Implementing the UNESCO convention for the safeguarding of ICH in Bosnia and Herzegovina
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IMPLEMENTING THE UNESCO
CONVENTION FOR THE
SAFEGUARDING OF ICH
IN BOSNIAAND HEZEGOVINA
May 2013
Sofia
Seventh Annual Regional meeting on Intangible Cultural Heritage
“New strategies for sustainable development, tourism and partnership”
Sofia, Bulgaria, 27-28 May 2013
Radakovic Marija
Senior curator
Representative
Of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina was ratify the 16th July 2008. UNESCO’s Convention on
the Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage, which was published in the ,,Official
Gazette of Bosnia and Herzegovina’’ – International Agreement No. 11/08.
For the protection of intangible cultural heritage, every country in the manner
geared to it’s own situation, draw up a list of intangible heritage located on it’s
territory, which was later updated regularly.
Cultural area of Bosnia and Herzegovina, on constitution of the country, is under
the jurisdiction of the entities, the cantons and the district Brcko and in accordance
with that, also are the obligations for the implementation of ratified international
conventions.
At the level of Bosnia and Herzegovina there is a Ministry of Civil Affairs, which
is responsible for the cultural co-ordination of the activities of entity authorities
and establishment of international cooperation.
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At the level of the Republic of Serbian responsible Ministry is the Ministry of
Education and the Culture, while the Ministry of culture and sport is responsible
for the entity of Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Federation has 10 cantons
and each canton has it’s own ministry responsible for culture. Brcko District also
has a department that deals with culture.
After the ratification of the UNESCO Convention on the Protection of Intangible
Cultural Heritage, Ministry of Civil Affairs has received the support of UNESCO
to prepare a preliminary list of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Bosnia. On that
basis, the engaged experts from both entities have compiled a preliminary list of
Intangible Cultural Heritage in Bosnia as follows:
1. Patron Saint
2. Ignition žižnica
3. Nevesinjske Olympics games
4. Zmijanjski berth
5. Mrkonjicki smiths
6. Osaćanski language
7. Picking at the grass Ive Ozren
8. Woodcarving
9. Traditionally shoeing eggs in Kresevo
10. The art of lace-ceramic
11. Pilgrimage to Ajvatovica,Prusac
12. Holy pilgrimage. Iva Podmilačje
13. Making pottery in Liješevu
14. The practice of cutting the Kupres
15. Ganga
16. Ballads, musical and poetic form of the city's musical tradition
17. The art of building a musical instrument karaduzen
18. 11th Musical form of singing, "three", Natron, Zabljak
19. Jumps from the Old Bridge in Mostar
National Commission for Cooperation UNESCO with Bosnia and Herzegovina
confirmed the preliminary list.
This year, on the Museum of the Republic of Serbian’s proposal, the State
Commission accepted the nomination of Zmijanje embroidery for Representative
List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage and the proposal has been submitted to the
UNESCO. This is the first intangible property nominated from Bosnia for
Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of UNESCO.
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In accordance with the authority in the field of intangible cultural heritage, with
agreement of officials from the Ministry of Education and Culture of the Republic
of Serbian, ethnologists, ethnomusicologists and literature from Rs professors have
put together a commission to deal with the intangible heritage.
In 2011. elected committee members informed the Minister of Culture of the
importance and the need to protect intangible cultural heritage.
In 2012 Law on Intangible Cultural Heritage entered the Museums Act.
According to the Law on Museums (89/08 and 57/12) Department of Intangible
Cultural Heritage Museum of Republic of Serbian established a preliminary list of
the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Republic of Serbian of:
1. Patron Saint
2. Ignition žižnice
3. Nevesinjska Olympics games
4. Zmijanjski berth
5. Mrkonjicki smiths
6. Osaćanski language
7. Picking at the grass Ive Ozren
In 2012. a book has been published about traditional crafts in the Republic of
Serbian.
In 2013. the first proposal was nominated of the Serbian Republic - "Zmijanjski
embroidery" in the UNESCO’s list of world intangible cultural heritage.
In 2013. we will be trying to expand our preliminary list of national intangible
cultural heritage.
From Federation
As for the preservation of cultural and historical legacy, in the Federation of
Bosnia and Herzegovina, the situation developed as follows:
After the signing and ratification of the Convention on the Protection of Intangible
Cultural Heritage, the State Commission for co-operation with UNESCO asked
from the entity ministries to send the expert proposals for the creation of list of
non-material heritage that should be protected.
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Entity Coordinator for the safeguarding of the intangible cultural and historical
heritage has in contact with experts and cantonal authorities prepared and sent a list
of 12 elements as an expert proposal as follows:
1. Wood carving
2. Traditionally shoeing eggs in Kresevo
3. The art of lace-ceramic
4. Pilgrimage to Ajvatovica, Prusac
5. Holy pilgrimage. Iva Podmilačje
6. Making pottery in Liješevo
7. The practice of cutting the Kupresu
8. Ganga
9. Ballads, musical and poetic form of the city's musical tradition
10. The art of building a musical instrument karaduzen
11. Musical form of singing, "three", Natron, Zabljak
12. Jumps from the Old Bridge in Mostar
Subsequently, the State Commission informed the Federal Ministry of Culture and
Sports that it has accepted the expert proposals for temporary list.
Federal Ministry of Culture and Sports has informed all the cantons on the adopted
elements of a national list.
Coordinating work in terms of creating a National List has been exhausted, and the
cantons, which have full jurisdiction in culture of Federation are taking
responsibility for actions to protect cultural heritage from the provisional list.
Ministry of Culture and Sports has taken on the task of periodically completes the
list of suggestions from the Federation, and to report to the cantonal ministries in
line with its coordinating role and constitutional authority of any status changes of
elements of list.
Regarding the legislative framework, Ministry of Culture and Sport has no power
over the bill so that it could not recommend the production, except in the form of
initiatives and competent cantonal ministries have achieved different results on this
issue:
Of the ten cantons in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, five cantons
accepted legislation in the field of cultural and historical heritage: the Una-Sana
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Canton, Zenica-Doboj, Herzegovina-Neretva, West Herzegovina and the Sarajevo
Canton. It is important to note that only the Law on the protection of cultural and
historical heritage of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton identifies and clearly
defines intangible cultural heritage as part of the overall heritage
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Canton, Zenica-Doboj, Herzegovina-Neretva, West Herzegovina and the Sarajevo
Canton. It is important to note that only the Law on the protection of cultural and
historical heritage of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton identifies and clearly
defines intangible cultural heritage as part of the overall heritage