The value of cultural heritage in a democratic society

Recommendation 2149 (2019)

Author(s):

Parliamentary Assembly

Origin

Text adopted by the Standing Committee, acting on behalf of the Assembly, on 1 March 2019 (see Doc. 14834, report of the Committee on Culture, Science, Education and Media, rapporteur: Lord Alexander Dundee).

1. The Parliamentary Assembly, referring to its Resolution 2270 (2019) on the value of cultural heritage in a democratic society, considers culture and heritage to be central to democratic stability in Europe today, for they move and inspire people. In times of economic uncertainty or recession, they are also powerful beacons of light that raise hope and nourish identity and belonging. The Assembly therefore urges the Committee of Ministers to devote resources to pursue its long-standing work in this field with member States.

2. The Council of Europe Framework Convention on the Value of Cultural Heritage for Society (CETS No. 199, “Faro Convention”), the European Heritage Strategy for the 21st Century (Strategy 21), the Council of Europe Cultural Routes Programme and the European Heritage Days all provide an excellent framework to promote cultural heritage, backed up by the policies of member States through which culture and cultural heritage can be placed at the core of sustainable development strategies at local and regional levels.

3. The Assembly therefore recommends that the Committee of Ministers:

3.1 re-enforce support for existing Council of Europe programmes in the culture and cultural heritage field, including for technical assistance programmes, in order to assist public authorities in member States with targeted policy reviews, legal advice and other initiatives;

3.2 improve co-operation with the European Union within the context of the forthcoming European Framework for Action on Cultural Heritage and the new Agenda for Culture, with a view to stimulating innovation and carrying out forward-looking initiatives in the culture and cultural heritage field which aim at community building and inclusiveness.

4. The Assembly considers that the momentum from the European Year of Cultural Heritage 2018 is an opportunity to build stronger partnerships with the European Union and to raise the level of ambition in the cultural field, so that culture and heritage become the real drivers of change in the future. The Assembly therefore invites the Committee of Ministers and the European Union to intensify their exchanges in order to increase their co-operation projects to promote European cultural values through technical assistance programmes and funding available for local and regional sustainable development projects that implement the principles of the Faro Convention and the European Heritage Strategy for the 21st Century.