Phase 1

As a main event of this phase, the first ever regional conference was organised in order to discuss condition of heritage. Regional Conference “Condition of Cultural and Natural Heritage in the South East Europe” was held in Kladovo, Serbia from 23 till 28 October 2006.  Eighty six participants came from eight countries: Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Albania, Macedonia, Bulgaria and Romania. Representatives of the Regional Office of UNESCO-BRESCE in Venice, ICCROM, Rome and National Committee of ICOM Italy were also present at the Conference. There were forty three presentations explaining general problems in protection of cultural and natural heritage along with some quite specific ones.

Results from the Conference also confirmed the need for regional institution of heritage protection – that has already been the initial concept for the Central Institute for Conservation in Belgrade. 

The first phase included publication of papers and conclusions from the regional conference. Therefore publication is entitled “Condition of Cultural and Natural Heritage in the South East Europe” and collects all the papers from the conference printed in native language and English. The papers covering the issues that were not discussed at the conference but are equally important like natural heritage, archives and libraries, industrial heritage, intangible heritage were collected later and will be published in the volume II of this publication – yet to be printed.

Series of courses adressing issues in preventive conservation were held in order to educate professionals and set standards in heritage protection: MEP TIEM and Courses on Archaeological Conservation were organised by ICCROM in partnership with Diana Department of the National Museum in Belgrade and UNESCO BRESCE; Introduction to Preventive Conservation was organised by Diana and Cultural Heritage without Borders from Sweden; Diana Summer School of Conservation is held annually and ICCROM-CCI-ICN course Reducing Risks to Collections was organised in Sibiu, Romania and Diana Department was collaborator.