Siamashvili: Serbia attaches importance to the protection of world heritage

17. Jul 2021.
The Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia to the UNESCO Mission in Paris, Tamara Rastovac Siamashvili, said that Serbia attaches the greatest importance to the protection of world heritage on its territory, including medieval monuments in Kosovo, which are inscribed on the UNESCO List of World Heritage in Danger.

At the meeting, held on the sidelines of the 44th extended session of the World Heritage Committee, Rastovac Siamashvili spoke about education in the field of cultural heritage in the direction of a sustainable future.

The gathering was organized by the Ministry of Education of China, the National Commission of this country for UNESCO and the UNESCO Culture Sector.

Rastovac Siamashvili spoke at a high-level panel attended by, among others, the education ministers of China, Ethiopia and Pakistan.

She presented concrete examples of how Serbia includes the issue of cultural heritage in education, and in that regard emphasized the importance of dialogue and cooperation in the field of world heritage, as common priorities that will ensure its protection for future generations.

"Our Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments, as well as other institutes, organize educational workshops for children of preschool and school age, in order to give them the opportunity to get acquainted with the immovable cultural heritage of Serbia, its values ​​and ways of its preservation", said Rastovac Siamashvili.

The institute has also developed a program for the continuation of professional development of teachers, educators and professional associates called Immovable Cultural Heritage, she added.

According to her, in addition to general education about the importance and diversity of Serbia's cultural heritage, participants also have the opportunity to learn about developed practical models that can be used in education.

"The preparation of the new edition of the UNESCO educational set 'World heritage among the hand-held tools of the youth' in the Serbian language is in progress, with the goal of distributing 3,000 copies of this set to teachers in primary schools", the ambassador stated.

The UNESCO World Heritage Committee opened its 44th session in an online format on Friday, at which issues that remain unresolved since last year, when the meeting was postponed due to the pandemic, will be discussed until 31 July.

The extended session, from the Chinese city of Fuzhou, is chaired by the Chinese Vice Minister of Education and Director of the Chinese National Commission for UNESCO, Tian Xuejun.

Source: Tanjug