INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP "Cultural Itineraries of South-Eastern Europe" -
multinational project in the frames of the campaign
"Europe, a common heritage"
and of European heritage days

Sofia, 16-17 September 2000
Hotel "Princess"

With the financial assistance of:
Open Society Foundation - Program "East-East"
The King Baudouin Foundation
The Ministry of Culture of Bulgaria

Initiator and main co-ordinator:
Bulgarian National Committee of ICOMOS

FINAL DOCUMENT

The participants in the international Workshop "Cultural Itineraries of South-Eastern Europe" - comprising experts from all South-Eastern European countries - Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Romania, Slovenia, Turkey, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Yugoslavia - taking into consideration the arguments in Annex 1,

- express their concern over the state of the cultural heritage in the region, arising from its unrevealed cultural integrity; the danger of natural calamities, armed conflicts, economic difficulties and commercialisation of uncontrolled tourism;

- highlight the fact that preservation and use of the region's cultural heritage require co-ordinated efforts and mutual understanding of the Others' values;

- consider cultural heritage a resource for regional development, whose rational use would not only contribute towards the return of invested funds, but would also secure enough means for its preservation, maintenance and development;

- firmly believe that cultural routes, stimulating stable cultural tourism - in close partnership with the tourist sector - are capable of expressing the identity and diversity of the cultural heritage in the region and can contribute to its European integration;

- firmly believe that the rational use of cultural heritage, through the development of the cultural routes, would contribute towards achieving the objectives of the South-Eastern Europe Stability Pact in relation to the development of democracy, stable economic development and co-operation, and security in the region;

- consider the "Cultural Itineraries of South-Eastern Europe" Project an opportunity for regional development and agree to continue its implementation (and adopt the Project logo proposed by ICOMOS/BULGARIA);

Led by all these unanimously stated considerations, the participants in the Workshop:

1. Adopt the first version of the Cultural Routes Charter, presented and discussed during the Workshop, as a valuable basis for the future development of the Project, which shall be of open nature, thus presenting the opportunity of integrating other countries close to the region.

2. Consider the group of experts participating in the Workshop, and all others who have worked on the Regional Cultural Routes Charter, an open Net of experts, in compliance with item 1, Annex 2.

3. Propose that a Charter for the preservation and use of the regional cultural heritage be developed under the South-Eastern Europe Stability Pact as it could contribute to the successful implementation of the Project. A Regional Plan for Activities on the Preservation and Use of the regional cultural heritage to be developed to the Charter, financed from the budget of the Stability Pact and including the key activities under the Project accepted by the Workshop, listed in Annex 2.

4. Declare their assurance that the Preservation and Use of the Regional Cultural Heritage Charter and the Regional Plan for Activities to it - within the South-Eastern Europe Stability Pact - shall in the near future include the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia whose cultural heritage is an integral part of the regional cultural wealth.

5. Express their gratitude and highly appreciate the initiative and co-ordinating role of ICOMOS/BULGARIA in promoting and developing the Cultural Itineraries of South-Eastern Europe Project, and the contribution of all experts and partners participating in the project.

6. Express their gratitude for the financial assistance supporting the implementation of the project to:

- the Open Society Foundation - the "East-East" Program,

- the King Baudouin Foundation,

- the National Committees of ICOMOS of Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Romania, Slovenia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Turkey and Yugoslavia,

- the Ministries of Culture of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Yugoslavia;

 

Sofia, 17 September, 2000

The participants in the international Workshop Cultural Itineraries of South-Eastern Europe

- take into consideration previous valuable research and practical work for preservation and use of cultural heritage in the region;

- recognize the substantial role of the Council of Europe's campaign Europe, common heritage and the European Heritage Days to promote the common origin and cultural heritage of the region and the sense of belonging to the common European heritage;

- appreciate the importance of the Resolution of the IV-th European Conference of the Council of Europe (Helsinki, May 1996) the Resolution of the General Assembly of ICOMOS and the ICOMOS International Charter for cultural tourism (Mexico, 1999) outlining the opportunities for rational use of cultural heritage and how it can be reshaped into a stimulus for sustainable regional development;

- take into account everything that has been accomplished by now in order to stabilize South-Eastern Europe, to protect the development of its cultural heritage and to study the issues of cultural routes and cultural tourism in the framework of: the South-Eastern Europe Stability Pact, the Action Plan of the Council of Europe for South-Eastern Europe, the ICOMOS programs (especially those of the international committees for cultural routes and cultural tourism and of the national committees of Spain and of the countries of South-Eastern Europe), the initiatives of King Baudouaine Foundation (particularly the Living Heritage Program);

- emphasize the importance of the activities of the European Institute for Cultural Routes to the Council of Europe for the development of methodology and practices in the field of European cultural heritage.

1. To draw up a Statute for the functioning and implementation of the Project and the Network of experts; to set up a temporary Secretariat comprising representatives of each country in the region with chief Project Co-ordinator from ICOMOS/BULGARIA until the Statute gets adopted;

2. To develop the existing Project data-base located at the headquarters of ICOMOS/BULGARIA, including data for the most valuable cultural heritage in the region. To assign a special section in the data-base for the most endangered cultural heritage in the region, by establishing a connection to the data-base set up on the initiative of ICOMOS/GREECE with the participation of experts from South-Eastern Europe.

3. To define thoroughly the Network of Cultural Routes related to the big European Cultural Routes, including the transportation routes and important natural resources; to select priority cultural routes requiring initial measures.

4. To elaborate pilot investigations and designs for active cultural zones envisaging: immediate repair works for the most endangered monuments and zones, rehabilitation and business use of cultural heritage, development of cultural routes and sustainable cultural tourism, involving the population in the issues and perspectives of cultural heritage, setting up a network of local partners etc.

5. To elaborate regional projects for co-operation in the field of cultural routes and cultural tourism between neighboring countries in the region.

6. To propose to countries measures for integrated regional policy in the field of archaeological research, registration, conservation and regional setting in the framework of regional cultural routes and active zones, as well as measures facilitating tourist mobility, visa requirements etc.

7. To propose an investment strategy and identify at a regional level the investment priorities for protection and use of cultural heritage in the framework of regional cultural routes and active cultural zones.

8. To contribute to the updating of national legislations in the sphere of cultural heritage, cultural tourism and cultural routes.

9. To set up a web site of the Project in the INTERNET through which the participating partners will present and receive topical information about the Project development and the cultural wealth of the region will be promoted.

10. To unite the efforts for joint application and participation in the European programs for securing financial grants for the Project.

11. To carry out active collaboration with the European Institute for cultural routes at the Council of Europe (Luxembourg), with the International Scientific Committees of ICOMOS on cultural routes and cultural tourism etc.

12. To maintain permanent active communication in the Net, as well as in the Internet.