A Council of Europe Convention on the value of cultural heritage for society

Strasbourg, 13.10.2005 – The Council of Europe Ministers’ Deputies have just adopted a Framework Convention on the Value of Cultural Heritage for Society.

This new text reflects a shift from the question “How and by what procedure can we preserve the heritage?” to the question “Why should we enhance its value, and for whom?”. It is based on the idea that knowledge and use of heritage form part of the citizen’s right to participate in cultural life as defined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The text presents heritage both as a resource for human development, the enhancement of cultural diversity and the promotion of intercultural dialogue, and as part of an economic development model based on the principles of sustainable resource use. In this respect it falls within the scope of the Council of Europe’s priorities as set by the 3rd Summit of Heads of State and Government in May 2005.

The Framework Convention will be opened for signature on the occasion of the Conference of Ministers of Culture to be held in Faro, Portugal, on 27-28 October 2005 marking the end of the celebrations for the 50th anniversary of the European Cultural Convention.

The adoption of this text is one of the priorities in the programme of the Portuguese Chairmanship of the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers, which is due to end on 17 November.

For the full text of the Framework Convention, see the site www.coe.int.

The Council of Europe website(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window)