Annex III to BS/WG/C/R(2024)2

PLAN OF ACTION OF THE BSEC WORKING GROUP ON CULTURE

(1 July 2023 – 30 June 2025)

COUNTRY-COORDINATOR: THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA

 

 

The representatives of the Member States of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation

Confirming their adherence to the Terms of Reference of the BSEC Working Group on Culture agreed upon the Resolution of the 15th Meeting of the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the BSEC Member States (Moscow, 1 November 2006),

Having regard to the Goal 8 (Development of Tourism, Protection of Cultural Heritage and Promotion of Modern Art) of the 2023 “BSEC Economic Agenda Towards a Sustainable Future of the Wider Black Sea Area”,

Acknowledging that the regional cooperation can contribute to enhancing peace, stability, prosperity and wellbeing of people of the Black Sea Region,

Recognizing the enhanced role of culture in public polices involving a multiplicity of actors – governments, local authorities, civil society organizations, intergovernmental organizations (IGOs), private sector and communities, to foster dialogue and cooperation in accordance with the BSEC Charter and other relevant policy documents,

Acknowledging the growing role of culture and cultural heritage for sustainable development, social inclusion and poverty eradication,

Recognizing the fundamental impact of digital transformation and innovation on the cultural sector and creative industries,

Underlining the importance of intercultural dialogue as a mean to improve awareness and understanding of commonly shared values,

Acknowledging that the field of culture can face both natural and human-driven risks and can be targeted in conflicts and crises and be subject of abuse,

Set up the general objectives of the BSEC Working Group on Culture for the period 2023-2025:

  1. GENERAL OBJECTIVES:

     

    The general objective of the Action Plan for the period of July 1, 2023 - June 30, 2025 is to contribute to the intercultural dialogue and cooperation between the BSEC Member States, aiming at enhancing the role of culture as a soft power to foster creativity and innovation for a sustainable development in the BSEC Region.

    The current Plan of Action 2023-2025 proclaims four major principles and directions of activities, which define the general framework of the program:

    1. Safeguarding and promotion of cultural heritage, tangible and intangible, and cultural diversity to advocate the distinct Black Sea regional cultural identity, history and traditions;

    2. Fostering the development of cultural and creative sectors as a driver of economic growth and social change through cross-cutting integration of culture with other sectorial polices, including education, cultural tourism, youth, digital technologies;

    3. Broadening collaboration and interaction between the BSEC Member States through joint projects, and programs to enhance the spirit of dialogue and mutual understanding;

    4. Developing a more sustainable partnership with international partners and organizations to promote the perspective of the BSEC agenda in the field of culture within a broader international framework.

       

  2. FRAMEWORK OF ACTIVITIES AND PROJECTS

     

    1. Protection, Valorization and Promotion of the Cultural Heritage

      Acknowledging the rich cultural heritage of the BSEC region, recognizing cultural heritage as an important resource for social and economic development of nations, and reaffirming the role of cultural diversity in forming a common heritage of humanity:

      • Considering the possibility of drafting a Memorandum of Understanding on the protection of Cultural Heritage of the BSEC Member States;

      • Encouraging the participation of experts from BSEC Member States in seminars, webinars, panel discussions, forums and other similar activities related to the study and protection of cultural heritage of the region;

      • Promoting preservation and conservation - restoration of cultural and archeological heritage in the territory of the BSEC Member States, while respecting and maintaining its original background;

      • Identifying and inventorying traditional cultural expressions common in the Black Sea Basin and Common cultural expressions of BSEC Member States;

      • The Member States shall exchange information about laws and regulations on the protection of cultural property, and shall promote close co-operation of their respective authorities, especially with regard to the prevention of theft, return the lost or illegally exported cultural values, clandestine excavation and illicit import, export, transit or transfer of ownership of cultural assets, art treasures, religious artefacts including icons, protected

        or valuable documents and other items, in accordance with the international conventions and their respective national legislation;

      • Promoting cultural heritage of BSEC region through offline and online platforms and initiatives;

      • Promoting digitalization of the BSEC Member States cultural heritage, as well as the use or artificial intelligence, augmented reality/virtual reality;

      • Encouraging Cultural tourism/Cultural routes BSEC projects in the region, their implementation and potential for further development in the BSEC countries, including by taking stock of the Council of Europe Cultural Routes program and other similar programs;

      • Encouraging multi-country nominations and inscription for safeguarding of tangible and intangible cultural heritage through UNESCO normative tools and programs;

      • Encouraging joint projects in the frames of the ICOM grants program.

         

    2. Fostering cultural and creative industries (CCIs) through cultural exchanges

      Reaffirming the commitment to the “UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” and the UNESCO 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, and the significance of CCIs for inclusive and sustainable growth, also based on the prior activities in the framework of the BSEC:

       

      • Creating a nomination of BSEC Cultural City,

      • Fostering interactions between artists, creative businesses and professionals in the BSEC region, encouraging mobility of artist,

      • Encouraging mutual participation in the cultural events (including film weeks, theatre conferences, music festivals, exhibitions, book fairs, and forums) held in BSEC Member States,

      • Promoting the mutual participation to the international film, theatre, opera and ballet festivals organized in BSEC Member States,

      • Promoting the mutual participation to traditional handicrafts exhibitions,

      • Supporting creative economies in the BSEC region through encouraging creative and innovative startups, online marketing and collaboration platforms, e-culture and digital heritage of BSEC countries,

      • Informing each other of the international book fairs and similar events to be organized in their countries and encourage mutual participation.

         

    3. Professional networks and exchanges

      Reaffirming the globally recognized recognition of culture as a “soft power” in international relations, and the role of cultural diplomacy in building bridges among nations and states contributing to exchange of ideas, knowledge and experience, addressing global challenges, fostering mutual understanding and peace:

      • Encouraging the cooperation of existing professional networks in particular that of Intangible Cultural Heritage experts and heritage conservators – restorers to provide platform for sharing knowledge and experience in the BSEC Region,

      • Encouraging direct contacts and cooperation among the cultural authorities, institutions and organizations (including national institutions, museums and galleries, libraries, publishing houses and creative centres) of the BSEC Member States,

      • Encouraging the collaboration among civil society organizations and private sector contributing to cultural cooperation among the BSEC Member States,

      • Providing a platform on exchange of knowledge and experience on the establishment and operations of culture organizations in BSEC Region,

      • Fostering the exchange of knowledge and best practices in the digitalization and entrepreneurship in CCI’s,

      • Supporting the exchange of experience and experts in the field of librarianship, resourcing, cataloguing, information technologies and digitization.

         

  3. MEETINGS OF THE WORKING GROUP:

     

    • 1st Meeting

      October 18, 2023, BSEC HQ, Istanbul BSEC HQ, Istanbul

    • 2nd Meeting

    October-November 2024 (TBC) BSEC HQ, Istanbul

  4. MINISTERIAL MEETINGS:

     

    Meeting of Ministers in Charge of Culture (1st semester, 2025, Yerevan, Armenia)

     

    RELEVANT EVENTS:

     

    • International Crafts Festival, featuring a live event of The Art of Writing: Calligraphy, September 2024, Armenia;

    • Expert round-table forum as part of the Council of Europe Cultural Routes program, October-November, 2024 (following the meeting of the Working Group on Culture);

    • Museums for Youth - Youth for Heritage: online exhibition platform engaging youth and museums, Spring, 2025;

    • Side event on Digital Transformation and Innovation in Culture and Tourism on margins of 2024 World Congress on Information Technology (WCIT)in partnership with BSEC, Yerevan, Armenia, 2024.

  5. COOPERATION WITH OTHER BSEC BODIES:

    • Exploring the possibility of organizing a joint meeting with the WG on Cooperation in Tourism on topics / items of common interest;

    • Exploring the option for organizing a meeting with the ICBSS (seminars, workshops).

     

  6. COOPERATION WITH BSEC OBSERVERS AND PARTNERS

  7. COOPERATION WITH OTHER INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS:

     

    • UN, UNESCO, UN Tourism, UNDP, UN Alliance of Civilizations, ICOM, ICCROM

    • Council of Europe (Cultural Routes, Eurimages)

    • Council of Ministers of Culture of Southeast Europe

    • International Council of Museums ICOM

    • European Union

     

  8. LIST OF REPRESENTATIVES / NATIONAL CONTACT POINTS

Mrs. Astghik Marabyan

Head of Department of Cultural Heritage

Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of the Republic of Armenia

E-mail: heritage@escs.am

Tel: +374 (91) 65 09 55

 

Mr. Garnik Momjyan

Head of Division of Cultural Heritage Protection and Development of the Department of Cultural Heritage

Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of the Republic of Armenia

E-mail:garnik.momjyan@escs.am

Tel: +374 (99) 38 18 11