Regional Co-operation for Cultural Heritage Development
რეგიონალური თანამშრომლობა კულტურული მემკვიდრეობის განვითარებისათვის
Տարածաշրջանային համագործակցություն հանուն մշակութային ժառանգության զարգացման
Національна політика щодо культурної спадщини
Mədəni irsin inkişaf Etdimilməsi üçün regional əməkdaşlıq
Рэгіянальнае супрацоўніцтва ў мэтах развіцця культурнай спадчыны
 
First meeting with State organizations in heritage and related fields took place on Friday, July 6th at the Ministry of Culture and Monuments Protection of Georgia in Tbilisi

A first round-table information meeting within activity 1.1 with representatives of ministries and agencies was held on July 6th. The meeting was hosted by the Ministry of Culture and Monuments’ Protection of Georgia and was attended by eight persons representing various ministries and state agencies which are considered as stakeholders for the preparation of national concept for heritage of Georgia.

Participants were once more reminded about the project and its main activities and were closely acquainted with the activity focusing on the development of recommendations for national concept of heritage for Georgia. The main purpose of the meeting was to discuss the procedure for the development of this document and agree on a feedback communication plan. The contact persons were asked to take part in similar meetings along the document elaboration phase and present the progress to their respective ministers or heads of department or agencies and return their institution’s feedback in the form of a short comment to the project team. At the meeting the participants were also asked to fill in a thematic questionnaire, but most preferred it to be sent to them via official mail, so that it is reviewed by higher officials and the answers provided are that of an institution rather than of an individual expert.

Representative of the Ministry of Education and Science introduced a new project of the ministry – a contest among secondary schools “Introduce your own region” in which the school children had to document the natural and cultural sites of their native communities. The contest has had very positive results from all over Georgia and could be of interest within the project. He also stressed the importance of conceptual framework for and especially the use of field terminology in Georgian language.

Representative of the Patriarchate of Georgia which was also invited to take part in this meeting as a major stakeholder when it comes to religious heritage of Georgia, welcomed such a cooperation between the agencies and asked if there is anything that can be done in the short term to improve cooperation between the Church and the state with regards to restoration and rehabilitation works of specific religious heritage sites and she mentioned the example of rehabilitation works outside Svetitskhoveli Cathedral in Mtskheta.

Discussion also concerned the existing plans and legislative documents relating to the rescue and safeguarding of heritage in emergency situations. Representatives of two different departments and agencies of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia expressed their readiness to involve in the project in order to facilitate improvement of the legislative basis and practical training in this respect.

Representative of the National Agency for Heritage protection inquired what status the document is going to have after it has been drafted. Will it be adopted as a separate document or will it entail some recommendations that might become binding? The Ministry of Culture and Monuments’ Protection representative explained that the ministry will be involved at all stages of drafting but at this point it cannot give a definite answer as to how it could be enforced or what status it might get.

During the meeting project team also answered various questions on current pressing issues in the heritage field in Georgia.

RCCHD Project:
Office 16b, Betlemi ascent, 0105 Tbilisi, Georgia
Tel.: +995 32 2-98-45-27
E-mail: rcchd@icomos.org.ge
© 2012 - Eastern Partnership Culture Programme