Parliamentary Delegations from CEI Member States gathered in Krakow, Poland, on 26-27 September, for their meeting of the General Committee on Cultural Affairs chaired by Tomasz Głogowski, Head of the Polish Parliamentary Delegation to the CEI.
All interlocutors actively contributed to the theme of the event “The administration and protection of sites of the UNESCO World Heritage List in the CEI region” with presentations of their national situations as regards the management and preservation of cultural heritage. They highlighted best practices as well as requirements for improvements, especially in terms of technical assistance and professional training. It was largely emphasised that World Heritage sites belong to humanity regardless of the territory on which they are located. Special reference was made to good examples of transborder cooperation and mutual assistance. The role of Parliaments in creating appropriate legislative solutions and strengthening cultural diplomacy was particularly highlighted.
CEI Deputy Secretary General Ivana Holoubková underlined that cooperation among the Parliaments was essential for the CEI to achieve its core mission: fostering European integration and sustainable development through regional cooperation.
“The CEI provides a valuable platform to develop activities and programmes in the field of cultural heritage management and preservation, ” she stated while mentioning some examples of activities already implemented.
A moving intervention was made by the Ukrainian representatives who reported about the numerous sites of Ukraine history and cultural identity damaged or destroyed due to the war. Solidarity was expressed by all participants who emphasised their strong support to the Ukrainian people affected by the Russian aggression, especially referring to the shared values of peace and freedom and protesting the severe damages to the Ukrainian cultural heritage sites. They also shared the commitment to identify concrete possible actions to contribute to the reconstruction and rehabilitation of Ukrainian historical sites.
