site.btaFebruary 20, 2012: First UNESCO Regional Centre for Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Europe Opens in Sofia

The Regional Centre for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Southeast Europe under the auspices of UNESCO was opened on February 20, 2012, the first such centre in Europe.

It was established in implementation of a decision of the 35th session of the UNESCO General Conference and the subsequent signing of an Agreement between the Government of Bulgaria and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization on October 25, 2010, in Paris. On March 16, 2011, Bulgarian Parliament adopted a law and ratified the Agreement.

The main mission of the centre is to promote the ideas and principles and work for the practical application of the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, as well as to implement UNESCO's programme initiatives in this area.

Following is an authentic news item from BTA's English Service department:

First European Regional Centre for Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage Opens in Sofia

Sofia, February 20 (BTA) - The first European Regional Centre for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage opened Monday in Sofia. The centre, under the auspices of UNESCO, was inaugurated by UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova. So far there were only five such centres in the world - in Korea, Japan, China, Peru and Algeria.

The significance of intangible heritage has recently increased and the pressure which all people are feeling from the increasing uniformity of culture  is considerable, which is why UNESCO has set the preservation of this variety, keeping tradition and passing it on as one of its main tasks, Bokova said at the inauguration. When a nation is not familiar with itself or its identity it is much more prone to show extremism and participate in conflicts. This centre will be one of UNESCO's mainstays, Bokova said.

Culture Minister Vezhdi Rashidov pointed out that the centre has a management budget of 400,000 leva. The funds will be collected from the subscription fees of participating states and mechanisms for additional revenue will be sought. The centre will be chaired on the principle of rotation because, in addition to the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences also participate in it. Diana Danailova of the Ministry of Culture will be the first chairperson.

Foreign Minister Nikolay Mladenov, who also attended the inauguration, remarked that the greatest challenge is yet to come - to show that, on the Balkans, Bulgaria and its neighbours can work together and promote their common cultural and historical heritage in the Balkans before Europe.

The regional centre was established in line with the decision of the 35th Session of the UNESCO General Conference and the subsequent signing of an Agreement between Bulgaria and UNESCO. The main mission of the centre is to popularise the ideas and principles, as well as to work for the practical implementation of the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage and successfully implement the organisation's initiatives in this field.

The inauguration was also attended by National Assembly Chair Tsetska Tsacheva and Bulgarian Academy of Sciences President Nikola Subotinov./PK/BR