TH NA I. HE MINISTE AMUR on 23 i. W Po ii. Re wh he iii. W of int of

BELGIA
AN CHAIRMANS
SHIP OF THE C OMMITTEE OF
O MINISTERS
S OF THE COU NCIL OF EURO
OPE
6TH CONFE
ERENCE OF MINISTERS RES
SPONSIBLE FO
OR CULTURAL
L HERITAGE (2
22-24 APRIL 2015)
“Cultural heritage in tthe 21st centtury for livin
ng better tog
gether.
Towards a common sttrategy for Europe”
E
NAMU
UR DECLAR
RATION
TH
HE MINISTERS OF THE
E STATES PARTIES
P
TO
O THE EUR
ROPEAN CU
ULTURAL CO
ONVENTION
N MEETING
G IN
NA
AMUR on 23 and 24 April 2015,
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
vi.
vii.
viii.
I.
W
Welcoming the decision of
o the Belgia
an Governme
ent to bring them togethher fourteen years after the
Po
ortoroz confe
erence (Slovenia) in 2001
1;
Re
ecognising the decisive contribution of the Coun
ncil of Europe, in particullar through the
t conventio
ons
wh
hich it began
n drawing up over 40 y ears ago forr the protecttion, conservvation and enhancemen
e
t of
he
eritage and which
w
reflect this specifica
ally Europea
an field of exc
cellence;
W
Welcoming the
e European Union’s effo
orts to give greater
g
consideration to ccultural herita
age in its are
eas
off expertise, notably
n
in the
e Communica
ation of the European
E
Co
ommission oof 22 July 2014 “Towardss an
proach to cultural heritag
ge for Europe
e” and the Conclusions
C
oon participatory governan
nce
inttegrated app
off cultural heriitage adopte
ed on 25 Novvember 2014
4 by the Council of Ministters of the European Uniion,
nd the conve
ergence of these efforts w
with the Coun
ncil of Europe
e’s work;
an
Th
hus wishing to mark the
e 40th annivversary of th
he European
n Charter off the Archite
ectural Herita
age
ad
dopted by th
he Committe
ee of Ministe
ers of the Council of Eu
urope on 26 September 1975, the 30
3 th
an
nniversary of the Conve
ention for the
n of the Architectural Heeritage of Europe, the 15
1 th
e Protection
an
nniversary of
o the Europ
pean Landsccape Convention and th
he 10th anniiversary of the Framew
work
Co
onvention on
n the Value of
o Cultural He
eritage for So
ociety;
Co
onsidering th
hat cultural heritage is a g
group of reso
ources inherited from thee past which people identtify,
ind
dependentlyy of ownershiip, as a refle
ection and ex
xpression of their
t
constanntly evolving values, belie
efs,
kn
nowledge an
nd traditions, including all aspects of the environment ressulting from the interacttion
be
etween peop
ple and place
es through tim
me;
No
oting with sa
atisfaction the
e support givve to this app
proach by the
e actors of ciivil society which
w
have be
een
asssociated witth preparatorry work;
No
oting the con
ntribution of culture and ccultural heritage to susta
ainable devellopment, of which
w
they fo
orm
the “fourth pilla
ar”;
esolved to co
ontinue and intensify the
eir co-operatiion in order to
t provide reesponses tha
at meet with the
Re
ch
hallenges faccing the conservation, e nhancementt and use off heritage ass a fundamental right at the
be
eginning of th
he 21st centu
ury;
ADOPT THE FOLLO
OWING DECLARATION:
1. Clim
mate change,, demograph
hic changes,, migration, political, eco
onomic, finaancial and so
ocial crises are
having a significant impact on
o our societ ies and herittage. We nee
ed to be awaare of these challenges and
a
nts of referen
nce,
workk together to prevent a development where our societies are weakened aand lack poin
are tempted to adopt inwarrd-looking atttitudes, are experiencin
ng an erosioon of traditio
onal bonds and
a
r
or imploding;
sometimes risk rupturing
ural heritage
e is a key component o
of the Europe
ean identity; it is of genneral public interest and
d its
2. Cultu
transsmission to future gene
erations is a shared responsibility; it is a uniqque resource, fragile, nonn
rene
ewable and non-relocata
n
ble, contribu
uting to the attractivenes
a
s and the deevelopment of Europe and,
a
cruccially, to the creation
c
of a more peace
eful, just and cohesive soc
ciety;
BELLGIAN CHAIRM
MANSHIP CoE | HERITAGE | NAMUR
N
– 22 – 2
24 April 2015 | Declaration Text final 24 04 2015 GB
1|5
3. A Sttrategy for redefining
r
th
he place and
d role of cultural heritag
ge in Europee is therefore a necesssary
resp
ponse to the current cha
allenges in th
he light of th
he changing European ssocio-econom
mic and cultu
ural
conttext;
4. Thiss Strategy:
4.1 should draw
w on the corre values of tthe Council of
o Europe: de
emocracy, reespect for hu
uman rights and
a
fundamenta
al freedoms, openness and dialogue
e, equal dignity of all peersons, mutu
ual respect and
a
sensitivity to
t diversity;
4.2 should pro
omote a shared and uniffying approa
ach to cultural heritage m
managemen
nt, based on an
effective le
egal framewo
ork for the in
ntegrated co
onservation of
o heritage, and involvin
ng all the ma
ajor
players, in
nstitutional and
a
other, a
and the reprresentatives of professioonals and civil
c
society,, at
internationa
al, national and
a local leve
el;
4.3 should offe
er a vision an
nd a framewo
ork for the ne
ext ten years
s, identify acttions and pro
ojects that co
ould
have a lastting impact in
n Member Sttates and be
e implemente
ed primarily tthrough existting instrume
ents
and tools, in particular the
t conventio
ons, updating and develo
oping them iff necessary;
4.4 should focu
us on the following prioritties:




the co
ontribution off heritage to the improve
ement of Eurropean citizeens’ quality of
o life and livving
enviro
onment;
the co
ontribution of heritage to E
Europe’s attrractiveness and
a prosperitty, based on
n the expresssion
of its id
dentities and
d cultural dive
ersity;
educa
ation and life--long training
g;
participatory goverrnance in the
e heritage fie
eld;
4.5 should be guided by th
he proposed
d themes ide
entified in the Guideliness for the European Cultu
ural
he 21st cent ury appende
ed to the present Declaraation, of whic
ch they form
m an
Heritage Strategy for th
integral parrt;
4.6
6 should incclude appro
opriate mon
nitoring and evaluation methods using existting tools and
a
instrumentss, in particula
ar the conve ntions;
II.
REQUES
ST THE COM
MMITTEE OF MINISTER
RS OF THE COUNCIL
C
OF EUROPE:
5. to en
ntrust the dra
afting and fo
ollow-up of th
he implementation of this
s Strategy to the Steering
g Committee
e for
Cultu
ure, Heritage
e and Landscape of the Council of Europe,
E
and to
t give it thee resources to
t complete this
t
task;
ake the appro
opriate decis
sions to this effect in the context of the Council oof Europe’s programme
p
a
and
6. to ta
budg
get for 2016--2017;
dopt the Stra
ategy prefera
ably as a Re
ecommendatiion of the Co
ommittee of M
Ministers to member Sta
ates
7. to ad
by th
he end of 2016;
III.
T PROMOT
TE A EUROP
PEAN HERIT
TAGE STRA
ATEGY SHOU
ULD BRING
RECOGNIZE THAT EFFORTS TO
HER A MULT
TITUDE OF PLAYERS A
AND TO THIS
S END:
TOGETH
BELLGIAN CHAIRM
MANSHIP CoE | HERITAGE | NAMUR
N
– 22 – 2
24 April 2015 | Declaration Text final 24 04 2015 GB
2|5
8. invite
e the Europe
ean Union to
o be involved
d in the development and implementaation of the Strategy,
S
both
h at
Euro
opean and member
m
State
e level;
9. welccome, as be
est practice, the idea off the Council of the Eurropean Unioon to organise a Europe
ean
Herittage Year, and
a
ask tha
at the Counccil of Europe
e and all Sttates Partiess to the Eurropean Cultu
ural
Convvention be in
nvited to partticipate;
e those Mem
mber States which
w
have n
not yet done
e so to sign and
a ratify thee following fo
our conventio
ons:
10. invite
the C
Convention for
f the Prote
ection of the Architectura
al Heritage off Europe, thee European Convention
n on
the Protection of
o the Archa
aeological H
Heritage (rev
vised), the European LLandscape Convention,
C
the
mework Convvention on th
he Value of C
Cultural Herittage for Society;
Fram
SCO and ICCROM to co
ooperate mo
ore widely wiith the Europpean institutions in order to
11. also invite UNES
mote the excchange of ex
xperience an
nd best practtices, and to
o create syneergies with other
o
regionss of
prom
the w
world;
all the imporrtance of dev
veloping thiss future strattegy with the
e involvemennt of civil soc
ciety actors and
a
12. Reca
orga
anisations acctives in the heritage
h
field
d including the networks of
o Cities;
BELLGIAN CHAIRM
MANSHIP CoE | HERITAGE | NAMUR
N
– 22 – 2
24 April 2015 | Declaration Text final 24 04 2015 GB
3|5
Append
dix
Guide
elines for the European
n Cultural He
eritage Strattegy for the 21st century
y
e up to each
h country to implement tthe Strategy according to
o the compeetences and responsibilitties
It will be
specific to each leve
el of governm
ment and the
egislation, while giving ppriority to tho
ose themes and
a
e relevant le
recomme
ended coursses of action
n which best match their own concerrns or objecttives, and att the same tiime
endeavo
ouring to implement the Strategy
S
as a whole in a harmonious,
h
integrated aand coherentt manner.
owing guideliines suggestt unifying, co
onsensual themes while at the same time respec
cting differences
The follo
in the wa
ay heritage and
a certain is
ssues are pe
erceived by the various states and paarties involve
ed. They iden
ntify
operational prioritiess, which sho
ould be imp
plemented us
sing the Council of Eurrope instrum
ments and to
ools
e:
available





tthe conventio
ons, resolutions and reco
ommendations developed by the Couuncil of Europ
pe since 196
69;
tthe database
es, knowledg
ge bases an
nd institution
nal networks (HEREIN, E
ELCIS and Compendium
C
m of
C
Cultural Policies);
a
activities con
nducted with local entitiess in the spiritt of the Faro Framework Convention;
tthe Technica
al Co-operattion and Con
nsultancy Prrogramme re
elated to thee integrated conservation
n of
tthe cultural heritage;
h
ccurrent thinkking on the co
ontribution off digital technology to all the suggeste
ted themes.
Account should also
o be taken off the Europe
ean Union prrojects which
h concern cuultural heritage, through the
EU sectorial policies.
various E
gested unifying and cons
sensual them
mes are as fo
ollows:
The sugg

RITAGE AND
D CITIZENSH
HIP
HER
blishing good
d governancce and promo
oting particip
patory managgement for th
he identificattion
o IIssues: estab
a
and manage
ement of cultural heritage
e; optimising the impleme
entation of thhe conventions; promotin
ng a
ssensorial and
d sensitive approach
a
to h
heritage more in harmony
y with the poopulation’s ex
xperience;
o G
Guidelines: develop
d
education and trraining for alll in the field of cultural hheritage; get all the partn
ners
tto work tog
gether; invollve civil socciety and elected
e
repre
esentatives more; educ
cate and ra
aise
a
awareness about
a
heritag
ge rights and
d responsibilities; enable citizens to ddevelop or regain a sense
e of
o
ownership of
o heritage; pursue acti ons in the spirit of Faro; engage in dialogue
e and establish
p
partnerships with natio
onal and in
nternational institutions, and with NGOs; contextualise the
cconventions and other re
eference textts, ensuring better
b
implem
mentation.

RITAGE AND
D SOCIETIES
S
HER
g in peace, improving qu
uality of life and
a the living environmeent; contributing to people’s
o IIssues: living
w
well-being, to
o the good health of indivviduals, preserving the co
ollective mem
mory;
o G
Guidelines: take into account
a
the everyday heritage tha
at constitutees people’s primary livving
e
environmentt; use heritage to conne
ect or even reconcile hu
uman beingss with life, with
w
their fellow
ccitizens, with their environment an
nd history; recognise cu
ultural heritaage as an ideal meanss of
ttransmitting values throu
ugh the gene
erations; pro
omote the ca
are of heritagge by actors
s and the more
m
a
autonomous communities of citizens,, with the sup
pport of expe
erts; fight agaainst standarrdisation.

RITAGE AND
D THE ECON
NOMY
HER
BELLGIAN CHAIRM
MANSHIP CoE | HERITAGE | NAMUR
N
– 22 – 2
24 April 2015 | Declaration Text final 24 04 2015 GB
4|5
ding a more inclusive and
d cohesive society; developing prospperity; promoting public wellw
o IIssues: build
b
being;
o G
Guidelines: consider herritage as a source of re
eflection and
d inspiration;; use heritag
ge resourcess in
rrespectful, creative and innovative w
ways; increas
se the attrac
ctiveness of Europe and its expertise
e in
tthe field of cultural
c
herita
age; mitigate the intensiv
ve use and excessive expploitation of certain herita
age
ssites; diversiify the provis
sion in termss of heritage sites; increa
ase access too cultural he
eritage includ
ding
tthrough e-co
ontent; prom
mote the usse of cultura
al heritage for
f educatioon, research, scientific and
a
ttechnical co-operation and
a
tourism; broaden the scope of the Europeaan cultural routes;
r
prom
mote
ccultural conn
nections betw
ween citizenss and communities (twinn
ning) based on cultural heritage;
h
upd
date
tthe European Heritage Days
D
portal a
as an e-herita
age platform; promote auugmented reality techniqu
ues
b
based on a genuine knowledge
k
o
of cultural heritage;
h
con
nsider alternnative financ
cing models or
iinstruments; encourage the re-use and regene
eration of he
eritage to crreate jobs and
a
utilise lo
ocal
rresources.

RITAGE AND
D KNOWLED
DGE
HER
ering a know
wledge socie
ety; ensuring
g the maintenance and ttransmission
n of knowled
dge,
o IIssues: foste
m
methods and
d know-how
w; increasing
g awareness
s about, and
d a sense oof responsibility for, cultu
ural
h
heritage and
d the values it conveys; e
ensuring acc
cess to life-lo
ong training; combatting social dump
ping
w
where heritage-related la
abour is conccerned;
o G
Guidelines: support
s
the exchange off knowledge
e, ideas and best practicce; develop and
a co-ordin
nate
tthe actions of
o the European Union, tthe Council of Europe, and
a ICCROM
M; promote th
he exchange
e of
e
experts and
d expertise,, apprentice
es, researchers, stude
ents (expandd the exis
sting exchan
nge
p
programmess) and volunteers (active
e at archaeo
ological sites
s or monum
ment restoration projects for
e
example); wo
ork on evidence-based p
policy development.

RITAGE AND
D TERRITOR
RIAL GOVER
RNANCE
HER
o
o

IIssues: defin
ning the role of institution
ns and the re
esponsibility of citizens tto work toge
ether to impro
ove
tthe surround
dings and quality of life o
of all members of society
y; introducingg heritage ma
anagement that
t
iis conducive to living together in harm
mony, well-be
eing and dev
velopment;
G
Guidelines: in the spirit of
o the Floren ce conventio
on, affirm terrritory as an entity that is
s remarkable for
tthe characte
er of its heritages and tthat may cro
oss borders: specific lanndscape and
d environmen
ntal
ffeatures, stro
ong identity, sense of be
elonging sharred by all me
embers of thhe community
y, etc.; prom
mote
u
uniqueness as a driving
g force for tthe positive transformation of the livving environ
nment; prom
mote
iinnovative go
ood spatial governance
g
b
based on heritage as a re
esource; proomote co-ope
eration betwe
een
tterritories in the field of trransfrontier h
heritage.
HER
RITAGE AND
D SUSTAINA
ABLE DEVEL
LOPMENT
ublic sector with appropriate means, enabling it to be mo
ore effective
e in
o IIssues: provviding the pu
iimproving qu
uality of life and
a the living
g environmen
nt;
o Guid
delines: imprrove the public sector’s cu
ultural herita
age managem
ment capacity
ty so it can manage
m
herita
age
as a real local and regiona
al resource; promote cu
ultural heritage as a facctor in socia
al and territo
orial
cohe
esion and la
andscape quality; strengtthen the role
e of cultural heritage in the develop
pment of public
spacces, analyse
e the risks for
f cultural heritage; wiiden the sco
ope of the ttechnical co
o-operation and
a
conssultancy misssions of the
e Council of Europe and
d make them
m more perm
manent in the field; use the
Euro
opean projeccts (Europea
an Union) w
while stressing the importance of heritage for other secto
oral
policcies; develop
p partnership
ps with UNES
SCO, the European Unio
on, and ICCR
ROM in cultural heritage risk
man
nagement.
BELLGIAN CHAIRM
MANSHIP CoE | HERITAGE | NAMUR
N
– 22 – 2
24 April 2015 | Declaration Text final 24 04 2015 GB
5|5