ministers of Education (Madrid, 23-24 March 1994) of Resolution No IV on "Co-operation on education within the Council of Europe" which inter alia, focuses on the situation in former Yugoslavia (paragraph 29);

vi.       the adoption, as a follow-up to this resolution, by the Committee on Higher Education and Research, at its meeting of 27-29 April 1994, of a declaration containing recommendations submitted to the Bureau of the CDCC and to the Committee of Ministers as well as proposals for immediate action at national level;

vii.       talks on the cultural situation with the new rector of the University of Sarajevo, Professor Seleskovic;

viii. the proposal, submitted to the Bureau of the CDCC, to establish a budget item of 100,000 FF in the CDCC's programme of activities for 1994 for the co-ordination of aid to Bosnia-Herzegovina in this field;

ix.       the quest for an arrangement (such as granting observer status) allowing the authorities of Bosnia-Herzegovina to be directly invited to attend meetings of the Education Committee and the Committee on Higher Education and Research or to specific meetings on assistance in the education field.

Culture

18. The concept of "cultural corridors" (paragraph 32) implies the granting of support for mobility and exchanges of democratic intellectuals, artists and artistic works from the whole of former Yugoslavia, as a means of bringing an end to the current state of isolation.

In this context, the CDCC supports various European networks of intellectuals and artists, including the Gulliver network whose aim is precisely to promote exchanges throughout the whole of Europe, and the European Council of Artists, a pan-European platform aiming to establish dialogue between different groups of artists and between artists and policy makers, and to draw the attention of the latter to the social and economic conditions of artists in Europe. These networks maintain regular contacts with artistic and intellectual circles in the former Yugoslavia.

19. The CDCC regularly carries out in-depth audits on the setting up of cultural policies in countries in transition. Slovenia and Croatia are already participating in the programme to examine national cultural policies, in the framework of the extension of the programme to Central and Eastern European countries. As soon as the situation allows, an audit should also be carried out in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

20. The proposal in paragraph 33 to commission artists of various kinds to depict the tragedy in the former Yugoslavia could be examined in the light of the CDCC's discussions on partnerships and should involve the various networks co-operating with the CDCC.