GENERAL ASSEMBLY IS TOLD 2004 OLYMPIC GAMES IN ATHENS WILL EXEMPLIFY ROLE OF CULTURAL HERITAGE IN SOCIAL, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
04/12/2002Press ReleaseGA/10113 Fifty-seventh General Assembly Plenary 67th Meeting (AM) GENERAL ASSEMBLY IS TOLD 2004 OLYMPIC GAMES IN ATHENS WILL EXEMPLIFY ROLE OF CULTURAL HERITAGE IN SOCIAL, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Debate Marks End of United Nations Year; Importance of Objectives, Need for Global Support, Practical Measures, Financial Assistance Stressed
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Fifty-seventh General Assembly

Plenary

67th Meeting (AM)

GENERAL ASSEMBLY IS TOLD 2004 OLYMPIC GAMES IN ATHENS WILL EXEMPLIFY

ROLE OF CULTURAL HERITAGE IN SOCIAL, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Debate Marks End of United Nations Year; Importance of Objectives,

Need for Global Support, Practical Measures, Financial Assistance Stressed

The 2004 Olympic Games in Athens would be a significant example of the important role played by cultural heritage in social and economic development, the Minister of Culture of Greece told the General Assembly this morning, as the Assembly marked the end of the United Nations Year for Cultural Heritage.

The Olympic ideal and the tradition of the Games, continued Evangelos Venizelos, aroused deep emotions across the whole international community, bringing the world’s people together around the Olympic flame and the Olympic truce -- all common elements to both Greek and global cultural heritage.

The protection of the cultural heritage of the world’s countries should be regarded as a duty of all humanity, he said, but such a responsibility would never be anything more than a romantic ideal unless practical measures were taken to provide international financial aid in support of that specific objective.

Assembly President Jan Kavan (Czech Republic) said that cultural heritage represented the historical record and understanding of an entire people in terms of their works, values, institutions and sights. All too often cultural heritage had been the target of distraction by virtue of its symbolism of heritage and identity; attacks on cultural heritage were directed against the group itself and indicated intolerance. He recalled that the proclamation of the Year had taken place just nine months after the destruction of the two Buddhas in Afghanistan, which had represented a culture of tolerance.

The representative of New Zealand said his country's official celebrations to mark this year’s Day for Cultural Heritage began with a dawn ceremony performed this morning by the leaders of the "tangata whenua", the indigenous people of New Zealand. Those celebrations included a wide range of ethnic communities, who together made up the cultural fabric of New Zealand’s society.

Statements on the subject were also made by the representatives of Egypt, China, Mali, Japan, Ukraine, Argentina and Italy.

Also this morning, the Assembly decided to defer consideration of the following items and to include them in the provisional agenda of its fifty-eighth session:

- Declaration of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the Organization of African Unity on the aerial and naval military attack against the Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya by the present United States Administration in July 1986;

- Armed Israeli aggression against the Iraqi nuclear installations and its grave consequences for the established international system concerning the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and international peace and security;

- Consequences of the Iraqi occupation of and aggression

against Kuwait;

- Implementation of the resolutions of the United Nations; and

- Launching of global negotiations on international economic cooperation for development.

The Assembly took action on a number of recommendations of its Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary). It took note of chapters I, VII (sects. B and C) and IX of the report of the Economic and Social Council.

Also, the Assembly appointed the following persons as members of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ) for a three-year term of office beginning on 1 January 2003: Homero Luis Hernandez (Dominican Republic), Vladimir V. Kuznetsov (Russian Federation), Thomas Mazet (Germany), Susan McLurg (United States) and Mounir Zahran (Egypt).

It also appointed Alvaro Gurgel de Alencar (Brazil), Sergei I. Mareyev (Russian Federation), Bernard G. Meijerman (Netherlands), Hae-yun Park (Republic of Korea), Ugo Sessi (Italy) and Wu Gang (China) to the Committee on Contributions for the same period.

Also, the Assembly confirmed the appointment by the Secretary-General of the following persons as members of the Investments Committee for a three-year term beginning on 1 January 2003: Francine J. Bovich (United States), Takeshi Ohta (Japan) and Peter Stormonth-Darling (United Kingdom). It also appointed Kevin Haugh (Ireland) and Jacqueline R. Scott (United States) as members of the United Nations Administrative Tribunal for a four-year term beginning on 1 January 2003.

Furthermore, the Assembly appointed the following persons as members of the International Civil Service Commission for a four-year term beginning on 1 January 2003: Mohsen Bel Hadj Amor (Tunisia), Daasebre Oti Boateng (Ghana), Jose Ramon Sanchis Munoz (Argentina), Anita Szlazak (Canada) and Eugeniusz Wyzner (Poland). It also recommended that the Assembly designate Mohsen Bel Hadj Amor as Chairman and Eugeniusz Wyzner (Poland) as Vice-Chairman of the Commission for the same period.

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In addition, the Assembly appointed Andrei Vitalievitch Kovalenko (Russian Federation) as a member of the United Nations Staff Pension Committee for a term of office beginning on 1 January 2003 and ending on 31 December 2003.

The Assembly will meet again at 10 a.m. on Friday, 6 December, to consider the situation in Afghanistan.

Background

The General Assembly met this morning to take up its agenda item, “The United Nations Year for Cultural Heritage: marking of the end of the United Nations Year for Cultural Heritage,” as well as a number of other items on its agenda.

The Assembly was also expected to consider a number of reports of its Fifth Committee. The report of the Fifth Committee on the report of the Economic and Social Council (document A/57/624) contains a draft decision, which would have the Assembly take note of chapters I, VII (sects. B and C) and IX of the report of the Economic and Social Council.

Another Fifth Committee report (document A/57/605) recommends that the Assembly appoint the following persons as members of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ) for a three-year term of office beginning on 1 January 2003: Homero Luis Hernandez (Dominican Republic), Vladimir V. Kuznetsov (Russian Federation), Thomas Mazet (Germany), Susan McLurg (United States) and Mounir Zahran (Egypt).

In another report (document A/57/606), the Fifth Committee recommends that the Assembly appoint the following persons as members of the Committee on Contributions for a three-year term of office beginning on 1 January 2003: Alvaro Gurgel de Alencar (Brazil), Sergei I. Mareyev (Russian Federation), Bernard G. Meijerman (Netherlands), Hae-yun Park (Republic of Korea), Ugo Sessi (Italy) and Wu Gang (China).

Also, the Fifth Committee recommends that the Assembly confirm the appointment by the Secretary-General of the following persons as members of the Investments Committee for a three-year term beginning on 1 January 2003: Francine J. Bovich (United States), Takeshi Ohta (Japan) and Peter Stormonth-Darling (United Kingdom) (document A/57/607).

In another report (document A/57/608), the Fifth Committee recommends that the Assembly appoint Kevin Haugh (Ireland) and Jacqueline R. Scott (United States) as members of the United Nations Administrative Tribunal for a four-year term beginning on 1 January 2003.

In its report on the International Civil Service Commission (document A/57/609), the Fifth Committee recommends that the Assembly appoint the following persons as members of the Commission for a four-year term beginning on 1 January 2003: Mohsen Bel Hadj Amor (Tunisia), Daasebre Oti Boateng (Ghana), Jose Ramon Sanchis Munoz (Argentina), Anita Szlazak (Canada) and Eugeniusz Wyzner (Poland). It also recommends that the Assembly designate Mohsen Bel Hadj Amor as Chairman and Eugeniusz Wyzner (Poland) as Vice-Chairman of the Commission for the same period.

The Fifth Committee also recommends that the Assembly appoint Andrei Vitalievitch Kovalenko (Russian Federation) as a member of the United Nations Staff Pension Committee for a term of office beginning on 1 January 2003 and ending on 31 December 2003 (document A/57/610).

Statements

The President of the Assembly, JAN KAVAN (Czech Republic), said that cultural heritage represented the historical record and understanding of an entire people in terms of their works, values, institutions and sights. On 4 December 2001, the General Assembly had adopted resolution 56/8 on the Year of Cultural Heritage, to raise awareness on the issue of protecting the world’s cultural heritage and invited the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to serve as the lead agency. All too often, cultural heritage had been the target of distraction by virtue of its symbolism of heritage and identity; attacks on cultural heritage were directed against the group itself and indicated intolerance.

The proclamation of the Year, he said, had taken place just nine months after the destruction in Afghanistan of the two Buddhas, which had represented a culture of tolerance. That barbarian act had shocked the whole world and symbolized crimes against culture. Another example was provided in the destruction of the Old Bridge at Mostar in Bosnia, which symbolized the attempt to wipe out all traces of a common cultural heritage. UNESCO and the World Bank were now coordinating efforts to rebuild the bridge. His own region of origin, he added, had suffered wars and plundering and, most recently, flooding.

Armed conflict posed the most obvious risk to cultural heritage, he added. Thus, the first international instruments had focused on this area. Subsequently, 30 years ago the Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, a fundamental pillar for the preservation of the world’s heritage, had been adopted. Today, 175 States were parties to that Convention, while 730 natural and historic sites had been listed. Encouraging those States not yet party to the Convention to join at the earliest opportunity, he also urged the active involvement of institutions, organizations and individuals at international, national and local levels to protect and preserve cultural heritage and to share financial responsibilities.

AHMED ABOUL GHEIT (Egypt) said cultural heritage was one of the most significant sources of human civilization. It was the product of diverse human experiences left to the world by its forefathers as testimonies of their lives, whether done in stone, leather or poetic verses. It showed the long and difficult road mankind had gone through. Today, more than ever, it was incumbent on the international community to look back on cultural heritage, and hold on to it, in order to explore the common roots among civilizations.

The Year provided a unique opportunity to enhance efforts to protect cultural heritage. The Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, adopted 30 years ago to reflect the dangers facing the international community, had a noble mission in coming up with the list of international sites of cultural heritage –- 730 sites of common cultural heritage around the world.

The international community, he continued, was collaborating today in efforts to protect those sites, under the auspices of UNESCO. UNESCO was the protecting body of world heritage, regardless of where it was or what type of site it was. As the Year drew to a close, he encouraged UNESCO to continue its tireless efforts to protect the cultural heritage of mankind. He urged all States to work with UNESCO, so that it could accomplish its mission.

EVANGELOS VENIZELOS, Minister of Culture of Greece, noted that his country was preparing to host the Olympic Games in Athens 2004. He said the Olympic ideal and the tradition of the Games aroused deep emotions throughout the international community, bringing the world’s people together around the Olympic flame and the Olympic truce -- all common elements to both Greek and global cultural heritage.

As a member of the European Union, he added, Greece was organizing the most contemporary Olympic Games for the 21st century, and had the unique advantage of the authenticity of the Olympic sites and ideals. The Games, he said, were a significant example of the important role played by cultural heritage in social and economic development.

As the country prepared for the Games, in association with UNESCO and the International Olympic Committee, a new international institution, the Cultural Olympiad, had emerged, whose core message was the necessity for a “Culture of Civilizations”. It was essential for the international community to acknowledge that all too often protracted military conflicts and major international problems were rooted in issues of religion, language or ethnicity. Put another way, they were, at the most profound level, cultural issues. The “Culture of Civilizations” would be a means to ensure peaceful and meaningful dialogue between different cultures, and to transform cultural differences into bridges of understanding, and not into reasons for friction, misunderstanding and armed conflict.

As part of the preparations for the Games, he went on, the new Acropolis Museum was currently under construction in Athens. It was hoped that the museum would be the home for the Parthenon Marbles, which were currently divided between Athens and London, in their entirety. Greece hoped that its proposals for the organization of a joint exhibition of the Parthenon sculptures in Athens under the aegis of the Museum of the Acropolis and the British Museum would be accepted. He also proposed that a day each year be devoted to the celebration of global cultural heritage, a day on which all the monuments belonging to UNESCO’s World Heritage List would be open to the public, thereby sending a message of “the universality of cultural heritage”.

He said protection of the cultural heritage of the world’s countries should be regarded as a duty of all humanity; such a responsibility would be only a romantic ideal unless practical measures were taken to provide international financial aid for that specific purpose.

WANG YINGFAN (China) said that cultural heritage played a vital part in the promotion of mutual understanding among countries, as well as the enhancement of communication among different cultures and civilizations. To protect and make good use of world cultural heritage was a common responsibility of all people in the world. China was a country with an ancient civilization and a long history; it had numerous natural and cultural relics. They were not only the invaluable heritage of the Chinese nation, but an important part of the world cultural and natural heritage as well.

The Chinese Government, he said, had always attached importance to the protection, construction, planning and management of scenic spots and places of cultural interest, as well as historic sites. It had persistently followed the guiding principle of “vigorous protection, integrated management, sound development and sustainable utilization”. In pursuing economic development, China was making all efforts to preserve historic and cultural sites, and had zealously

devoted itself to reconciling history with modern times, so that both might co-exist harmoniously with each other. China had already registered 28 world cultural and natural heritage sites.

Cultural heritage belonged to not only one country, but to all mankind, he said. To protect cultural heritage was to protect the common history of humankind. In observation of the Year, the Chinese Mission and UNESCO were co-sponsoring a World Cultural Heritage Photo Exhibition today.

TIM McIVOR (New Zealand) said that there was a mountain on New Zealand’s North Island called Mount Tongariro. That mountain, together with its surrounding land, became New Zealand’s first national park. It was also the first of three New Zealand sites to be inscribed on the World Heritage List. Tongariro National Park was on the list as both a natural and cultural site, because of its largely unspoiled natural landscape and strong indigenous cultural association.

New Zealand’s official celebrations to mark this year’s Day for Cultural Heritage began with a dawn ceremony performed this morning by the leaders of the “tangata whenua”, the indigenous people of New Zealand. Those celebrations included a wide range of ethnic communities, who together made up the cultural fabric of New Zealand’s society.

The South Pacific -– its ocean and lands –- covered almost one-third of the Earth’s surface, he said. It was rich in cultural heritage, of which those of that part of the world were naturally proud. It was an honour for New Zealand to have announced, just a few weeks ago, its candidature for a seat on the World Heritage Committee at next year’s elections, where it would want to represent its home region, including all that it offered to the world’s cultural heritage.

MAHAMANE MAIGA (Mali) said that cultural heritage, as a set of artefacts and values, encompassed all that was tied to the history of a family, a town or a nation. It reflected cultural identity and the feeling of belonging, and was a source of inspiration and a treasure bearing the undeniable imprint of the past. And it was through examining the past that one could build the future. Mali, situated at the heart of Africa, had the most diverse heritage in that continent, which came from its myriad of archaeological sites.

The preservation of cultural heritage should remain at the heart of the international community’s concern, he said. Indifference to cultural heritage was often the result of a lack of knowledge of the value of one's heritage, despite the wealth and various advantages it could offer. Furthermore, weak institutional capacities for protecting cultural heritage were exacerbated by people's lack of understanding of the need to protect it. People should understand that its loss would lead to the loss of cultural identity.

Culture was of capital importance in the social, economic and political development of contemporary societies, he added. A well-preserved cultural heritage would maintain its value and attract visitors. Moreover, it could contribute to strengthening peace among peoples and civilizations. Africa, confronted with conflicts, could not content itself with extinguishing the flames, but had to find a way to address the causes of conflicts. In this regard, culture provided values to help keep crises at a distance. Finally, the celebration of the Year should provide a starting point for greater mobilization to protect

cultural heritage through actions such as enhancing institutional capacities for protection, promoting the role of culture in development, creating local museums and creating inventories of cultural heritage items.

TORU MORIKAWA (Japan) called for better coordination of efforts within the United Nations system to safeguard cultural heritage. The rebuilding of cultural landmarks systematically destroyed during conflicts, such as the Mostar bridge, an important part of the Bosnian cultural heritage in Bosnia and Herzegovina, was a symbolic activity towards the reconciliation and co-existence that would contribute to the peace-building process. Similarly in Cambodia, Angkor had always been a symbol of national unity, and it had now become a focal point of international cooperation for restoration and preservation of invaluable historic monuments.

He urged the international community to strengthen its efforts to preserve its intangible cultural heritage, saying that Japan was convinced that safeguarding that heritage would play an increasingly important role in culture and society, since it was a reflection of the creativity and diversity of the human spirit. He noted Japan’s contributions to UNESCO efforts in that area, and said he welcomed the steps that organization had so far taken, together with the international community, towards the adoption of the Convention for the Safeguard of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. To that end, he said, Japan would continue to be an active participant in all negotiations on the subject, as well as in all efforts of the international community under the leadership of UNESCO.

MARKIYAN KULYK (Ukraine) reaffirmed the importance of further development of international mechanisms to protect the world’s cultural heritage. For that purpose, he said, there was merit in holding an international conference to examine the efficiency of current international documents in that regard, and to promote the drafting of new international standard-setting instruments. Such an initiative corresponded with the guidelines of the UNESCO strategy to promote international cooperation to protect world cultural heritage. It could become a useful tool in addressing new demands in the area of standard-setting and in encouraging Member States to take appropriate measures.

In the framework of the Year, Ukraine had taken practical steps to promote cultural heritage, he said. It had focused efforts at further improving national legislation in that sphere; so far, a number of international legal acts had been prepared for ratification in the Parliament. In particular, the Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage would be ratified in the near future. A number of technical and economic projects to ensure proper heritage protection in Ukraine, at both national and local levels, had also been successfully implemented. For that purpose, a National Programme of Safeguarding the Cultural Heritage was elaborated, to ensure necessary funding from national and local budgets.

In addition, he said, Ukraine was actively continuing to search for, and prepare, new cultural and natural properties for inscription on the World Heritage List. In that regard, in 2003 and 2004, Ukraine would host two regional seminars to establish cultural and natural properties for inscription in the World Heritage List.

LUIS ENRIQUE CAPPAGLI (Argentina) said the chief purpose of the draft resolution on the subject which would be introduced at a later date would not be solely to conclude the Year but rather -- and especially -- to invite Member

States to work together with UNESCO to continue efforts to promote and protect the world’s cultural heritage. He said Argentina had recognized and appreciated the invaluable role played by UNESCO, and commended the work it had done in conserving the world’s heritage. That more than 700 sites had been entered on the World Heritage List was a reflection of the importance given by the international community to the protection of that heritage. The holding of the Year had coincided with the 30th anniversary of the World Heritage Convention, which had received more than 170 ratifications.

He stressed the role of local communities and the need to generate additional resources to that end. Local communities, he said, had a particular role to play in identifying and protecting cultural heritage. It was necessary to come up with additional resources through innovative initiatives, so that through cooperation with partners in civil society and the private sector it would be possible to protect global heritage sites and ensure the necessary training of people for preserving and managing them. He urged those not having done so to accede to the World Heritage Convention, as well as other international legal instruments in that connection.

SERGIO VENTO (Italy) said the Venice Conference celebrating the thirtieth anniversary of the World Heritage Convention had brought together 600 experts from around the world and promoted awareness of the need for greater investments in cultural heritage as a vehicle for development and international cohesion. During the Conference, the need to explore an “evolved and integrated” interpretation of the Convention emerged -– to respect its spirit and objectives while responding to new problems. The World Heritage List was a major instrument of the Convention, on which better balance and representation should be achieved. To this end, the broadest possible support should be given to help developing countries to build the capacity to identify and safeguard their heritage.

The protection of non-tangible heritage and the adequate protection of heritage were top priorities, he said. Adequate tools to harmonize conservation needs with the socio-economic capabilities involved in the enhancement process should back up traditional conservation norms. To this end, the Italian Government was drafting model “managing plans” to serve as the point of reference for numerous sites and parks of national importance, defined as “cultural areas/districts”. Moreover, it was also in the process of approving a law that provided for the establishment of “local tourist systems” to join the public and private sectors in a cooperative effort to promote integrated tourism strategies.

Since 2001, Italy had contributed $750,000 to support the institutional activities of the World Heritage Centre, as well as $500,000 towards the Minaret of Jam in Afghanistan, newly inscribed on the World Heritage List. Bilaterally, Italy had focused on joint projects for the protection and restoration of monuments, archaeological research and the use of modern technologies for the recovery of stolen cultural heritage.

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