Culture

The UNESCO Major Programme IV Culture embraces two vast fields:

identification and preservation of cultural heritage in the broadest understanding of the word and creative activities of today.

The Report of the World Commission on Culture and Development Our Creative Diversity and the Stockholm Intergovernmental Conference on Cultural Policies for Development Action Plan underlines that culture in all its diversity and manifold manifestations shall become a decisive factor of global development and coexistence.

In accordance with the UNESCO mission and on the basis of the UNESCO Medium-Term Strategy 2002-2007 the following three interlinked strategic objectives have been highlighted for the given period:

promoting the drafting and implementation of standard –setting instruments in the cultural field;
protection cultural diversity and encouraging pluralism and dialogue between cultures and civilizations;
enhancing the linkages between the culture and development through capacity –building and sharing of knowledge.

One of the significant spheres of UNESCO activities relates to the preservation of the world cultural and natural heritage, and Latvia takes an active part in it.

In 1995 Latvia joined the UNESCO Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (1972). The Convention was ratified in Latvia in 1997. Dealing with the problems of the world cultural and natural heritage is within the competence of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre. The most important objects of the world culture and nature are inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

In December 1997 the Historic Centre of Riga was included in the prestigious World Heritage List. “The World Heritage Committee decided to inscribe this property on the basis of criteria, considering that Historic Centre of Riga, while retaining its medieval and later urban fabric relatively intact, is of outstanding universal value by virtue of the quality and quantity of its Art Nouveau/Jugenstill architecture, which is unparalleled anywhere in the world, and its 19^th century architecture in wood.” The inclusion of the Historic Centre of Riga in the UNESCO World Heritage List proves the specific and universal value of this object of culture, preservation of which is in the interests of all mankind.

In November 1999 during the 30^th session of UNESCO General Conference a resolution was adopted, urging the UNESCO member states to support the Latvian National Library Project.

Latvia is working at the implementation of the UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of the Artist

At the end of the year 2000 Latvia joined in the UNESCO programme “Safeguarding and revitalization of the intangible heritage” by submitting the application of Latvian folk songs (dainas) for the 1^stPproclamation of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.

In June 2001 “The Cabinet of Dainas” was inscribed in the UNESCO Register “Memory of the World.”

Objectives of the programme

Integration of the UNESCO culture programmes in Latvia.
Cooperation in the field of culture in the Baltic region.
Cooperation with the national commissions for UNESCO, as well as with UNESCO related international culture organizations.
Introduction of new information and communication technologies for the development of culture.

Priorities of the programme

Preservation and development of the Historic Centre of Riga as a site of the UNESCO World Heritage
Joining in the UNESCO programme “Safeguarding and Revitalization of the Intangible Cultural Heritage”.
Introduction of new information and communication technologies for the development of education, science and culture.
Support to the Latvian National Library Project.