President of the Republic of Montenegro

October 06, 2009

Paris, France: UNESCO GENERAL CONFERENCE - ADDRESS BY THE PRESIDENT OF MONTENEGRO H.E. Mr. FILIP VUJANOVIĆ

Dear President of the General Conference,
Dear Chairman of the Executive Board,
Distinguished Director-General,
Dear Prime Minister of Malaysia,
Excellencies,
Distinguished delegates,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is my great pleasure to address the participants of this year’s General Conference given that Montenegro is one of the youngest member states of UNESCO and as such proves that duration of membership does not determine the quality of co-operation if it is based on the principles that promote peace, freedom and equal rights for everyone through education, science and culture.

All our gatherings do affirm these noble values and confirm our dedication to maintain such values, which through the UNESCO activities should be preserved for future generations. We are even more obliged by the current challenges to go along this path.

Recent events that took place in the Western Balkans remind us of the responsibility to preserve multiculturalism, multi-ethnicity and multi-confessionalism as the foundation of our states, pointing to the importance of respect for diversity as a basis of our mutual co-operation

I am assured of genuine responsibility and commitment of Montenegro and the Southeast European region to respect the basic principles of UNESCO, while support for cultural diversity, strengthening the multicultural dialogue, improvement of educational, scientific and cultural co-operation, free exchange of knowledge and ideas are our common goal.

I use this opportunity to express my appreciation and high respect to Mr. Matsuura, whose unselfish support helped us to establish high standards for our future co-operation in a very short period of time since Montenegro became a member of UNESCO, while our joint efforts demonstrated our readiness to keep and affirm ever-lasting importance of the UNESCO mission.

Genuine benevolence for the Southeast European region that has been shown by Mr. Matsuura, the Secretariat and UNESCO Office in Venice has been an important impetus in our joint projects so far, which further obliges us to remain devoted to the principles of mutual respect and understanding.

The General Conference is expected to endorse the nomination of Mrs. Irina Bokova who comes from our region, as the new Director-General, which makes me confident that our future co-operation will further enhance and intensify good practice.

Since it became a full member of UNESCO, Montenegro has made great efforts with a view to strengthening regional co-operation. This year in June, it hosted 7th Regional Summit of Heads of State of South East Europe in Cetinje on the topic “Management of Heritage Diversity and its Promotion for Tourism”, which sent the clear message of joint commitment to further promotion of intercultural dialogue.

By adopting the Cetinje Declaration, we have demonstrated our determination that preservation of the integrity and authenticity of the cultural heritage of the Region should be our priority, while the development of tourism should be serving for the promotion of culture, which surpasses the borders and makes the strongest ties among nations and countries.

Montenegro, as the smallest country in the Balkans, has rich cultural and natural heritage, which testifies on multiethnic and multi-confessional co-existence throughout the centuries among three great civilizations and religions: Orthodoxy, Islam and Catholicism, which left various tangible and intangible traces on its territory.

By adoption of the Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage of 1972, the international community has recognized the places of “high universal value” due to their unique nature, historical importance or spiritual values, which, therefore, should be protected as a part of the world heritage.

Rich cultural and historical heritage of Kotor and natural resources of the National Park Durmitor with the River Tara canyon are recognized for their universal value and were enlisted in the World Heritage in 1979 and 1980 respectively.

The Tara River Basin was also included in the World Network of Biosphere Reserves in the framework of the UNESCO Program “Man and Biosphere” of 1977.

We are confident that the importance of the Old Royal Capital of Montenegro deserves to be internationally recognized, adequately protected and valorized with a vision of future regional center of cultural co-operation, and that Cetinje should be nominated for the World Heritage List.

To be included in the World Heritage List represents a great advantage, but also a great obligation as such area by the definition belongs to all citizens of the world, calling for greater responsibility for its preservation.

Montenegro has launched many initiatives so far in order to demonstrate its care for current and future protected areas, placing them on the top of its agenda.

In the previous period, Montenegro has made great efforts in the reform of its education system in accordance with the internationally recognized principles, which have been harmonized with the strategic goals of our state to establish a democratic, developed and open society.

The goals, which have been set under the Dakar Framework for Action and Millennium Development Goals, which were basis for the concept “Education for All”, are also set as the tasks in the reform of education in Montenegro, the implementation of which has started in 2004.

With the support of UNESCO, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Italy, State Secretariat for Education and Research of Switzerland (SBF) and Swedish International Development Agency, the Forum on Policies in the Field of Science, High Education and Innovations was held in Montenegro in July 2008, which gathered high representatives from the Ministry of Education and Science, university, parliamentary committees for science and research, academies of science, institutions funding science and research as well as representatives from the European and international organizations. The aim of the Forum was to take into consideration future strategies for permanent affirmation of the science, high education and innovations, for the sake of the development of knowledge society in South East Europe.

Being aware of our responsibility in solving current global challenges such as sustainable development and climate changes, Montenegro will host the Regional Conference on Climate Changes and Sustainable Development of the Mediterranean and Southeast European Countries from 16-17 October 2009, with the support of the Government of Montenegro and Government of the Republic of Italy.

We pay special attention to the implementation of the international normative instruments, and during 2008 – 2009, following Conventions were ratified: Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, Convention on the Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage, Convention against Doping in Sport and Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I would like once again to express my appreciation and respect to the Director-General of UNESCO Mr. Matsuura, and assure you of the strong commitment of Montenegro to give its contribution to achieving noble mission of UNESCO through further mutual co-operation.

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